𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐲

XXXIX. Family's Cross.

     

     THE GROUP now arrive to JJ's cousin, Ricky's place and the blond boy quickly pulled into the parking spot and parked the vehicle. "JB, go to the other side and help me get him out." Jake quickly told the boy who nodded and hopped out, "Ricky!" JJ shouted as he and Sarah hopped out the truck. "Ricky! Hey! Bro!" JJ rushed over to the door.

John B helps Pope out of the truck and Jake quickly hops out after him, putting Pope's arm around his neck quickly as Kie got out of the truck last and shut the door for them, following them towards the front door. "Please help!" Sarah is shouting as JJ is knocking on the window by the door. "He can't breath, Ricky!" He shouted at his cousin. "Ricky!" John B shouted. "He's right here, please!"

The door opens, "who can't breathe?" He asked. "Look at him! Help my friend!" John B says as Pope is wheezing loudly. "Help him!" Jake says to the man. "Alright, Jesus Christ." He said and opened the door. "Hi! Nice to meet you. Sorry." Sarah rushed in so that she can clear the kitchen table quickly for them.

"You know, I wouldn't come to you if it wasn't an emergency." JJ said as they set down Pope onto the table. "Hang in there, buddy. Hang in there." The Maybank says as they all stood around him. "What's wrong with him?" Ricky now asked. "Wasps!" Sarah tells him. "Wasps?" He asked. "Yes!" The girl says.

"Is he allergic to wasps?" He looks around at them. "Clearly." Kie says sassily. "Okay." Ricky looks down at Pope. "A beehive worth of wasps." John B says as he grabs one of Pope's legs. "Raise his legs!" JJ says. "What's his name?" Ricky then asked them. "Pope." Sarah says and the man looks down. "Pope. Hey, Pope?" He says but all he gets is a wheeze in response again. "Hang tight. I gotta get my kit." The man rushed off.

"Hang tight? Ricky!" JJ exclaimed. "He's looking for a kit. Go help." John B tells him and the blond boy obeys, rushing off to where Ricky sent. "Just breathe a little, okay?" Kie says, sounding worried as she was at Pope's side. "Pope, I just need you to focus. Focus on your breathing, okay?" She says, now holding her hand to the side of his face.

"What does it look like?"

"Like a duffel bag!"

"Where's your kit?" Jake yells at the man who just ran by the table where Pope was laying. "Out in the garage, maybe." The man replied and Jake looks down at the wheezing boy laying on the table. "Okay! I got it! I got it! I got it." Ricky came running back with a bag so Jake quickly moved to the other side to clear a space for him. "What do we do now?" JJ asked Ricky who set down his kit.

"You don't do anything, 'cause you're not a paramedic." Ricky says and Jake looks at Kie, seeing the look of worry and fear on her face so he walked around to the other side of the table as Ricky spoke to Pope, getting the shot ready for it. Kie immediately put her arms around Jake, resting her head onto his shoulder as she watched Ricky. "Here's the thing. This is a pediatric dose of epinephrine." Ricky now tells them, looking around.

"Is that gonna be enough?" Sarah asked. "He's not a kid!" Kie says, backing away from Jake who just put an arm around her waist. "It is ten times a normal dose. So if--if it doesn't stop his heart, it'll help him. But I gotta use the whole thing, or it won't work." Ricky tells them and looked around at them then turned to JJ. "And I'm not going down if he dies."

"Okay! Fine! Do it! Hit it! Come on, hurry up and hit him with it! Come on, hurry up!" JJ tells him and Jake sighed, looking at the others as Ricky got ready to give him the shot. "Alright, Pope, hang in there, buddy." He tells the boy before inserting the needle into his arm. "I hate needles, man." John B whispers as Kie turns to look at Jake behind her.

He just rubs her back gently as she quickly turned back to look at Pope. "Okay, um, that's it." Ricky tells them. "Now what?" Sarah asked. "Now we wait." He packs up his things as all of them just stare at the boy laying on the table. He stayed unconscious. "You killed him." Kie says. "No." Ricky denies quickly.