Somebody Someone (The English Version)

CHAPTER 1

Bakersfield, Califórnia - Autumn of 1992

- OPEN SOME SPACE, THE OTHERS AMBULANCES ARE COMING! - the young woman shouted in front of the city hospital.

The rescue cars pulled over and the medical team quickly received the injured patients, running with stretchers into the building to carry out the most urgent cases.

- Excuse me, miss - one of the paramedics inside the ambulance called the girl - Could you come here?

The young woman gave a thumbs up and walked over to that ambulance.

- You're on the rescue team, correct? - the professional asked and she nodded in agreement - Unfortunately one of the young victims of the accident couldn't resist and died on the way. There is not much left to do, we have tried to revive her several times, but the fractures seem to have been very serious, we must now file a death certificate. We will take the body to the morgue for such a document to be made and we will need the signature of someone from the rescue team, could you accompany us to the location for this?

- Yes, sure.. - she replied.

- I ask you to get into the passenger seat on the driver's side, then. - instructed the paramedic and so she did.

Upon arriving at the city morgue, everyone disembarked from the ambulance, including two paramedics pulling a stretcher on which a body was completely covered by a thermal blanket. The coroner in charge of the scene was already waiting for the body in the entrance room and walked towards the stretcher as the paramedics entered, pulling down a little the thermal blanket and revealing the lifeless face of a young woman.

- Elise Woods, 24 years old, female. - said one of the paramedics beside the gurney.

The girl swallowed hard when looking at the woman's body lying on the stretcher, she had seen dead people before, but seeing someone so young in that situation was uncomfortable, in addition, having died in an accident, the girl had her hair dirty with blood and cuts on her forehead and near her eyes, which were half open.

- Bring the body to the autopsy room. I'll ask my assistant to start writing the death certificate papers. - said the coroner, entering the morgue corridor ahead and the two paramedics followed him, carrying the gurney. In the room remained the ambulance driver, the girl and another rescuer until a figure appeared, coming from the corridor through which the professionals had entered.

The young woman recognized the figure, it was a young guy, with dreads tied back in a ponytail and two eyebrow ring piercings. He had attended the same school as her in Bakersfield, being only a few years older, but didn't know his name. She had already seen him on other occasions when she was also taken to the morgue and could see in his eyes that he recognized her too.

- Good afternoon. They asked me to collect some information so that the death certificate of the young woman can be made. Do you know the information about this girl, time of death, et cetera? - the autopsy assistant asked and the paramedic who had stayed in the room replied positively.

The group of three was then directed to an adjoining room, where there were several papers, drawers for documents and a large computer with a printer on a desk, in front of which the young assistant sat.

- I will need the deceased's full name, date of birth, date and time of death, and some other additional information, if it is possible. - asked the young man politely.

The rescuer passed on the requested information while the assistant typed into the computer what was said to him. When it was done, he printed out about five paper sheets and placed them on his desk, signing his name on two pages.

- I will need the signature of the paramedics and, because this is an accident case, it will also need the signature of someone from the rescue team who was present in the rescue procedure. - said the assistant, putting a pen on top of the small pile of sheets on the table.

The paramedic walked to the desk and signed his name where requested. Then it was the young woman's turn to sign her name, representing the rescue team. She fingered the pen, signing her name, Madison Butler, where it was required on the document.

P.O.V. Madison

By signing my name on the document, I could read the coroner assistant's name on one of the lines just above it. Finally I knew that guy's name, Jonathan Houseman Davis. I know, I could have just asked, but I felt a little uncomfortable invading other people's personal space, not that asking names was a big invasion, I just didn't think the timing was right for that kind of question, which was simply curiosity.

I knew this kid from my old high school, basically everyone who didn't go to private schools ended up going to that same school in Bakersfield. Although I didn't have friends outside my class (maybe not even inside my class), Jonathan was a memorable figure, the school's scapegoat. People were mean to each other, I myself had gone through many episodes of bullying at school, but with Jonathan it was different, he was literally humiliated, everyone knew it and laughed along or pretended not to see what was happening, like the coordinators of that school did. Since high school he had changed a lot, he had a completely different look, but his face was still the same.

Finally the other two paramedics reappeared, accompanied by the coroner.

- Well, our work here is done. - said one of them - We will ask the family to contact you as soon as possible.

The group of four rescuers gathered to leave.

- Hey miss, are you going back to the hospital? - he asked, referring to me.

- I don't think there's anything else I can do there, I'm going home now. - I replied.

- Right, so we're going. Thanks for signing the paper.

- No worries. - I said.

They left there and boarded the ambulance to return to the municipal hospital.

I looked at a clock that was on the wall of the entrance room, 7:05 pm. As we were in autumn time it was already dark and the dry and cold air began to show itself. I'd have to walk home, it wasn't too far, it just wasn't too close. I stood in the middle of the room for a while, looking at the clock, while I thought about it, not realizing who was still there.

- Are you having a problem, miss? Worried about the time? - Jonathan asked me, making me jump a little and realize that I was standing there like an dumb idiot.

- Oh, no, I was just thinking about how I'm going to get home... - I giggled awkwardly.

- I'd offer you a ride if I had a car, but I also have to walk back. - Said the boy, chuckling.

After all that rescue adrenaline I finally stopped and realized my state. Basically, I had my pants smeared with dry dirt on my knees and my back, with tools hanging around my waist like two carabiners and a flashlight; there were small cuts on my arm from the shattered glass and my hands were kind of bruised from handling ropes and holding weights, the collar of my shirt was unfolded and my hair was in a shaggy ponytail, smeared with dust and sand. Initially, I felt a little ashamed for being so disheveled there, but soon I was comforted, after all the reason why I was like that was considered "noble".

- It's almost the end of the shift - I heard the coroner saying - and we're only going to work on the body of the young woman who arrived today by tomorrow, so the service is finished, I'll release you a few minutes before. - he was talking to the assistant.

- Okay sir, I'll go home then. - the young man replied, taking his backpack and loosening his dreads, which were previously held in a kind of ponytail.

He headed to the door and I took this as a cue, also leaving the place.

- I'm going home too... - I said when I got close to Jonathan, who was on the sidewalk in front of the morgue. He just looked at me and cracked a half smile. We crossed the street and started walking.

- Where do you live? - he asked me.

- I live like... about there. - I replied, pointing to the eastern part of the city.

- Okay, I live about there too.

So we continued on our way home. I was kind of relieved that I didn't have to walk all the way alone.