His last goodbye (short scene)

His last goodbye

 Why? Why is this happening to me? Tonight was supposed to be the best night of my life-the best night of our lives. It was supposed to be the night we told our kids about, our happily ever after. So why am I sitting in a damp alley 3 blocks away from home? This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was supposed to happen. And the worst part is she'll never know what she meant to me or what I had planned. These are the thoughts echoing through my brain as I lay in the corner of the dark alley, my blood seeping from the gunshot wound that pierced my chest. I have enough knowledge from my time working in the ER to know I don't have long. The rain falling down from above washes away the red from the ground. The streetlamp at the end of the alley fizzes out, leaving me truly alone. With the little energy I have, I reach into my jeans pocket and feel the small ring inside. It's a simple design that belonged to my mother, I figured Lace could have it reset if she wanted. I think of the candles and rose petals spread throughout our apartment a few blocks away and imagine the look on her face when she walks in. I imagine her smile as she takes it all in, her eyes glistening with tears of joy but I don't want to think further than that, to her futile search of our apartment waiting for me to show up, to the disappointment that I never did, or to tomorrow morning when she finds out why.

It was supposed to be a quick run to the store down the street. Lace was obsessed with books and she had this adorable habit of putting little post-it notes in jar with new titles scribbled on them. Last week I had decided to order a few from her favorite bookstore. By the time I got home from my shift at the hospital and finished setting up the apartment, it was just before closing at the store. I had always heard of the gangs that met up in the dark alleys on 3rd street. Never had I imagined accidentally walking in on a meeting or getting shot "cuz it'll make a statement". And yet that's exactly what happened.

A shiver runs down my spine and I let out a painful sigh. The books sit ruined beside me, the pages stained red forever. I realize I can no longer feel the sharp point of the ring's diamond. I wonder if it's the blood loss or if it's just slipped away like my consciousness is with every passing moment. It feels like I've been here forever, though the doctor within me knows it can't have been more than a few minutes.There is a sudden dampness on my cheeks and I don't know whether it's the rain or my tears. I wish this torture would end and the shallow breaths I'm taking would finally lead to my last.

"It won't be long now, " I hear the sweet voice of my mother calling out to me.

"Mom?" I call out into the darkness.

"I'm right here honey." I turn my face left and I see her smiling at me. It's a sad smile like the one she would give me before she told me any bad news-like the one she gave me before she told me she was sick. I want to apologize to her. I want to tell her I'm sorry I couldn't save her and that I tried my hardest everyday to help others like her, but the words don't come out. As always, she understands and she lays my head down on her lap. Suddenly, I'm three years old again, laying down listening to a lullaby while my mother runs her hand through my hair. Somewhere far away I hear sirens as my mother's voice lulls me to sleep one last time.