Secrets of the Past

Chapter Two - Before Time Runs Out

As Jonathan started his car his thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of his iPhone in his hip pocket. He slipped it out and glanced at the screen: David. 

He smiled as he answered, "Hey little brother." 

"Hey, big brother. How are you? Where are you?" 

"Well, you sure have a way of getting to the point." 

"Well, when I want to know something I ask. Occupational hazarded of being a cop I guess." 

Jonathan laughed, "I'm just now leaving Porter Springs." 

"Porter Springs, huh? Well, how about joining me for lunch?"

 "Sure, where at?" 

"Um, Red Lobster?"

 "Sound's good, I'll be going through Dallas around eleven twenty-five, so we can beat the lunch crowd."

"Okay, see you then."

As Jonathan drove into Dallas, he looked around for the restaurant and he got there just as David was getting them a table. As they sat down David asked, "How did the speech go?" 

"What speech?"

 "The one you gave for the American's Against Teenage Crime Association. You know the AATCA."

 "Oh, that speech!"

 David grinned, "Yeah, that one." 

"It went well. There are a lot of nice people in that town." A smile slowly crept into the corners of Jonathan's lips and David grinned, "Oh! I know that look. You met a girl." 

"I meet girl's everywhere I go." 

"Yeah, but this is a special one." Jonathan smiled and made no comment.

"Well?! Are you going to tell me her name or not?"

 Jonathan chuckled and shook his head, "No." 

"What? Why?"

 "Because I know you."

 "What's that supposed to mean?!"

 "That you will more than likely run a background check on her and I don't want you to. I am perfectly capable of handling this on my own."

 David nodded, "Okay. So how old is she?"

 "I don't know."

 "Well when's her birthday?"

 "I don't know."

"Where does she work?"

"I don't know that either."

David seemed confused, "This is what you call handling it?" 

Jonathan laughed, "Okay, well maybe I don't know as much about her as I should."

David shook his head, "That's bad, Jonathan. You find a girl you really like and you don't ask her anything about herself." 

"Yeah, I guess that was pretty dumb."

 "So, are you going back?"

Jonathan shook his head, "Why are you so concerned about my love life."

"Well, you're my brother and I want you to be happy."

 Jonathan smiled, "I can't be having this conversation with you."

 David grinned, "But you are." 

Jonathan shook his head, "How's Max?"

 "Good. Although, he still tries to get in the front seat with Tony and I."

 "How is Tony?"

 "He's doing really good. He and Julia are expecting a baby." 

"It seems like they just got married." 

He smiled, "Yeah, but it was three years ago." 

"Has it really been that long?"

David nodded, "Yeah, because it was right before..." He stopped, "It was in May."

Jonathan nodded, "How's work going." 

David looked shocked, "You want to know about my work?"

 "Yeah, why wouldn't I want to know about it?"

 "I don't know, it's just after...well, I didn't think you'd be interested." 

"I'm interested."

 David smiled, "It's good. I get to protect and serve." 

In the middle of their meal, David's pager went off, "There's been a wreck on I-70, sorry I can't stay longer, but I got to go. I'll call you later." 

"Okay, but be careful." 

He smiled, "I'm always careful."

* * * *

As David got into his squad car, he turned on the siren and silently prayed, "Lord, please keep me safe and the people in the wreck, help me and all the EMT's, give us the wisdom to know what to do and how to do it." His praying was interrupted, by his Chief's voice saying that they had a three-car pile-up and a few trapped inside. 

When he arrived, he became sick by the sight that laid before him, No one could survive this. Yet, he desperately prayed that someone had.

At times like this, David believed that it was his faith in God that allowed him to remain calm and respond to the situations he was faced with tactfully.

David ran to the first car or what was left of it. He was about to peer inside, when the Chief called his name, "David, it looks like we've got to airlift two of them."

 "How many were in the wreck?"

 "Five, a young girl, an elderly couple, and what looks like a man and his young son." 

"What looks like?" 

"Yeah, they're the two we need to airlift."

 David slid his hands into his pant pockets, glanced at the ground, and then in the direction of the wreck. "What are you thinking son?"

 Something caught David's eye, "Do you see that?" 

"See what?" Asked Chief Howard, as he took a step forward as if to get a better look.

"That red object over there."

"Yeah, I see it, is...is that a person?"

As they ran over to it, it became more obvious that it was indeed a person. A young man, couldn't have been more than nineteen and the red they saw was his white shirt. It was covered in blood. His face was all cut up and it was evident that he wasn't breathing.

Chief Howard ran back to get the EMT's. David opened the boy's mouth to see if anything was in the way, then he began CPR and prayed aloud, "Dear God, please give him one more chance."

When the Chief got back to him, he said, "They aren't here!" David continued to do CPR and kept praying. What was just a few minutes seemed like hours, then the boy started coughing and slowly began breathing on his own. With a sigh of relief, David said, "Thank you, Lord."

Then much to everyone's relief, the EMT's arrived and the helicopter landed. David helped put the man and his sons into the helicopter, then walked over to his squad car. Chief Howard ran up and patted him on the back, "Good job, David! You saved his life, you know." 

David shook his head, "No, God saved his life, I just did what I had to do."

Chief Howard nodded, "Yeah, sure. You heard from Tony yet?"

"Yeah, they're flying in tonight."

 "Okay, good. You two are always cracking jokes, but I could never pick two better officers to be partners. You both know how to do your job."