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Suddenly, his eyelids flutter open, and he sees me standing over him. He clutches at my shirt and moves his lips. He’s trying to tell me something, but his voice is so weak, I can’t understand.
“You’re going to be okay. Don’t speak.” I try to gently touch his cheek to keep him calm. The man yanks at my top until my ear is at his mouth.
“How—how-ser to for,” he murmurs.
Thankfully, the doctor rushes through the narrow doorway, and I move aside. He folds his white doctor’s coat under the man’s head, but the guy has passed out. Not five minutes later, the paramedics arrive and get him onto the stretcher. However, as soon as they get him into the ambulance, he goes into cardiac arrest. They close the door and take off like a shot.
In my heart, I know he won’t make it. I pray for a different outcome, but I can feel it. I take a minute to look around me. Blood is splattered everywhere, trash cans thrown about. I go to move my hair out of my eyes, but Chloe stops me. My hands have that poor man’s blood on them.
Chloe’s eyes lock with mine, and that’s when I start to shake.
“She’s going into shock,” says Dr. Nestor. “Get her inside.” He yells through the door for his wife, Alison. “Honey, get a warm blanket.”
Chloe guides me inside, and I take a seat on the bench in the main reception area. Alison throws the blanket over my shoulders. I see Alex pushing past Dr. Nestor to get to me. He sees the blood on my hands, pulls me to my feet, and begins feeling me all over.
“It’s not me,” I say. He doesn’t stop, so I say it again louder. “It’s not me. There was a m-m-man,” I hiccup, trying not to cry. “He was outside.” I don’t get another word out. He hauls me into his arms, wrapping them around me tight.
“Alex, go help her clean up. We’ll check out the scene out back.” That’s Caleb’s voice. Then I notice Damian in the room, with an arm around Chloe. Zeke’s walking out back with Caleb.
I go to the bathroom to wash the blood off my hands, but my shirt is still covered in blood. The man’s face fills my mind, and I try to shake the image as I rejoin Alex in the office. “I need to go home. I have to shower.”
“We’ll get you home soon. Caleb needs to secure the scene. We need to get a statement, and after that, I’ll get you out of here.” Alex brushes my hair out of face and kisses me gently on the corner of my mouth. “Let’s get this done, yeah?” he asks, giving me time to pull myself together.
I inhale deeply and nod. “Yeah.” We head back to the others. Damian must have gone out back, leaving Chloe with Dr. Nestor and his wife.
“Are you going to be okay?” Alex asks.
“I’ll take care of the girls, son,” Dr. Nestor replies on my behalf.
I take a seat next to Chloe. She reaches for my hand and snuggles closer. I manage a weak smile.
* * *
Alex
Caleb is downon his haunches taking a closer look at the scene. Zeke is surveying the area. “We’ve some partial footprints. Not sneakers. Not enough for any real lead, but I’ll make sure we take photos of it all.”
“What was going on back here?” Damian asks, thinking out loud.
“Bri’s a mess. I want to get her home. Do you want to get a statement now, or should I bring her into the station tomorrow?” I direct my question to Caleb.
“Let’s see how she does now. If she’s not up to it, we’ll try again in the morning,” he responds at the same time that his cell rings. He takes the call. “Thorne here,” he answers. There’s a pause before he says, “Shit.” Another pause, then, “Did you find any ID on him?” Pause. “Right. Run it through the system and see what you get. I’ll be in as soon as forensics gets here.” He disconnects and looks at us. “He didn’t make it. We now have a homicide on our hands.”
“Got an ID?” Damian asks
“No wallet. They’re running prints to see if they match anything in our database.”
I blow out a breath, running a hand over my head and down the back of my neck. “Bri’s gonna feel this.” Three pairs of eyes look at me, sizing me up.
“What’s going on with you two?” Damian asks.
“Not really your business, man.” I love him like a brother, but I’m not ready to share my thoughts on Sabrina and me yet.
“It kinda is. You know that she and Chloe are like sisters. She’s been through hell. You of all people know the horror she survived,” Damian says, warming up to his rant.
“Relax. I know. And you know me. We have to figure it out before we share,” I tell them.
Zeke lifts his lips in a smile and says, “There’s a ‘we’?”
