"Three guns, and one goes off,
one's empty, one's not quick enough"
The Triangle
"No."
A moment ago, three men stood, corners of a triangle, and now two lay flat on the floor.
"Shit. Greg!" Nick Stokes kicks the robber's gun out of reach. He's had his face remodeled by Nick's service revolver, but now isn't a time to take chances.
He drops to his knees at Greg's side.
Blood. There's so much blood.
It has already formed a ruby pool under him, and bubbles steadily from the hole in his chest.
"God dammit, why didn't you wear your vest, man?" Nick clamps his hands over the wound and Greg hissed. More blood, spraying lightly from between his lips with each shallow exhale.
"Control, this is Charlie-Oh-Five Stokes. I need a bus to my location ASAP. We have an officer down." He is barely able to complete his distress call before the radio slips from his hand and clatters to the ground.
"Copy that, bus ETA is seven minutes."
"Why didn't you shoot him?" Nick has no idea why he is angry at Greg. It just feels right.
"'S not loaded."
Nick is not expecting that. "Huh?"
"I don' keep it loaded. Too much risk."
"You gotta be kiddin' me."
The guy is going pale, and Nick presses harder on the wound. He feels Greg's heart fluttering beneath his fingers.
"S'rry, Nick. Thought I could at least distract 'm."
The blood is seeping between Nick's fingers. He can't seem to create a seal. It doesn't matter how hard he pushes down, with both hands now.
"Nick?"
He takes a deep breath before responding. He doesn't look up from Greg's chest. He just can't look into his eyes, not right now. "Yeah, G?"
"'M glad it's you."
"What do you mean?"
"Here with me."
"If you're gonna talk like that, I'm tuning you out. There's no reason to be sayin' goodbyes right now. Got it?"
Greg nods slowly, then coughs as he chokes on blood.
"Hang in there. Hear those wails? That's the bus. It's almost here."
When he gets no response, Nick finally looks up from Greg's soggy shirt. His eyes have rolled upward and his lids are fluttering. "Shit. Stay awake, Greg!"
Blue lights flash through the windows. They give everything a surreal glow and turn the blood black. The siren grows deafening before turning off completely when the ambulance parks outside.
"You're gonna be okay," Nick tells Greg, and himself. "We'll be alright."