angeline (2)

weve got you

angeline

i cant let my boyfriend lay out in the open. he needs help.

i dont even hesitate as i roll under the firetruck and drag him over to me by his hand.

the hand that usually grabs mine back. but its limp.

the blood smears on the pavement as i finally make it to the other side. he wakes up and immediately yells out in pain.

"i know, baby, i know. youre going to be okay." i coo him softly, using my training to pull the man on my shoulder.

"open the door!" someone yells and evan does exactly that. i set him down on the griund and sit beside him, applying as much pressure as possible to his wound.

evan yells at the driver to back up, and he does, taking the cab door with him. the fire from the captains vehicle jumps into the opening and quickly leaves.

i cover myself as well as eddie and they drive past the flames again.

"we got you eddie. we got you." evan repeats, ripping open gauze. he switches me out and starts to apply pressure as i shift to eddies head.

"youre okay, honey. its okay. youre gonna be just fine." i reassure, my heart beating out of my chest. he has to be okay.

for me.

for christopher.

"stay will me, eds. keep your eyes open and just look at me, yeah?" he nods his head slowly and reaches up to me.

"are you hurt?" he asks, clearly out of it.

"no, no, no. im just fine. everything is fine." i reply, grabbing his hand. evan is screaming for them to drive faster.

"i love you, ann. i dont know whats happening but i dont feel good and i need you to know that." he says in between breathes.

"oh, eds. i know you do. and i love you so much. thats why youre going to hang on, okay? for me and chris. youre only three minutes out."

as soon as we pull in, everyone is screaming at wach other. eddie is wheeled away as i stare at eddies retreating figure on a gurney.

"are you okay, buckley?" the paramedic asks and then walks away.

"no."

evan comes up to me and pulls me into a hug. i push him away. "i-i dont want to get blood on you."

"angeline. look at me." i slowly look up to him. "i dont care." he pulls me into him again and i stand there.

-

watching the blood of the man you love drain down the sink is not something you can get rid of.

evan gave me a shirt of his to wear as well as a pair of
his sweatpants. i look insane. my hair is a mess is rhe braids that it was in, pieces falling out everywhere. my face is void of any emotion and since i had to wash my face free of blood, my dark circles are out for show.

i step outside of the hospital and see evan. "i need to
go talk to chris. do you have your car?"

"no, i dont. chim is here though. ill ask him for his keys." he says softly. "wait here, okay?"

i nod numbly and sit on the curb. eddie is in surgery. theres nothing i can do here. i might as well make myself useful and be the one to tell his son. the boy who is practically my own.

it only takes a few minutes before he comes back and pulls me from the curb.

an ambulance speeds past us and firefighters open the door, pulling out the gurney.

"another firefighter." i sigh, my heart clenching at the thought of how her house is feeling the same as us.

"what the hell is going on?" evan breathes out.

-

"evan, can i talk to him alone first?" i ask quietly,
not wanting chris to overhear us. "you can talk to him after, if thats okay?"

he smiles sadly and tears well up in his eyes. "of course, ange. family time is needed."

"thank you," i whisper, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.

when i pull away, i take a deep breath and step into christopher's room.

hes sitting there playing on his nintendo switch i got him.

"hey, angel," he says, setting his switch to the side and placing his hands in his lap.

"hey, buddy." i reply, sitting down next to him.

"wheres dad?" he asks.

"um," my voice cracks. "hes not coming home tonight, buddy."

"why not? are you okay?" this kid. he doesnt deserve this.

"well, he got hurt at work today." i say softly. he grabs one of my hands in his smaller ones.

"in a fire?" he tilts his head.

"no, uh, the truth is, someone hurt your dad." a tear falls from my eye onto our hands.

"on purpose?" he questions.

"yeah, i think so, chris." i rub his back softly.

"a bad guy?"

"yeah, a bad guy."

"is he gonna be okay?"

"your dad is tough. hes a fighter, okay? so hes with the doctors now." i sniffle.

"like the ones that helped you?"

"yeah, like the ones that helped me."

"then hes gonna be okay, right?"

my phone dings in my pocket and im quick to pull it out for any updates on eddie.

out of surgery. doctors say it went well - bobby

"yeah. i think so, bud." i cant contain it anymore. all of the guards i have placed up come crashing down as i start to sob.

evan walks into the room and pulls me into a hug.

small hands grab at both of us and we pull him in as well.

eddies going to be okay.