by J. J. Franck
“Don’t move,” Avery whispered while fighting back the tears.
It didn’t take long, and a crowd soon gathered around them. Where Avery once thought she was alone in the park, she now was surprised to actually see the number of people who had gathered. It made her feel a little better knowing that whoever wounded Kirt wouldn’t be able to make another attempt on his life with everyone standing around them. But then she wondered if possibly the person responsible was one of those standing around watching. She stared for a moment at each and everyone, but they all appeared to be college students, not hardened criminals capable of shooting someone. It was Kirt grabbing hold of her arms that caused her to turn.
He winced in pain. “It hurts,” Kirt coughed up blood and then tried wiping it away with his backhand.
Avery knew that was not a good sign and suspected Kirt was also bleeding internally.
“You’ve lost a lot of blood,” Avery said as she pressed her hand on the wound even harder to try and stop the seepage of blood but knew in her heart that her attempts were useless.
Kirt shook his head. “I didn’t see it coming,” he said reaching into his jacket pocket and then put a key in Avery’s free hand. He had a difficult time breathing and even harder time talking, but he knew he had to do this. There was no time for anything else.
All Avery could do was stare down at the blood-covered key in the palm of her hand. She turned to Kirt with a puzzled look on her face.
“What’s this?” she asked.”
“Hold on,” he said and then paused before continuing, “to it for me,” he said out of breath.
“What’s it for?”
Kirt’s body suddenly arched, his eyes widened. His breathing became more labored. All he could say was, “later.”
Kirt’s eyes shut, and Avery feared that possibly he was gone, but his chest still moved slightly and then she heard him take a few deep breaths.
In the distance, sirens could be heard getting nearer. The ambulance jumped the curb of the park and drove down the path to the center near the fountain. The beams of light blinded Avery for a moment.
“They’re coming,” Avery looked down at Kirt hoping the assurance would be enough to keep him fighting for his life.
“I’m scared.”
Tears continued to stream down Avery’s cheeks. She had only known Kirt for a little over twenty-four hours, but her heart went out to him in his time of need.
“I won’t leave you, I’ll stay with you,” Avery cried.
Kirt took hold of Avery’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “Tell my parents.”
Avery quickly put a finger to his lips to quiet him knowing he had to save his energy.
“Don’t talk like that,” she said.
“Tell them I love them,” he whispered as he appeared to be getting weaker by the moment.
“You’ll be okay, help is on the way.
Kirt took a few deep breaths. All Avery could do was wrap her arms around him and hold him tight to give him comfort. When the paramedics rushed up to them, Avery was rocking Kirt with tears streaming down her cheeks.
“Avery, Av,” Kirt whispered softly but then said nothing more.
The young paramedic pulled Avery away from Kirt as he set his medical case down next to Kirt. He quickly checked Kirt’s vitals and then ripped open Kirt’s shirt.
All Avery could do then was stand up, she backed up until she leaned on the fountain. With blood soaked hands she stood with the group of students who had been watching her. She couldn’t take her eyes off the medic who worked feverishly on Kirt. But for all intense purpose, it was a futile attempt at saving a life, because of the amount of blood loss. But that did not stop the young man from putting an IV in Kirt’s vein to try to replenish what was lost, but given there was too much internal damage done to his organs, it was useless. As Kirt’s heart slowed to an almost nonexistent beat, the blood loss seemed to subside somewhat.
Kirt’s wound was clearly visible by the floodlight that was set near where they were working. Blood didn’t seem to be seeping out of the wound. Avery thought that was a good sign. Avery couldn’t watch anymore and quickly turned away and faced the fountain. She glanced down at her hands, and then quickly immersed them in the water to clean off the residue of the violent act she came upon. Avery turned back to the paramedic working on Kirt. It was a chaotic sight. The one paramedic was doing CPR, while the other was taping the IV line in place to secure it while they transported Kirt. The gurney was sitting near the path leading to the ambulance. But all the attention was on Kirt as the paramedics worked feverishly to get him stabilized, but as hard as they worked the beep on the meter slowly became fainter and fainter until a flat line appeared and a little hum was all that could be heard in the still night air.
All Avery could do was stare at Kirt. Her vision became blurred from uncontrollable tears. Through all the commotion around her, Avery thought she saw a hazy hue emerge from Kirt’s body. It seemed to float above him for an instant and then drift closer to her. She quickly wiped away the tears and suddenly was overcome with a warm sensation that engulfed her. It was almost as if she felt feverish at that moment. But as fast as the feeling consumed her, it was gone and the haze abruptly dissipated. The cold dampness of the night air was all she felt, and it sent a chill up her spine. Avery shut her eyes and shook her head and then when she opened them again a strange sensation overcame her.
Avery turned to the young man next to her. “Did you see that?” she asked with a look of bewilderment.
All he did was look at Avery with a puzzled gaze that told her he didn’t know what she was talking about. And there was no way she was going to try and explain to him what she thought she saw or what she meant. For all Avery knew, she was having one of her episodes from the tumor that was eating away at her brain.
