Chapter 3: Okay
Blindingly bright red and blue lights flashed through a street, illuminated the darkness for a moment before fading out. As the lone ambulance screamed down the street, it momentarily lit up sections of the city with alarmingly bright colors before racing away, leaving only dark, chilly silence once it had gone.
Inside of the ambulance, Chris stood at the side of a gurney, worriedly picking at his shirt as he tried to keep balance within the fast-moving vehicle. His eyes anxiously travelled to the man on the table before quickly moving away, afraid of what he saw. Dan lay on the mobile bed, the crimson blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth vastly contrasting his pale skin. The attendee in the ambulance had affixed an oxygen tube to the short man's nose, helping him to breathe in short, barely audible breaths. His elbows had purple bruises forming on them, and he was scraped up fairly badly. He seemed so frail, so small... It was jarring to Chris to see his friend, who was normally so fiery and alive, so weak and still.
The auburn haired man let out a shaky sigh, moving to quietly hold himself as he waited for the ambulance he'd called to reach the hospital. Chris wished he had a burger or fries with him, he desperately wanted something salty and fatty and greasy to smother his nerves in. He felt so guilty. If he'd never said what he did he wouldn't have made Dan mad, then Dan wouldn't have left, and he wouldn't have gone into the street, and he wouldn't be lying on a gurney right now. Chris silently reprimanded himself for what he'd done. He could've said it better, he could have explained it more nicely, he probably could've done a million things better... But he hadn't. Now he was here, and it was all his fault. The man's eyes began to sting with remorseful tears, and he lifted up a hand to rub at them.
He sniffled quietly, wishing that Elise was here. She was good at making him feel better, at helping to calm him when he was in distress. But she wasn't here right now. He'd called her when Dan was being placed on the gurney, and now she was driving to the hospital to wait for them. He wouldn't see her for a little while longer. Chris was about to sigh, but nearly choked on the exhalation of breath as the ambulance screeched to a stop. While the man struggled to recover, the attendee hurriedly opened the ambulance doors and then got behind Dan's gurney. The slamming of a vehicle door signaled that the driver had gotten out, and, with the combined strength of the two workers, the gurney was easily transported from the car. Chris hurried out of the ambulance, coughing a bit as he went. He scrambled to follow his friend, squinting once they entered the bright, florescent light of the hospital.
"Chris!" Elise's voice quickly drew Chris' attention, looking over to see his wife rushing towards him. "Chris, baby what happened? Oh, you look terrible…" Elise cooed softly, gently cradling Chris' cheeks in her thin hands.
"I'm ok." Chris replied, even though he did feel pretty bad. "Look, after Dan ran out, he…" He swallowed quietly, trying to make himself continue. Every word made him feel more guilty about what had happened. "H-he got hit by a car."
Elise's eyes widened in shock at this.
"Oh my God! Is he ok?" She asked, genuinely concerned. Sure, Dan was rude, loud, short tempered, and had a hell of an ego, but Elise still cared about him. He could be just like a little kid at times, and it was almost endearing; even if it was typically overshadowed by his more… Negative traits.
"I don't know… Elise, he looked really bad… I-I'm scared…" Chris' eyes teared up once again, and he started to sniffle. He felt horrible… Because of him, Dan was badly hurt. He could die! The sudden, immense gravity of this realization slammed down on him, and he broke. Tears flooded his eyes and involuntarily poured out, and he began to sob.
"Oh sweetie, Chris, don't cry…" Elise said said, eyebrows furrowing in deep concern. "Come here baby... I'm so sorry... Come here…." She said gently, taking Chris' arms and leading over to a row of chairs against the wall. Elise set him down in a chair and knelt down in front of him, allowing Chris to lean down and hug her as he cried. "It's ok…. You're ok…." She whispered comfortingly, leaning up and lovingly looping her arms around his neck. "I love you Chris."
"I l-l-love you t-to Elis-se…." Chris sobbed, holding his wife tightly as he continued to weep. "D-do you th-think Dan'll b-be ok-k….?" He whimpered.
Elise paused for a moment, but then said,
"Don't worry Chris…. This is Dan we're talking about. He'll be ok." She murmured softly. "Dan's going to be ok."