Smoke and Glory

•21•

The killer falls to the floor as I'm holding the gun aimed at his chest and he falls quickly revealing Nola standing behind him holding her gun having just shot the killer twice. "Lucy" Nola yells running over the dead body to grab my battered body in her arms. The pain is increasing every second as more and more blood flows out of the wound from where he killer blugended his knife into me. "Don't give up on me Lucy" I hear Nola say as she takes my hand in hers and uses her other hand to replace my now slipped off hand that was applying pressure to the wound. I don't want to give up, I want to stay with Nola forever but I'm struggling, I know I've lost a lot of blood; I can see it on my bedroom floor and it's staining my hands and my pyjamas. "The paramedics are almost here hang on Lucy hang on" I hear Nola's voice say but now I can't see her, my vision is too blurry and I can taste blood in my mouth which I know isn't good. I can feel as Nola lifts up my head and turns me into the recovery position as I find myself spitting out the blood I can feel swirling around in my mouth. And finally the spiriting colours and blurry lines I see become black and I feel my breathing slow. "Lucy Lucy can you hear me?" I faintly hear someone say but I can barely open my mouth and can't open my eyes the pain too bad and I want to give up. But then I'm just in darkness. I can't hear anyone calling out my name, I can't see anyone looking down on me and I can't feel anyone reaching out for me. When I open my eyes everything is blurry, but I can hear a steady beep, beep, beep in the background as I look around at my surroundings and notice the wires that are connected into my hand, I'm in the hospital. Nola is sitting in a chair next to the bed curled up and sleeping and I want to speak to her but at the same time she looks so beautiful and I don't want to disturb her. So instead I try to add up the events that have happened, the killer attacked me and stabbed me and then Nola saved my life and shot the killer dead. Nola saved my life. She saved me. I don't know how to repay her or how to thank her as I look at her asleep soundly in the chair wondering if I'm okay or if I'm not. "Nola" I say moving slightly but being greeted instantly with pain and I look down at the large bandage that covers the skin where I was stabbed whenever that was. "Lucy?" Nola asks as she gets up off the chair and I can see tears form in her eyes as she gets up and kisses me and I kiss her back. "Oow" I say as Nola presses against the wound before quickly getting up upon realising it, "sorry" she says sitting back down in the chair but bring it closer to the bed so we can talk. "I guess your wondering what happened?" Nola says and I nod my head still trying to add up everything that has happened. "Well I was sitting in the squad car like I said I'd be doing and we were just looking out at the front of your house and then a black car pulled into your neighbours drive way and we assumed that it was well your neighbour and so we ignored it for a few moments. But then he didn't go in the front door and ran around the back of the house and so I thought maybe he's forgotten his key or someone's in the house and said they'd let him out the back so he didn't wake anyone in the house by knocking on the door but I still followed him which is when I saw him climbing up the tree by your house and then swing into your en-suite window so I radioed the station and ran into your house. I was downstairs when I heard you scream and I knew instantly that the moment I got up into your bedroom I would shoot him because he threatened your life and I am so happy I got up there when I did but what if I'd been a minute later, then you might not be here" Nola trails off, "don't talk like that, I'm here, because you saved me Nola you saved me and listen I'm not going anywhere so if you're up for it... you know when I'm out and stuff goes back to normal... do you want to go out for dinner?" I ask Nola who just looks at me in almost shock but can't contain her excitement over it, "yeah I would love to go to dinner" she says and we kiss again. 5 days later I'm discharged from the hospital, the wound now sewn up and starting to heal but will end up scarring and leaving me with a scar for the rest of my life. I go home and things Start going back to normal, I go back to work and back to crime scenes, looking at bodies and working still with the police. Me and Nola are starting to go out together allowing our relationship to develop Because there is something real there and I want to see what's going to happen as a result but I love her, and I know she loves me and I want to see where we can go together. And still 2 months later the death of the serial killer is still the main thing the newspaper in New York report along with all the known accounts on the victims and the meant to be victim number 7 who escaped, aka me. I'm sitting alone at home, the fire is on but the spring months are coming and it's meant to get warmer in a few weeks which would be nice. I help myself to a glass of bourbon as I sit on my sofa, reading a book about forensic analysis with skulls which is incredibly fascinating and written by one of my idols, Doctor Julian Dolman. The phone goes off and I quickly riggle myself free of the blankets I'm under as I answer the call, "hello" I say as I place the now empty glass on the cabinet, "hey Lucy we've found a body and we need you to get here right away," Nola's worries voice says from the other end of the phone, "alright where am I going" I ask taking off my slippers and putting on some socks and boots and grabbing my silver case ready to get in my car and drive off to whatever destination Nola provides me with. "The Brooklyn bridge" Nola says and I don't quite believe it, why would someone kill someone on the Brooklyn bridge, I mean it's one of if not the most well known bridge in the entirety of New York. "Alright I'm on my way I'll be there in 10 mins" I say as Nola hangs up the call and I climb into my car and zoom off ready to go and see the body.