Andrew's Tears

Chapter 15

{Chapter 15}

Detective Robert Bradbury had been driving through trees that covered nearly every part of the road when he heard the loud crack of a gun. Robert flinched before he slammed on the breaks.

Another loud gunshot went off to the right of the car. “What the…” Robert unlatched his seat belt and got out of the vehicle. He put his hand on his gun, ready for anyone who might attack.

Robert walked slowly, defensively, into the trees. He could feel cool rain dripping from the branches. When one drop fell down his shirt, Robert shivered.

He passed through two arching trees into a clearing. It was hard to notice at first, but off at the south end of the clearing was what had probably once been a beautiful home.

The home was small, and blended into the trees well. "Why would someone be out here?" Robert thought out loud. He pulled his gun from its holster and moved forward calmly. It seemed that the world had stopped its moving. There was a breeze, but the leaves on the trees didn't move. The only noise that Robert could hear was the shuffling of his boots on the grass.

            Robert gasped when he came upon the house. He could see inside. There was a fire burning brightly in the center and around that a boy and a man lay. The boy was lying in a pool of crimson blood, a knife protruded from his chest.

"Oh my," Robert ran to the boy. His eyes widened when he realized who it was. "Oh, God, be with him." Robert felt Andrew's pulse. It was weak, but at least there was one.

Robert grabbed his phone and dialed 911. "Hello, 911, what's your emergency?"

"There's a boy here, he has a knife in his chest. He has a pulse. It's weak, though. There is also a man here, I have reason to believe he used the knife. He seems to be fine, just knocked out."

"Where are you?"

Robert told the woman. He could only give her an approximation, because he wasn't entirely sure where he was.

"Hold on, sending a unit now."

While Robert waited, he prayed. He couldn't bring himself to call Anne and tell her that he had found her son. She did deserve to know, though.

Robert dialed in the number. "Hello?" Anne's voice was frantic still. "Have you heard anything?"

"I-I found him." Robert hadn't meant to stutter, but he had.

"What's wrong? Is he okay? Can you put him on?"

It pained Robert to say it, "He... can't talk.”

“What did Thomas do to him?” Anne’s voice became hard and cold. Her voice cut into Robert. “Don’t lie to me.”

When he hesitated Anne screamed into the phone, “Tell me!”

“He is going to the ER. He has…. a knife in his chest. I’m sure he’ll be fine. But, you should pray.”

“Darn right I will. Where is he being operated on?”

“I don’t know. I’ll update you. By the way…” Robert noticed the gun by Andrew’s side. “I think Andrew shot Thomas.”

Anne was silent for a moment. “Keep me updated.” She disconnected.

Robert stood silent for a moment. He strained to hear sirens. He could hear them. They were faint, though. Robert called Clarice. “Hello?” He could tell Clarice was tired.

“I found the boy. He has a knife in his chest, and I don’t think he’ll be okay. Will you pray for him?”

“Of course,” Clarice said. “Danny is getting better. The meds they prescribed him are working. Please hurry, though.”

“Okay. As soon as Andrew is at the hospital, and I hear whether he’ll be okay or not, then I’ll make sure I get there.”

“Love you, Honey. Talk to you soon.”

“Love you too.” Now, the sirens were louder. Robert ran to the road and waved down the ambulance. An EMT jumped out of the vehicle. “I don’t think you’ll be able to get a gurney through the trees here. They’re really packed.”

“Alright,” the EMT said. “We’ll carry him.” Robert nodded and led two men and a woman who had jumped from the back of the ambulance through the trees. When the clearing came into view, the EMTs went into action. They rushed through the grass.

“Check his pulse.” One of the men pointed at Thomas.

“There’s a pulse. It’s strong, too,” the woman checked under Thomas’ shirt. “He’s wearing a vest.” Robert turned and gasped angrily. The thought that Thomas might have the chance to live while Andrew died made Robert livid.

“He isn’t the priority. Get the boy to the hospital,” Robert said. “Hurry,” he said when they stared at him for a moment. Robert stood to the side and stared through nearly closed eyes. Why did you do this?

“Sir, we need to take him as well.” One of the EMTs, who looked exotic, said.

“No, I’ll take him. What if he wakes up and decides he needs to finish the job?”

“We can’t let you do that. He has to go with us.”

Robert drew in a deep breath and let it out through his nostrils. “Fine… at least let me ride along in the back to make sure the boy is safe?”

The woman thought for a moment. Robert pulled his badge from his back pocket. “Detective Robert Bradbury, I advise you to let me ride along.”

“Yes, sir,” the woman looked a little annoyed at the thought of him taking up precious space in the back of the

Robert stood quietly, out of the way, and watched Thomas for any sign of him coming to. The EMTs loaded Andrew into the CTU swiftly, not taking great interest in Thomas. Andrew was the one in critical condition and, therefore, the most important.

Thomas did not begin to awaken during those gruelingly long minutes. He merely stayed a stoic figure lying upon the grass.  Secretly, Robert hoped that Thomas would not reawaken. He hoped that the man would get some horrible consequence for his actions.

Suddenly, though, he realized those were awful thoughts, and should not be wished upon anyone. What Thomas really deserved was a lifetime jail sentence. The boy was alive, though, and so he would not be charged with murder. If only someone could be convicted of murder when they came dang near close to it, Robert thought angrily. Robert didn’t know why he felt so much anger towards Thomas. Was it because he couldn’t even begin to imagine being that horrible? Or, was it that he had seen Andrew lying with a knife protruding from his solar plexus?

Was it the fact that Andrew would most likely be psychologically destroyed because of what Thomas had done? Robert assumed it was the whole package wrapped in one tight, ugly bow.

Robert hadn’t realized he had turned his back to Thomas until he looked up from the nearly mid shin length grass. When he turned back to the man, he nearly panicked. Thomas had disappeared.

Robert whipped around and let out a long breath. The EMTs were putting Thomas in the second vehicle that had arrived minutes earlier. Robert didn’t know what he would do with his car. Guess I’ll have to come pick it up later. He thought absently.

He ran up the emergency unit and hopped into the front seat. As soon as the driver hopped into the vehicle, then engine started, and they were off, speeding towards Atlanta at nearly 80 miles per hour.