Another First Love

t h r e e

My dream brought me back to the day when the catastrophic event occurred. The second wave was like a surge. As I was swimming here and there just to save myself, I felt something grab and pull me under the water. I looked down and saw a man trying to pull me into the water from underneath. I was trying to get my breath when I went back under and sucked water into my mouth. A hand snagged one of my ankles, and I was dragged downward. I went up and took a breath, went back down, kicking and thrashing, and punched at him with my other hand. He had to let go or his hand would break.

Finally, exhausted to the point where I could swim no more, I let myself be pushed toward the ground. Every time I tried to reach it, it seemed further away, mocking my efforts until I stopped on something hard. I looked around and finally realized I was on top of the rooftop. A few seconds later there were a few people coming in my direction and I held out my hand. I sat up slowly and assessed my situation. There were cuts on my legs and wrists. We sat for a couple of minutes until the rescuers came over and took us to the safe shelter.

💐

I stood on the corner and looked around. There were many people around and I saw wounded people everywhere and there were bodies as well, but I didn't see Emily. I stood there listening to the screams while the people in the hamlet gathered around the body and cried. I left the area and walked into the shelter building. I saw a board with full of name lists, I was about to find Emily's name when suddenly I felt someone warm hand tap my shoulder from behind me.

'Your name, sir.' She said pleasantly, she looked at me and then back at the paper as she wrote something on it. I glanced at her shirt, which has a logo on the left side written BIMC Hospital, and realizes she must be one of the workers of the hospital. Then I looked down to see a long list of names. I thought maybe Emily's name was included in the lists.

She looked up and asked again. Her eyes were focused on me. 'What was your name, sir?'

I quickly responded, 'Peter. Peter Parsons.'

It was my name. She wrote it down, slowly and carefully while muffled each letter words, and then glanced back to me but this time she looked at me up and down. 'You're not seriously injured but I recommend you to have a quick check with the doctors for your safety.' She rolled her eyes and ready to turn around to leave, looking for another survivor.

'Hey, wait. I...um. I just want to know maybe you just happen to be meeting my wife, Emily Parsons.' I said before she started to walk away and lost from my sight.

'Hold on.' She opened her file and then, on impulse, checked the name lists. 'Emily.' She mumbled to herself. She shook her head and went through the name lists again, but this time carefully and in great detail.

'Your wife, she's here.' She responded to me quickly and I was scared to death but in a way that made me numb. She continued, 'Your wife is alive, but she's badly injured and still alive.'

I put my hand on her shoulder and asked her where was Emily. She closed the file, looking up into my eyes, 'she's on the other wing. I'm sure she's still there.'

Thanking her, I darted in that direction, running down the hallway. My rushed had taken me in the wrong direction. I ran back to the other corner but found it jammed. I immediately drew back and ran down the stairs. I ran past the first patients' room that sat in the middle wing of the building. People were screaming at me from running all over the places. Some were starting to stare at me as if I was some maniac. Turning corner after corner, I finally reached the exact wing. I walked down the walkway and the only other sound in the room was the patient's ragged breathing. I walked over to the bed and looked down at the patient. One victim was dead, and others were badly injured. My mind thought of Emily and I wondered how bad could she be.

As I looked at their faces, then suddenly I stopped my pace to face the love of my life, Emily. I looked at her on the bed, there were bandages all around her shaved head and a bit over her eyes. I could not escape the look of bandages wrapped around her head. I could not erase the feelings of all the pain and suffering she must endure. I took one look and burst into tears all over again. Carefully I tucked her hands beneath the covers, gripping it gently. It was so cold.

At that moment, I heard shouts as few nurses ran at me. They came in and began pointing their fingers in my face and shouting at each other. Two men grabbed my arms and said, 'come!' angrily, and physically pulled me back up, would not let go until I stop pushing them.

'What are you doing!' This time they grabbed my flailing wrist and held it so tightly it hurt. 'Get off me! You son of a-' I screamed at them, trying to pull away.

Clenching their jaws, two men grabbed my arms again, this time more firmly. While I was sitting myself down, a female nurse came in and stood beside me while a shot went in. I fell to the ground and my head hit on the side of the bed. I felt blood crawling down my forehead and my eyes were too heavy to open, but I could hear someone moving about me as I silently mumbled, 'she's my wife,' until I drift back off to sleep.

------------------------------

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Don't forget to do these before you exit,

✨magical vote ✨
✨wonderful comment ✨

p/s: it's really hard for me to write the ending now because the story has a very deep meaning to me :/