Mindtease

Chapter 40

Time seemed to pass in flashes of moments. Kirk had cradled Josh's head in his lap, his hands on either side of Josh's head. Tears slowly dripped from Kirk's eyes, onto Josh's face, at first a few drops, then weeping, and then a torrent of crying.

"Josh..." Kirk said softly to himself, "Josh..."

Kirk had held onto his friend, unable to let him go...hanging onto Josh's lifeless body, unwilling to let him go. Josh was dead, but Kirk wanted to keep him close.

Arms had tugged at Kirk, trying to separate him from Josh, but Kirk would not give up his friend. Voices had shouted over the blare of sirens and shouts of barked commands, yet Kirk still grasped at Josh.

A strong, forceful hand had tried to pull Kirk from Josh, but Kirk had refused.

"I can't," Kirk had rasped while weeping over Josh, "I won't let him go..."

Different pairs of hands tried to wrench Kirk's hands from around Josh's head, and to yank Kirk away...Josh's lifeless body moved with each attempt, only adding to Kirk's turmoil. Kirk watched as Josh's prostrate form shifted with each attempt to disengage him from his friend. Josh's head looked like he was sleeping, only the trickle of blood from his mouth giving a hint that Josh was dead.

Eventually a firm hand kindly touched Kirk's shoulder, and another pair of hands had clasped his wrist, gently disengaging Kirk from Josh. Kirk still cried, and saw Josh lying lifeless, his body like a puppet with the strings cut. The hot sun shined off Josh, his pasty white skin reflecting the sunlight, the silvery grey basketball shorts glowing almost, his black T-shirt a contrast to the light. Josh's head had rolled to one side, his neatly cut dark brown hair scuffed, one arm askew, the other still touching Kirk's own arm.

Kirk felt the sting of a syringe, and then groggy wakefulness. As he was led away, Kirk had turned to see Josh's corpse lifted onto a gurney, the paramedics gently handling his dead friend...a strange irony now that Josh was beyond any pain.

Bolting from the two people escorting him away, Kirk only got a few steps before he was restrained forcefully.

"It's too late for your friend son," a stern, but kind voice had intoned. "Come with us..."

Kirk felt the prick of a needle, and a more sudden, intense wave of sleepiness. After a few more steps, Kirk blacked out, the darkness a welcomed relief from the pain and grief he felt for Josh. Then what followed was a blissful peace, a joy of oblivion.

# # #

Kirk snapped awake with a sudden gasping breath in shock and surprise. Looking around furtively, Kirk saw the sterile, impersonal room he was in--a hospital room. Glancing down and at himself, Kirk saw he was in a hospital gown. Kirk felt a mixture of embarrassment at knowing he had been stripped and redressed while out--ironic considering it was already done.

The reminder of where he was, and what had happened was a fleeting memory. Kirk did remember Josh...and that he was dead because of him. That realization had brought the weeping back, finally into a fit of crying.

After a few hours, Kirk slipped into a deep, warm sleep--knocked out. Kirk again awoke and began crying, ignoring his hunger and the wafting aroma of food on the table beside his bed. Once again Kirk blacked out, drugged into a now dopey, fitful sleep.

"Eat son," a voice had beckoned, "you must eat."

Kirk's eyes fluttered as he returned to wakefulness reluctantly, his vision hazy and clouded.

"Good morning sunshine," a now friendly deep voice spoke. "You must eat, keep your strength up son."

"Kirk," said Kirk almost snapping at the last word spoken by the voice, adding "Call me Kirk."