Chapter One
"Please…please don't leave me." Francis's hand gripped mine tightly, the pressure of his fingers boring into my knuckles. I didn't care though. I was willing to do anything right now to remove the pain he was in.
"Don't worry Francis, I won't." I spoke calmly, moving closer to his ridged body, forcing him to keep his eyes solely on me. Anything to avoid his eyes straying to the scaffolding that erupted from his chest.
"Come on Francis, keep your eyes on me." I said as I watched his eyes roam down to the blood seeping from his chest.
"It's hard." He choked, focusing back on me. Blood tainted his lips, some trickled from his mouth.
"I know, I know." I told him sympathetic. No sympathy in the world could make this situation better Francis, but I felt like I had to try, that I had to make up for what he was going through. In the back of my mind I was conscious that this man was dying. Where the hell was rescue? I had to take his mind off the pain he was in right now. I had to make it easier.
"You remember that freak tsunami wave we had a few months back. That sure was a surprise wasn't it Francis? I never expected to see anything like that in my life time." I admitted, studying the muscles and scratched on his hand. I returned my eyes to his with a warm smile. He returned it the best he could. His grip still strong on my hand.
"I was in Vermont with my wife." He told me. I just kept smiling.
"And what were doing in Vermont, Francis?" I asked kindly, leaning forward on my knees towards him. He was lying flat on his back. I'd made sure not to let him move as not to further the injury. Part of me wonders if I should have gone into rescue at times like these. I'd know I could do something in this situation, instead I was reduced to just talking.
"My wife has family around there. Her sister had just had twins. We were going to see them." Francis clenched my hand tighter, struggling to breathe. I moved urgently trying to keep him calm.
"What were they Francis? Boys or girls?" I asked suddenly keeping him off guard. His focus had to be solely on me. He let out a gasp before answering.
"One of each." He rasped. Blood bubbles began to form around his mouth. I knew what this meant; I also knew how bad it was. His lungs were taking in blood. His fingers dug into my hand, pinching it. It was a nothing compared to his. His body began to shudder.
"Now come on Francis, stay with me." I realized he was going into shock. "Francis, look at me, look at me. Come on."
"Horatio?" his voice was barely above a whisper. I leaned in closer to hear his words.
"Yes Francis, what is it?" I asked, sorrow was beginning to edge towards me.
"Tell them…" he broke off and then regained his strength. "Tell them I love them."
The pain must be immense. I felt my jaw clench. This man could not die.
"You can tell them yourself" I reassured him, patting his arm. Whether he believed me or not was another matter. Right now I was putting all my faith in God, and I don't pray often. I sinned once. I committed the worse sin in the bible. I murdered someone. It wasn't unjust, not by my standards at the time. I'd killed the man that had murdered my mother. I was too late to save her, but not too late to punish him. There was no excuse for what I did and every so often I go to church and beg The Lord for his forgiveness. His decision remains to be seen.
"Sir, I need you to move away from him right now. We need to get to the wound and monitor the situation." The fire chief and ambulance crew were standing right behind me now. I looked up at them stonily. I felt cold. Francis was still holding on to my hand.
"Right now Francis, the paramedics and the fire crew are going to take care of you." I told him, the grip on my hand loosened as I thought about his lungs that were probably still filling with blood.
"Horatio…You won't leave me?" he asked me, turning his head slightly and then wincing in pain. I patted his hand.
"I'll be standing right beside you the whole time." Sadness was overcoming me. Francis didn't deserve this. This man worshiped the ground his wife, kids and family walked on. In a way we were similar in that way. Family was the most important thing to us both.
The emergency crew worked long and hard through the night to save Francis Herman's life. I was watching when they loaded his dead body into the ambulance.