But Who Would You Live For?

Time Is Slowing

Joshua:

I've seen plenty of ambulance trucks racing down the streets in my life. Sirens blaring. Horns honking. Lights flashing. And I've never given them a second thought.

Until right now.

Because you never really care about something until it effects your own life. And now, as I sat in the back of this ambulance and watched an EMT try to wake up my best friend, I cared. I cared so darn much.

I watched the other cars show zero respect for the emergency vehicle. Refusing to speed up their pace as the truck rushed behind them. Not bothering to switch lanes to give us more room. It wasn't only the people in their cars either. The pedestrians were just as inconsiderate. They still rushed across the streets trying to catch the walking light. They had no regard for the person being ran to the hospital. They had no regards for Tyler.

I wished we could have just taken a helicopter or something. There's no traffic in the sky. Of course I vocalized my suggestion to the 911 operator after I jumped off my kit, ran to his side and picked up one of the many phones our fans had thrown on stage during the performance. The man kindly informed me that a helicopter would take three times as long to get ready than an ambulance would. She also told me there would be no good place to land in our area. Also that the hospital was just 10 miles away. They didn't airlift people to take the 10 miles down the road. Finally she told me that unnecessarily calling for an emergency helicopter would cost me thousands. As if any amount of money was too much to save my friend's life, idiot.

I didn't have time to continue my argument with her before the paramedics were on the scene. My heart cried when they lifted Tyler's unmoving body onto the stretcher. My heart broke in half when they wheeled him into the back of the truck. And it completely shattered when they placed the oxygen mask over his face. Was he not breathing on his own? Why?

The EMTs screamed questions at me as soon a I hopped into the back. The door was shut closed to avoided anyone from seeing. I was set at the head of Tyler's stretcher. They didn't take off right away and it pissed me off. What were they waiting for?

"What's his name?" The dark female with the long hair asked. My eyes strained to read the name on her shirt.

"Tyler. Tyler Joseph." I tried to say it with the same intensity she asked the question with.

"Tyler." She leaned over him. Lifting on of his eyelids with her finger and shining a small light into it. "Can you hear me, Tyler?"

"Age?" The balding man asked next. Taking my attention away from the woman.

"H-He's 27."

"Do you know if he's severely allergic to any medicines?"

"I-I don't think he is."

"You don't think or you don't know?" The woman snapped.

I jumped at the tone of her voice. "I'm not sure." I admitted.

She nodded her understanding. "Tim, hold off on any IVs. I need an ekg over here. Stat." She hit the back of the front seat. "Drive, damnit. I need lights and sirens." At her command, the truck revved up and took off.

He handed her what appeared to be a bunch of stickers with metal snaps on the back. I watched in confused horror as she lifted up a pair of scissors and cut open Tyler's favorite shirt. Her fingers skillfully peeled the backs off of the stickers and pressed them into Tyler's bare chest. One by one.

"Can you explain to me what happened?"

I reluctantly returned my eyes to the man. He was now holding a large tablet in his hands. His round eyes looking over at me expectantly.