Avery turned her attention back to the paramedics as both just sat back and stopped working on Kirt. The one turned to the crowd that had gathered. When he saw Avery, all he did was stare at Avery and shake his head with a look of despair. He got up slowly and then slowly walked over to where Avery stood with the group.
“I’m sorry, it was just too late.”
“It can’t be,” Avery said glancing past him to where Kirt way lying on the ground next to the fountain.
Avery realized now why the blood no longer seeped out of the wound, his heart had stopped beating. She had never seen someone die and it happened so fast. Kirt just shut his eyes as if he had gone into a deep sleep, but it would be a sleep he would never wake from.
Avery wanted to tell the paramedic to go back and work harder to make Kirt’s heart start beating again, but the words just would not come.
“Were you close?” the paramedic asked motioning to Kirt on the gurney.
Avery didn’t answer his question, she was so focused on Kirt she wanted them to continue working on him. But all she could do was walk passed the young man to where Kirt laid. She bent down and touched the side of his cheek. Her hand was cold, but his cheek was still warm to the touch.
“How can he be dead, he’s got to be alive,” she said between the tears. Avery bent down and put her head to Kirt’s cheek. She wanted so desperately for him to be alive.
The paramedic tried to pull Avery back, but she just shook him off. “I’m sorry, but there was nothing we could do,” he said.
The tears just wouldn’t stop, and Avery didn’t know why she cared so much. It was not as if she knew Kirt well. They had only spent a short time together, but somehow that time was important to her. It may have had something to do with her prognosis, but the time they spent together uplifted her, and for a short period she almost forgot about her own illness.
Granted Kirt was shot, but his death was so peaceful, she wondered if that was going to be what it was like to die. For some reason, she felt at peace and only hoped she could embrace it as willingly as Kirt did.
The paramedic grabbed hold of Avery’s arm. He helped her up while looking at her
with sorrow in his eyes.
“We’ve got to bag the body.” He said as his partner pulled the body bag from the ambulance and then tossed in on the ground next to where Kirt laid. This angered Avery. She knew Kirt was gone, but she just didn’t want him to be put in a black plastic bag like yesterday’s garbage. She wanted some dignity in how they transported him.
“His name is Kirt, and you’re not going to put him in that!” she said pointing to the thick black plastic bag on the ground. “He deserves better.”
The two paramedics looked at each other, and then the one shrugged while rolling his eyes. The younger of the two picked up the body bag and walked back to the ambulance and then was back in an instant. It didn’t take long, and one of the men got a sheet out of the ambulance and covered Kirt with it as if he were just sleeping. Then they put Kirt on the gurney and raised it up. Finally, they pushed it closer to the ambulance. It didn’t take long, and the gurney was secured in the back of the ambulance.
The crowd that had gathered slowly walked off in different directions leaving Avery alone watching the paramedics clean up their equipment and secure everything in the back of the ambulance. They didn’t seem to be in any hurry given Kirt had already expired.
All the while this was being done, Avery just stared at Kirt hoping for movement of his chest, but there was nothing. He looked so peaceful, and if one hadn’t seen the commotion earlier, you would have thought the young man was just sleeping. Avery slowly crawled into the ambulance and took hold of Kirt’s hand and held it tightly while the two paramedics picked up their equipment.
Avery glanced up at the one paramedic. “I promised I’d stay with him.”
All he did was motioned her to sit next to the gurney. Avery kept out of their way as things were secured before they would start their journey to the hospital where they would take Kirt. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks as she leaned closer to Kirt.
“Are you sure he’s dead?” she started to say.
“Lady, trust me. There was no way he could have survived this.”
“Please let me go with you,” Avery begged.
The paramedic standing closest to the ambulance door shrugged and then turned to the other man who seemed indifferent to the situation. He finally took a deep breath and with frustration in his voice, snapped.
“Yeah, but we aren’t bringing you back.”
Avery fought back the tears but didn’t say anything more, just settled back on the bench while holding onto Kirt’s hand. She desperately tried to will him to breathe again, but it was useless. Once the realization set in that he was gone, all she wanted was for him to know that he was not alone.
The paramedic closest to the door got in with Avery while the other slammed the door shut. He tapped his hand on the back indicating they would be leaving shortly and to secure themselves. Avery quickly buckled herself in, and within minutes the ambulance was in motion with a quick jerk. She sensed they were out of the park when the ambulance slowed down, and the vehicle dropped down off the curb. It sent everything rattling behind the closed cupboard doors. It was then the sirens went on, but it wasn’t as if they were speeding down the street, as they only seemed to move with the traffic. In all actuality, there was no need for speed as they were just transporting a body to the morgue.
All the while Avery sat there, she had a tight hold of Kirt’s hand. All she could think about was wanting more time because she sensed there definitely was an interest in Kirt’s attention to her. Now here Avery was holding his lifeless hand. She bent down and whispered in Kirt’s ear. “Maybe in another life,” was all she could manage to say and then kissed him gently on the cheek. She wondered what it would have been like to have kissed him in real life, but that was not to be.
All the while this transpired, the paramedic who was in back with her just watched her but said nothing. He had seen enough people die, to know it was best to give the grieving survivors time alone with the deceased.
