The Melody of Lost Souls

When Their Paths Collided

HAVE YOU EVER felt that suffocating feeling when fear and dread have you in their clutches? I thought losing Dan was hard. It had been like a piece of myself had been ripped out, leaving this emptiness inside.

That didn't compare to the way I felt when Atlas collapsed, unable to breathe. It was like I couldn't breathe either. I was helpless as Atlas' expression begged for me to relieve the pain. And I couldn't. All I could do was hold him while the kind stranger called the ambulance for me. I stayed with Atlas the whole ride, watched as he shifted in and out of consciousness before the anesthetic finally took hold.

Now I'm sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, my foot tapping anxiously as I chew the cuticle of my finger. The doctor wouldn't tell me anything since I wasn't family. All I know is Atlas is in surgery, and I have to wait for June to arrive.

"Hey, I got you some coffee."

The Good Samaritan who'd called the ambulance holds out the signature, red cup from Tim Hortons, and I take it, cradling it against my chest. I glance at the doors leading to the surgery rooms before glancing down at my cup. The Good Samaritan sits across from me and takes a sip, wrinkling his nose and sets the cup aside. He lifts his blue-gray eyed gaze to meet mine, his thin lips twisting into a frown.

"Tim's coffee is terrible," he sighs.

Distracted, I nod and check my phone for the thirtieth time in the past ten minutes. "You really don't have to wait with me. You've helped more than you needed to already."

He shrugs. "It's okay. I'd rather ensure that you and your friend are alright than leave you alone."

Nodding again, I recheck my phone. Where is June? "Well, thanks... and thanks for the coffee."

"Any time." 

He leans back, kicking his legs out and crossing his arms over his chest. He's sturdily built and wearing a form-fitted t-shirt and slim-fitted pants. His hair is salon style chic, an impossible shade of blonde that had to come out of a bottle. I hadn't noticed it before, but he exudes a confidently powerful attitude. Like he knows what he wants and knows he's going to get it. But there's something else about those blue eyes that seem so familiar.

His phone buzzes, and with a sigh, he pulls it out and rolls his eyes. "Well, what shitty timing. I have a meeting. I'm sorry, I can't stay. If it's okay, I'd like to know how your friend is doing. Mind if I stop by later to check-in?"

I stare at him, a sense of unease settling over me like a scratchy blanket. It's odd that he's so interested in Atlas' well-being. He is a stranger, after all. But, I find myself nodding, unable to turn him away either.

"Yeah, of course," I say, just as my phone buzzes. Much to my relief, June is down in the lobby. "His sister is here anyway, so I'll be good now. Thanks again for everything you've done."