His Last Words [COMPLETED]

2. Gone

[Evan's POV]

I sit in the back of the ambulance with Cody while Brian drives us to the hospital ER, sirens blaring.

I check on the IV that I had inserted into Cody's arm earlier and notice that a bandage needs to be changed. Brian is radioing in our situation as well as Cody's condition so that the hospital can be ready for us when we arrive. Once I secure the new bandage, I take a seat next to Cody. Putting my hand on his bandaged arm I watch the machine monitoring his vitals. Cody is breathing heavily and beneath his closed eyelids, I can see his pupils moving frantically from side to side. I check his temperature and realize that it hasn't fallen yet.

I hang my head between my knees and take a deep breath, trying to calm myself down. I love my job. I love helping people and being able to stop tragedies from occurring. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty good at what I do, it's just that with cases like this one, they can hit a bit too close to home. I couldn't save someone once and I can't stop myself from looking at the boy in the stretcher with his dark, curly hair and skinny frame without picturing that person, without reliving that night. I wasn't paying attention back then, I was thinking only of myself. Later, the paramedics told me that he'd died moments before we arrived at the scene. I couldn't save him but I need to be able to save Cody. It's my job to do everything that I could to save the boy lying in front of me. Some people call us heroes but the biggest problem we have to deal with the nightmares of what we have seen and the people we couldn't save. It's not something that others can grasp the depth of, so instead of trying to explain it I just put in the extra effort not to lose anyone. Not anymore.

Sitting up straight, I can feel my second wind coming as Brian shouts that we're coming through the gates. I start to pull the wires off of Cody so that we can wheel him straight out of the ambulance and into the ER. Grabbing the IV bag I stand at the back end of the stretcher, ready with my foot on the brake. Suddenly the doors are flung open and I'm momentarily blinded. I don't let that stop my instincts from kicking in, shutting off the brake and pushing the stretcher towards the opening, knowing that the emergency team is waiting to receive it.

I jump out of the back of the ambulance and follow the stretcher into the hospital and down the corridor to the ER. I pass the IV bag over to a nurse and quickly explain what I gave Cody and what prep we've done.

The doctor nods at us to acknowledge our work and tells me that the OR is set up for them to go straight into. Cody will be out in an hour if everything goes smoothly and will be awake later tonight. My part is done.

I close my eyes and send a silent prayer upwards that the surgery will be a success. I stop walking and watch as the medical team pushes the stretcher through the OR doors. I stand there for a while longer staring at the closed double doors until Brian claps me on the back and we head back to our vehicle to wait for the next call.

* * *

"How's Cody Walters doing?" I ask the nurse as I lean on the counter of the nurses' station. Rebecca looks up from the computer, seeing that it's me she gives me a huge smile. My face remains impassive and I nod my head in acknowledgement. I can see that she's frustrated that I don't smile back or give her any reaction, but I don't, not to anyone.

Rebecca looks back at the computer screen and types in what I assume is Cody's name. She reads something and I wait anxiously. After a few moments she looks up at me and gives me another smile, this one smaller and less suggestive. "Looks like the surgery went well. He woke up a couple of hours ago and even though he's not eating or talking, the doctors say that physically, he will make a good recovery." I let out the breath I've been holding and step back from the counter. "You can go see him. He's in a private room because of his condition- 3A to the left."