CHAPTER 9
It was just a short distance to the hospital, but it was the longest five minutes of her life. In that time a dozen thoughts raced through Avery’s mind. Wondering what his last moments felt like. Avery hung on tightly to Kirt’s hand knowing the time was near when she would have to let go and say goodbye. As the ambulance came to a sudden stop, she took a deep breath and finally put Kirt’s hand under the sheet and then tucked the sheet under his body. It didn’t take long, and the back doors swung open. The cold night air suddenly replaced the heavy smell of disinfectant.
One of the paramedics entered the small enclosure and scooted past Avery. He took hold of the gurney and released the latches that held it in place. The two men worked together to pull the stretcher out of the ambulance while all Avery did was sit there and watch, unable to move for a moment. Finally one of the paramedics turned to Avery.
“We got to take him,” he said with a look of apology on his face.
Avery just fought the urge to gray and she stared at them as they set the gurney on the ground and then raised it and locked the under apparatus in place. The sheet was quickly pulled over Kirt’s face before they wheeled him into the emergency entrance to the hospital. Avery released her buckle and then slowly got up and followed the paramedics with the gurney into the emergency entrance. She knew there was nothing more that could be done, but for some reason, she didn’t want to leave hoping maybe it had all been a mistake. That there was still a little life left in Kirt, but reality told her there had been no error. She watched them wheel the gurney through the side doors, not through the doors that lead to the ER. All she could do was walk into the waiting room, but what for she wasn’t sure. She wasn’t family. There was no more she could do or say to change what had just happened. But for some reason, she just didn’t have it in her to leave and go home. Slowly she walked to the other side of the room and took a chair along the long wall next to an aquarium that was meant to soothe people in the waiting room.
The room was filled with people waiting for a doctor. There was a man who looked homeless with a badly bruised face where someone did a number on him. A woman sat nervously while holding a coughing infant as two little toddlers ran uncontrollably around the room. Avery just stared at an elderly woman twisting a tissue between her fingers and guessed she was waiting for results from someone she brought in. Everything seemed to be in turmoil with no real order. As names rang out over the intercom, people got up and followed the nurse to an examining room. But all Avery could do, was just sit there in a trance, not having it in her to move just yet.
Avery knew it would only be a matter of time and she would have to leave and go home, but for now, she felt close to Kirt for some reason. She didn’t know why she should even care. After a few moments, she leaned back and shut her eyes almost wishing that this had been a dream, but Avery knew it wasn’t.
When Avery finally opened her eyes and got ready to leave was surprised to see the paramedics who had worked on Kirt come out of swinging side doors. And then she turned her attention to the man who strolled up to them with a look of authority. His suit was ill fitted, but he still commanded attention. They talked for a few moments and then finally one of the paramedics turned to Avery and pointed. She sensed her night was not over with yet and now regretted not leaving for home sooner. The man slowly turned to her and made his way through the crowded waiting room to where Avery sat. He stood in front of her for the longest time without saying a word. Finally, after regaining his composure he was able to talk, but his voice cracked with emotion. It was clear Kirt was more to him than just a fellow officer.
“They said you were with the officer when he was shot.”
Avery just looked up at the man in front of her. “And who might you be?” she asked not wanting to sound combative but wasn’t about to talk to anyone about what had just happened.
The man took out his shield and held it in front of her. “Captain Elliott, I was Kirt’s commanding officer.”
“I wasn’t with him when he wa
s shot, but I was with him at the end.”
“Can you tell me what you saw?”
Avery shrugged. “I didn’t see anything. He was already shot when I came upon him in the park.”
“Did you hear anything?” Elliott asked.
Avery just shrugged as she got up and started to walk away. She did not want to think about that time in the park. Now she wished she hadn’t walked through the park, but then she would not have been able to give comfort to Kirt in his last few moments of life. So many thoughts raced through her head. All she wanted to do right then was to be any place but there. It was Captain Elliott grabbing hold of her arm to stop her that brought her back to the reality at hand.
“Where are you going?”
“If you don’t mind, it’s been a long day. I just want to go home.”
“I can give you a ride.”
Avery glanced up at the Captain with a look of suspicion. She was not in the habit of accepting rides from strangers. No matter how desperate she may have appeared. There should have been no need to fear the man in front of her because after all, he was a cop.
The Captain put his shield back in his pocket. Avery hesitated a moment, but then she let Elliott take hold of her arm and guide her out of the emergency waiting room. Everyone around them just stared at Avery as if she was being arrested, not knowing the details of the situation.
“Why are you doing this?” Avery asked looking up at the Captain. Being a New Yorker made her wary of anyone going out of their way to help a stranger. But then technically that was what she did that night when Kirt asked her not to leave.
“We have to talk.”
“Why?” Avery demanded.
“Because you were the last person to see him alive.”
Avery didn’t say another word. She knew it was standard procedure for sure, but at the moment she just didn’t have it in her to talk to anyone. Avery just wanted to be alone to deal with the pain of what had just happened. It isn’t every day that you see someone die.