He struggled to his feet with the last of his strength, and I supported him with his arm around my shoulders as we began to slog through knee-deep snow. This felt impossible, but I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let him stop, either. His voice was weak when he whispered, “It hurts.”
“I know, baby. I’m so sorry. But you’re stronger than you know, and you can do this. Take one step at a time. I think the main road is right around that next bend. We have to keep going.”
My leg muscles were burning. Every step was an effort. I wanted to cry, but I wasn’t going to give up. Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, we rounded the corner and sure enough, up ahead was the highway. I whispered, “Thank god.”
The road had been plowed, creating a wall of dirty snow on both sides. Instead of making him climb over it, I helped Devon sit down, leaning him against a tree as I said, “Wait here. I’m going to get us some help.” I took off my coat and tucked it over him like a blanket before scrambling over the wet, slippery barrier.
It was a full minute before a car appeared. I tried to flag it down as I yelled, “Please, I need help!” It didn’t even slow down. Another minute or two ticked by. When another car appeared, I yelled even louder and waved my arms. It shot right past me. I caught a glimpse of the driver on the way by. He looked alarmed.
This was taking way too long, and I’d left Devon alone. He must be so scared. I needed to get him help, and I needed it now.
When a huge semi-truck appeared over the crest of the hill, I ran into the middle of the road, threw my arms in the air, and held my breath. My heart pounded as air brakes squealed.
The truck came to a stop a few feet from me, and a woman stuck her head out of the window and yelled, “That’s a good way to get yourself run over, kid!”
“Please help me! My boyfriend is really sick, and I have to get him to a hospital!”
Why would she believe me? That sounded like a scam or an attempted hijacking, especially since Devon was nowhere to be seen.
She ducked back inside and said something to whoever was with her. Then she leaned out the window again and asked, “Where is he?”
I pointed, my voice shaking as I said, “Over there. I crashed our van into a ditch. Please help him. I love him so much, and I don’t want him to die.”
I sobbed with relief when she pulled the truck to one side of the road and hopped out of the cab. She was probably in her early fifties with short, blonde hair and a lot of tattoos. Amoment later, a second woman with dark, curly hair climbed out of the truck. As they approached me, I said, “I’m not trying to rob you or anything, I promise.”
“Yeah, we figured as much.”
They followed me over the snowbank, and I hurried ahead of them and called, “I’m coming, Devon! I got us some help.”
He was barely conscious by the time I reached him. I pressed my hand to his forehead and said, “He’s burning up.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“I’m pretty sure his appendix either burst or is about to.”
“That’s really serious,” the brunette said. “Mine ruptured a few years ago. Worst pain of my life. Worse than childbirth.”
Between the three of us, we managed to carry him to the truck and settle him into the sleeping compartment. “I’m Marlene,” the brunette said, as she covered Devon with a blanket, and as the blonde put the truck in gear.
“I’m Kit, and this is Devon.”
“Don’t you worry, Kit. My wife Stacey and I are going to get you to the hospital in no time at all.”
She laughed when I whispered, “Thank god. Lesbians.”
On the drive, I stroked Devon’s hair and talked to him reassuringly. It seemed like he was drifting in and out of consciousness. I was terrified, but I didn’t let him know that. Instead, I kept telling him I loved him and promising him everything was going to be okay.
Stacey called ahead and told them what was happening, so when we pulled into the hospital parking lot sometime later, several nurses and doctors were waiting with a stretcher. I followed them inside and tried to go with him when they wheeled Devon down the hall, but a nurse told me, “You need to wait here. We can’t help him if you’re in the way.”
I felt utterly lost as I watched the man I loved disappear through a pair of double doors. But then, my new friendsappeared. Marlene draped a puffy red coat over my shoulders, and Stacey said, “You did all you could for him, kid. The doctors can take it from here.”
I turned to her with tears in my eyes. “Thank you so much for everything. Two cars drove right by me, and I can see why, because I must have seemed unhinged. I know you had to stop because I was in the middle of the road and you didn’t want to squish me, but you didn’t have to help.”
“Of course we did,” Marlene said, as she guided me to the waiting room. “As soon as Stacey told me there was a soggy little gay boy out in the road, I knew we were going to do whatever it took to help you.”
“Did you know I was gay just by looking at me?”
Stacey grinned at that. “I knew you were gay because you told me your boyfriend was sick.” She gestured at a row of chairs and said, “Have a seat while I go find you some hot coffee. You look like you’re frozen half to death.”
