I Pray for Death

Chapter Twelve

I walked beside the paramedics as they led the way back through the woods.  Memory’s face was almost unidentifiable, covered in blood and bruises.  Her arms and legs were swollen and looked broken, certain sections sticking out at odd angles.  The pain she went though must have been horrendous.  

Reaching the ambulance swarms of paramedics worked over her as they settled her in the back.  I stepped close hoping to ride with her to the hospital but one paramedic noticed me and shook his head.  “She’s in critical condition, we need to go and have room to work on her.  Follow us to the hospital.”  He yelled over the others and slammed the back doors in my face.  I wanted to pound on the doors and scream that I needed to be with her but in the end I knew I would only be in the way.  

I turned and ran into Faith.  She hugged me and when I pulled away she wiped the tears that I hadn’t known were on my face.  “Let’s go, I’ll drive.”  She pushed me to Hope’s SUV and opened the back door.  I climbed in as Hope ran out of the house and up to the car.  When we pulled out the ambulance was already screaming down the snowy road in front of us.  

Faith drove much too slow in my opinion but there was at least two inches of snow on the street and it was still coming down.  The first snow and it had to happen tonight of all nights.  

A few houses down from ours a few police cars sat with their lights flashing.  As we drove by I saw four officers struggling with a man and woman.  With all the headlights shining you could see the blood that covered their clothes.  I turned in my seat as we passed to watch as they were finally cuffed and pushed into separate back seats.  

“Thank God they were caught.”  Hope whispered in a shaky voice.  Tears were still streaming from her eyes and I knew she was beyond worried.  Faith had a white knuckle grip on the steering wheel and in the rear view mirror I could see the despair and anxiety on her face.  

I clasped my shaking hands on my lap and looked down at them.  I noticed dark spots of blood as we drove under streetlights.  At the sight of them, my mind brought back images of Memory lying in a pool of her own blood, so alone in the middle of the snow covered woods.  I shook my head trying to dismiss the images and tears pooled in my eyes.  Tiny sobs racked my body as the adrenaline of the night wore off.  I was so afraid that she wouldn’t make it.  I should have been there to protect her.  I should have told her how I felt about her as soon as I realized it.  Now it could be too late.  

 Before I knew what was happening, the back door opened and Faith touched my arm.  I looked up to see the hospital looming in front of me and the ambulance parked at the emergency doors.  I quickly got out of the car and took off at a run across the parking lot.  As I ran, a team of paramedics pulled the stretcher carrying Memory out of the ambulance and rushed through the hospital doors.  

I burst into the room just as they disappeared into the emergency room.  I stood there, breathing hard and completely at a loss for what to do.  Hope and Faith rushed in a moment later and went straight to the front desk.  I watched but heard nothing as they spoke with the receptionist.  Black spots floated in my vision and my mind became hazy.  I sat in the chair closest to me and put my head between my knees.  It was all too much to handle.  I needed to know if she was going to live.  

I felt hands on my back and glanced up.  Hope and Faith sat on either side of me, both rubbing my back.  

“Did they tell you anything?”  I choked out.  

“They said the doctor would come out and talk to us when she’s stabilized.”   Faith said.

“How…how can I love her so much when I only met her a few days ago?”  I whispered to the floor.