Spirit Hackers

One

Victor Montgomery watched in horror as the paramedics rhythmically compressed the little boy's chest. The EMTs had arrived only moments earlier and raced to the lifeless body in the middle of the street. The child's small frame was no match for the Chrysler Sebring Victor had been driving. He could barely breathe as the EMT workers pulled out their equipment and began administering heroic measures. His hand covered his mouth and Victor's mind floated as if he wasn't really there. God, religion, hope; these were ideas he'd dismissed for most of his life. Now he stood on the pavement and found himself praying that everything would be okay.

Fifteen minutes earlier Victor had turned onto his street and approached his driveway. A beep from his cell phone. A notification for the incoming text message. Those few precious seconds were all it took for the car to come to a screeching halt.

He replayed his attempts to revive the child on an endless loop. Victor had only basic knowledge of life-saving procedures but tried to do what he could. He yelled for someone to call 911, and prayed the boy would be saved. Looking down, Victor could see Christopher's blood covering his own hands and shirt. It was still moist, fresh from the accident. The voices of the paramedics began to feed into his consciousness as his attention snapped back to the here and now.

"One... two... three... four..." one blue shirt counted to the other.

There was no change in the six year old's body. Victor hadn't noticed the sweat dripping off his body from the summer heat. Sweat spots formed along his white shirt. Curious onlookers became screaming neighbors rushing out to assist in any way possible. The paramedics charged the defibrillator to life and jolted its power through the boy. Two, three, four shocks. They did not stop trying to revive the child. Victor turned, no longer able to watch. The spastic lurching of the child was too much. With his back turned away from the mayhem, Victor retched the contents of his stomach onto the street. Two minutes later a paramedic approached to confirm his worst nightmare.

Victor Montgomery had killed his own son.