KEEPING THE FAITH

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         BRYCE

  My bottom lip is chapped from biting it so much.
I work as a nurse in aeromedical services, so I was paired with a physician when we got the call to treat a burn victim.
A train exploded and set some trees on fire, so the firefighters managed to get there and put it out quickly. One of them said that he found a body on the other side with his whole back burned. He said that the burn was a second-degree burn.
I have seen worse cases before. Bodies covered in crimson, limbs twisted in odd ways, the sound of pure agony coming from their mouths.
I have learned to never lose my focus and to keep my composure for the past 4 years that I have worked here.
When we do land, Dr. Allen and I carry the stretcher out and one of the firefighters lead us to the body.
The sight of the landscape before me makes me want to cringe away.
There are bald spots in the landscape. A few trees here and there have had their limbs singed off. The firefighters have started to clean up everything. All of them are either gone or just long, black sticks. Smoke made the sight a little hazy. The sun setting made everything look even more scary. It made everything glow eerily.
He led us to a pile of black and pink on the other end of the freeway.
We run towards it, but what I see brings a wave of shock throughout all of my being.
It was Julius.
My best friend.
Quickly, I get on my knees and check for a pulse. It was weak, but still there.
His face was red and hot, beads of sweat falling on the pavement. I could smell the burned flesh.
The back of his suit was completely singed off.
What was left was a horrible burn covering all of his back, the angry flesh blistered from the top of his neck, barely missing his hair, all the way to the small of his back.
Dr. Allen and I tried to lift him as carefully as we could, his raw back facing up on the stretcher.
We hurried to the helicopter and immediately started to connect him with the oxygen tank.
"Bryce, cut away the shirt. We need to look at the severity of his injuries. Report back to me."
"Yes sir."
I cut away the remains of his shirt, only to find his skin pink from the heat.
I think that the suit was supposed to keep him warm.
  "Second-degree burn on his back, burn starts on the top of his neck and ends at the small of his back. Width of the burn is past his shoulder blades. Large bruise on the left side of his torso. High body temperature, adult male, 28 years old. Name is Julius Jones."
"Thank you Bryce. We're just about to land at the hospital."
I wanted to cry. I wanted to scream and yell and throw a fit like a child.
This was my best friend.
Everyone in the church used to say that our friendship was as close as David and Jonathan's friendship in the Bible.
But when I wake up every morning, my wife Meraina and I pray that He would help us be the strength that these people need. Family members of these people that are injured can't help but cry out as they watch their loved ones fly away. Parents and grandparents can't help but sit and watch as their child or grandchild is suffering and wailing.
We have to mentally prepare ourselves every day. We don't know what we are going to face when we go to work every morning.
My wife, Meraina, works as a nurse in a hospital for children. Children who might have cancer or have suffered some other kind or trauma, so we don't see each other throughout the day.
She actually works later than I do, so I go home and make dinner for her and my kids.
I have twins, a boy and a girl, who have just turned three years old. They stay with my father-in-law most of the day.
Both of them are so precious to me.

~•~

I could hear Julius groan as we brought him to a room already prepared for him at the burn center. Another nurse was waiting for us, a large container of water filled with cotton towels next to her on a table.
When she say Julius as we entered, her jaw dropped.
"Think you can handle this, Covey?"
She swallowed hard, then nodded.
"Good. That was a rhetorical question. Bryce, we got another call. Let's head out."
Dr. Allen walks out, but I stay behind for a little bit.
The nurse starts to wring out the towels and places them on Julius' back.
"Covey, please keep me informed if you can about Julius. I'm going to come here as soon as I finish my shift, okay?"
"Bryce! Now!" Dr. Allen yells.
"Coming sir!" I yell back.
Covey nods, then I run out to meet Dr. Allen.

~•~

As I run towards my car, I take my phone and keys out.
I unlock my car and buckle myself in, trying to keep my hands from trembling so much.
I turn on the ignition and start to connect my phone to my car by Bluetooth.
I call my wife and start to drive towards the hospital.
"Hi, babe."
"Hey, beautiful. You off your shift yet?"
"Yeah, I just got off. What about you?"
"I just got off. Hey, um...Julius is in the hospital."
The phone was silent for a while.
"Babe? You still there?"
"Y-yeah....what....what happened to him?"
"I'm on my way to get you right now. The kids are with Abue."
"Wasn't he supposed to take Julius to Canada tomorrow morning? What happened?"
"I'll explain everything as soon as I get you, okay? I'm going to call Abue and tell him what's happening. Oh, wait. I just pulled in."
"Alright, cariño. I love you. I''ll be out in a sec."
"I love you too. Bye."
She hangs up, then I call my father-in-law.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Abue. How is everything?"
"Oh good, mijo. Hey, I heard about the train explosion. I've been worried sick all day about Julius. Did he make it?"
I watch as Meraina climbs into the door and buckles in. I start to turn the car around and I make my way to the Emergency Hospital.
"Yeah, he did. I'm not sure how, but there weren't any survivors except him. His whole back has been burned, but I don't know how he made it out. It was like..."
There was a long pause as I tried to rationalize the situation.
"You don't think..."
"I....I'm...not sure. I don't...I mean, there's gotta be a reason...but..."
"What, Bryce?!" Meraina exclaims, clenching my hand.
"Julius....Julius night have blown up the train."