Wishes In The Dark - A Peterick Fanfiction

Six

It all happens so quickly, yet it seems like slow motion.

I don't think I need to, and frankly I don't want to, explain that moment in detail. What I will say is that it is the worst moment of my life.

The car stops and a middle-aged man in a suit comes out, looking shocked.

"He just ran into the road!" he cries. "He wasn't there and then he was! I didn't mean to hit him, I swear!"

Overcast Kids surround my brother's blood-caked body in the middle of the road. They all looked fairly shocked, some more than others.

"Oh, shit!" an Overcast Kid exclaims, running his fingers through his hair.

Pete is still standing next to me. I haven't seen him move since before the car appeared.
I look over to the other side of the road and see that the mugger - the stupid little toad that caused this, is not here. He must have run away when the car came. But that doesn't matter now.

"Call an ambulance," Pete tells the Overcast Kid nearest him quietly. When the guy doesn't move, Pete shoves him and shouts, "Call a Goddamn ambulance!"

The Overcast Kid dials 911 immediately and tells them what's happened.

I, on the other hand, watch them all, swearing and gasping and looking shocked in general. And then my backside hits the floor. I'm falling backwards onto the pavement and it's like I'm half asleep. I'm not even crying. I'm too in shock.

"Woah, Patrick," says Pete, rushing to my side.

My back is fast approaching the floor, I think, but Pete keeps me sitting up with his hands on my back.

"Are you okay?" he asks.

I'm assuming he doesn't know what else to say, because he sounds uncertain and a bit timid.

I just look at him with the now permanent blank expression on my face. He looks at me with sad eyes, but then he looks away.

"Sorry, stupid question," he mutters. "Of course you're not okay."

I try to say something, but I can't. My whole body is numb and all I can do is listen to the sirens and watch as an ambulance pulls up near the crowd of Overcast Kids. A couple of paramedics jump out the ambulance with a wheely bed thing. I watch as they put my brother on it and transport him to the back of the ambulance. Wait for me, I want to tell them. But I can't speak. Or move. Or do anything.

"Has he got any family here?" asks one of the paramedics.

"Over here," Pete calls out to the paramedic, who appears at our side straight away.

"This is his little brother," says Pete.

The paramedic kneels down and looks into my blank eyes, then orders the other paramedic to get an oxygen mask. I don't even know what's happening with my breathing. Honestly it feels like I'm not breathing at all. The other paramedic, with an oxygen mask in hand, appears at the paramedic's side. One of them puts the oxygen mask on my face.

"What's your name?" he asks.

Patrick, I try to say, but my mouth opens and no sound comes out.

"His name's Patrick," replies Pete. "Are you taking him to hospital with his brother?"

"That's the plan."

Pete looks from the paramedic to me, then at the paramedic again.

"Can I come too?" asks Pete.

I'm not sure if I want him there or not. But apparently I'm unable to say yes, no, or anything for that matter, so I just accept it.