It all happened so fast. One minute we were sitting in that waiting room,
the next...everything changed. It all happened so fast.
I remember lying there on the floor. I don't know how long I lay there. I might of even passed out. I'm really not sure. Lying there like that...it hurt like hell. My body ached but I didn't think I'd been shot. I mean once you get shot, you don't forget that feeling. I was feeling a lot of things but that wasn't one of 'em.
I heard footsteps...the voice inside my head was screaming for someone to help me. Trouble was my real voice didn't follow suit. It was as if the words were stuck in my throat. It took me a minute...more than a minute but I don't want to think it was all that long. I finally started to move, more afraid of what I didn't know than what might happen if I didn't move.
On my left I saw Ty Davis. He appeared to be all right although he had this look on his face...this dazed look like he was conscious but unsure if what had happened were real. I understood that 'cause I'd been living this nightmare for longer than I cared to admit.
Our eyes locked and he let out a breath. I did the same. Felt like I'd been holding my breath, fearful that someone would see me breathin' and starting shooting again, maybe this time shooting me in the head. Worse thing that could happen would be that I didn't die right away but rather I lay there, bleeding all over the floor, dying a slow painful death while the rest of the world was stuck in a holding pattern.
I followed Ty's line of vision until my eyes stopped on Cruz. She wasn't moving...her eyes open but fixed on the ceiling. There was blood oozing from the side of her head and trickling from her mouth. She was dead.
Once more my eyes locked on Ty's. He read my lips as I asked "you okay?" A nod of his head told me he was fine...or at least he thought he was.
He mouthed the words 'you?' I nodded. For a split second the world seemed to be okay. That's before I turned my head to my right, looking over my shoulder. That's when I saw him. Bosco.
My heart raced....then stopped...then raced again. He wasn't moving. He faced away from me so there'd be no eye contact...no mouthed questions...no nods of the head. Even if he'd been facing me, I didn't think any of that stuff would have happened.
I needed to know if he was alive or...or not. That need greater than my own safety. I crawled over to him. My fingertips crazed his neck. It was faint...very faint. He was alive, for now but for how long?
I glanced over at Ty, nodding my head, letting him know that Bosco wasn't dead. At least not yet.
I didn't know how long he had...how long he could hang on without help. I didn't know if help would make it in time. I didn't know if there was anyone still alive to help him.
'God help us' I said, my voice barely a whisper. It was the first sign that I still had a voice.
Footsteps returned only this time, I heard voices as well. Lying back down on the floor, I did my best to lie still. My ears strained to hear them...trying to decide if the shooters were coming back to finish their massacre or if it was someone who might help save my partners life
With my eyes closed tightly but not too tightly, I listened again.
'Somebody...please help us' I replied. This time no words came out. No one would hear my voice.
I remember lying there on the floor. I don't know how long I lay there. I might of even passed out. I'm really not sure. Lying there like that...it hurt like hell. My body ached but I didn't think I'd been shot. I mean once you get shot, you don't forget that feeling. I was feeling a lot of things but that wasn't one of 'em.
I heard footsteps...the voice inside my head was screaming for someone to help me. Trouble was my real voice didn't follow suit. It was as if the words were stuck in my throat. It took me a minute...more than a minute but I don't want to think it was all that long. I finally started to move, more afraid of what I didn't know than what might happen if I didn't move.
On my left I saw Ty Davis. He appeared to be all right although he had this look on his face...this dazed look like he was conscious but unsure if what had happened were real. I understood that 'cause I'd been living this nightmare for longer than I cared to admit.
Our eyes locked and he let out a breath. I did the same. Felt like I'd been holding my breath, fearful that someone would see me breathin' and starting shooting again, maybe this time shooting me in the head. Worse thing that could happen would be that I didn't die right away but rather I lay there, bleeding all over the floor, dying a slow painful death while the rest of the world was stuck in a holding pattern.
I followed Ty's line of vision until my eyes stopped on Cruz. She wasn't moving...her eyes open but fixed on the ceiling. There was blood oozing from the side of her head and trickling from her mouth. She was dead.
Once more my eyes locked on Ty's. He read my lips as I asked "you okay?" A nod of his head told me he was fine...or at least he thought he was.
He mouthed the words 'you?' I nodded. For a split second the world seemed to be okay. That's before I turned my head to my right, looking over my shoulder. That's when I saw him. Bosco.
My heart raced....then stopped...then raced again. He wasn't moving. He faced away from me so there'd be no eye contact...no mouthed questions...no nods of the head. Even if he'd been facing me, I didn't think any of that stuff would have happened.
I needed to know if he was alive or...or not. That need greater than my own safety. I crawled over to him. My fingertips crazed his neck. It was faint...very faint. He was alive, for now but for how long?
I glanced over at Ty, nodding my head, letting him know that Bosco wasn't dead. At least not yet.
I didn't know how long he had...how long he could hang on without help. I didn't know if help would make it in time. I didn't know if there was anyone still alive to help him.
'God help us' I said, my voice barely a whisper. It was the first sign that I still had a voice.
Footsteps returned only this time, I heard voices as well. Lying back down on the floor, I did my best to lie still. My ears strained to hear them...trying to decide if the shooters were coming back to finish their massacre or if it was someone who might help save my partners life
With my eyes closed tightly but not too tightly, I listened again.
'Somebody...please help us' I replied. This time no words came out. No one would hear my voice.