Page 105 of Fragile Lives

I crawl to my purse and fetch the phone. Right as I’m dialing the digits, Stephan’s back arches from the ground, and he takes a loud, shuttering breath. Jake instantly pulls his torso up and presses the jacket from the ground to the wounds on his back.

My hands are shaking. I drop the phone and begin touching Stephan’s face.

“You’re back,” I whisper. “Back. Please, stay.” I start peppering his face with kisses. “Please, Stephan, stay with me. I can’t live without you.”

“Nine-one-one. What’s your emergency?”my phone reminds that I managed to dial for help.

“It’s officer…” Then he stops abruptly and curses, “Fuck. It’s Jake Attleborough. We have a civilian shot, and we need a fucking ambulance at the corner Main and Eighth Street. Or he’s going to die.” Jake’s voice turns authoritative.

“The ETA is two minutes.”

“Tell them to make it one, or he won’t make it.”

The phone clicks, but the line remains open. The voice comes back.“They’ll be there in a minute. I’ll stay on the line.”

I keep kissing every inch of Stephan’s skin I can get. Trying to imprint his taste in me. I’m touching his cheeks and forehead. He’s sweating despite the cold weather, his breathing uneven. He’s fighting to keep his eyes open, and I know the moments I’m getting with him might be the last I’ll ever have.

The siren sounds ahead, rapidly moving toward us. Once the vehicle stops next to us, two paramedics rush out and run toward us. They check Stephan while Jake’s repeating the events of the last few minutes to them.

One of the medics places a huge needle between Stephan’s ribs while another tapes the wounds. Then they place a mask with a breathing bag over his mouth.

Another siren sounds nearby, and a few moments later the sheriff’s cruiser stops next to us. Kenneth jumps out of his car and rushes toward us just as the paramedics load Stephan onto a stretcher and start moving him to the ambulance.

“Leila! Are you alright?” Kenneth’s voice hitches as he stops next to us.

“I am,” I answer quietly. “Stephan covered me with his body.”

Kenneth’s eyes move at Stephan, and they sadden when he sees the condition he’s in. He was conscious only for a bit right after Jake performed CPR, and now he’s out.

“What happened?”

“I’ll tell you. Let her go with him,” Jake says, and Kenneth moves his confused gaze toward him as if noticing his presence just now.

“Jake?” He sounds surprised.

Jake nods. “I saw everything.”

“Where is the suspect?” Kenneth searches around.

“There.” Jake points to the bush where the shooter was hiding.

“Alive?”

Jake shakes his head.

“You got a weapon on you?”

“The state of Maine deemed me sane enough for that,” he answers defensively, and I can’t deal with that now.

“I’m just asking, Jake.” He switches his attention to me. “I need to stay here. Will you be okay until mom comes to the hospital?”

“I’ll be fine when he wakes up,” I reply automatically and climb inside the ambulance.

“I’ll come to you as soon as I can.”

One of the paramedics starts the IV while the other asks me, “Miss? Are you family?”

“Yes.” I stare at him, daring him to say otherwise.