Fractured

Ten

Ten

            Officer Ryan James parked his car on the street close to the parking lot where they before lost the blood trail.  Not seeing Sarah anywhere in sight, he walked to the area where he last saw the blood.  He stood there for several moments looking around at his surroundings.  A chilled wind blew down out of the mountains.  Ryan shivered; he had the distinct feeling that something was wrong.

            Ryan shook his head trying to clear his thoughts.  He felt silly for briefly believing that the cold wind could be a harbinger of bad things to come.  His thoughts were cut short with the sound of a scream coming from the apartment buildings to his left.

            Breaking into a run he was glad that he wore his street clothes with his running shoes, but there was nothing like having a gun on your hip.

            Joel crab walked backwards away from the doctor.  Her terror filled eyes was too much for him to take.  He only managed to turn his head a few degrees away before he threw up.

            Tears flowed freely down his cheeks, and cream-colored foam clung to his lips and chin.  Dry crusted blood covered his lower arms and his hands.  Fresh blood dripped from his right hand, were he still gripped the knife.

            Joel once again looked at the dying doctor, she was now convulsing and her eyes bulged away from her face.  Both of her hands were wrapped around her neck desperately trying to hold the remaining blood in her body.

            Joel now believed that he now had fully lost control of his mind.  His mind had fractured once before.  This time… Joel couldn’t take any more.  He brought the serrated edge of the steak knife to his left wrist.  He was ready.

            With a quick intake of air, he swiped the knife across his wrist.  Failing to realize how much pressure it would take, the knife simply skipped across his skin taking large chinks with it.  None of the cuts were deep enough, and he knew it.

            He placed the blade against his wrist a second time, swiped again but this time with plenty of pressure.  Skin, connective tissue, tendons and ligaments ripped under the pressure.  Blood flowed freely from his left wrist.

            Joel tried to move the knife to his left hand to repeat the process on his right wrist.  He was a little more than annoyed to realize that he could no longer hold the knife with his left hand.

            Ryan could smell it before he reached the open door.  He first noticed a man sitting with his back against the doorframe.  Next he noticed Sarah, laying a few feet inside the entryway of the apartment.  She twitched… twice.  Her skin was blue and Ryan knew she had seconds left to live.

            Pulling out his cell phone he dialed 911, and held it to his ear with his shoulder.  He reached down and felt for a pulse, and would have been surprised to find one.  There was no surprise.

            “Nine one one, what’s your emergency?”

            “This is Officer Ryan James.”  Ryan quickly and precisely requested an ambulance and police to the apartment.  He knew that it was far too late to save Doctor York, but knew he would regret not trying to save the life of this man.  There was a brief pause on the line.

            “Alright Officer James, I have a squad car and ambulance dispatched and on there way.”

            “You had better send a request for a coroner as well.”