The Change
By: Trivette Lover Heather
Nash was on his way to the SIU when his cell phone rang.
" Nash?"
' Boss It's Harv, huge explosion at North Green High School, all available units boss, want us to head out?"
Nash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. " Of course, get who you can, how bad is it?"
" Sounds pretty bad." Harvey replied.
" Damn! Alright, Joe there?"
" Yeah just got here."
" OK send him there, tell him ill meet him there"
" No problem, see ya soon."
" With all due respect Harv, I'm not looking forward to it!"
" I know what you mean."
Nash grabbed the sirens, shifted gears and headed straight there.
When Nash arrived he couldn't believe what he saw. It seemed like half of the school had been blown to pieces. He took off his sunglasses and just stared. He watched screaming kids running nowhere in particular, parents screaming for their kids, paramedics running, officers trying to maintain some kind of peace. It was horrible. Somehow Joe had found Nash and appeared at his side.
" Good morning." Joe sighed.
" Yeah right."
Nash and Joe showed no emotion. After the two men shot each other glances they knew they needed to do something to help. Nash took charge of his team, handing out orders for them to help a parent calmly find their child. Joe helped set up an area where all students and parents could meet. Harvey and a few others were trying to set up a place where the staff could regroup.
Joe couldn't believe how many people were around. It was absolute confusion and chaos. How he was holding it together he didn't even know. He glanced at his partner. He was screaming at officers and pointing to people. He saw one mother jump at Nash, almost hitting him, to find her son and daughter. Nash calmly shook his head and pulled an officer to take her to the rescued area. Joe still could not believe what was happening.
'This heart still believes that love and mercy still exist
'While all the hatred rage and so many say that love is only 'pointless in madness such as this
'It's like trying to stop a fire with the moisture from a kiss
Harvey Leek, after trying his hardest to get the adults to calm down, leaned against an ambulance; listening to all the sirens and screaming, it was really getting to him. Just as he laid back someone screamed at him to move as they lifted a gurney into the ambulance. The person on the gurney had to have been 14 years old. 16 at the most. Harvey stood up and watched. After it pulled away, he looked up and shook his head. A tear forming in his eye.
" My God." He whispered to himself. Putting his hands up in the air in almost pure helplessness. He leaned over an officer's car and began to cry. An officer approached him and placed an arm around him. Harvey didn't know this officer, but it didn't matter. Not now. It just didn't matter.
'And I hear them saying
'You'll never change things
'And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
'But it's not the world that I am changing
'I do this so, this world will know that it will not change me.
After about an hour or so, it had calmed down somewhat. Joe had made his way over to Harvey and tried to be there for him. Even though Joe wasn't handling it all that well either. Joe was also wondering where his partner was and how he was dealing with it. Nash was tough, but not this tough. Harvey assured Joe that he would be all right and headed back to the staff area. Joe went to look for his partner. He walked through debris and still some dead bodies. He saw teenagers covered in ash and gashes. Paramedics still piling in from all different counties. He finally spotted his partner trying to get a body out from under a pile of debris. Nash caught sight of Joe and screamed for his help.
" Joe get over here!"
Joe jogged over.
" What do ya need man?"
" There is a kid under there man, maybe two, help me hold this up...ok boys, on three, 1...2...3" At that moment about 6 men lifted with all their might, firemen waiting by to pull the body out.
" There she is, get her out!" Nash yelled.
Two firemen pulled the girl out and laid her on a stretcher. She was scraped, and in pain, but alive.
" Good job boys, a little while longer and we wouldn't have her at all." The fireman nodded.
All the men nodded back.
Joe paced over to Nash and placed an arm on his shoulder.
" Good Job Partner." Joe said.
" Thanks, I'm glad I could do something in this madness." Nash replied.
" I know man, I know. We are doing our best. You should be proud of everyone man. Harvey's having a hard time, I think I'm gonna go take him home, you wanna go?"
" No, I cant, I'm gonna stay till this is all over with."
" You sure Nashman?"
" Yeah I have never been so sure." Nash replied with a nod.
" OK pal, I'll go drop him off and head back here with ya. Be back in about twenty minutes."
" Ok Joe, I'll see ya soon."
" You sure you're ok man?"
" No, I'm not ok, what human being can be during this? But I gotta do something, I just gotta." A tear seemed to be forming in his eye.
Joe walked over, placed an arm around his friend.
" I know man, just be strong, it will be over soon, then we can go out to get a drink, sound good?"
" Sounds great! You better go get Harv."
" OK consider me gone, be back soon."
Nash watched his partner walk away and wanted to break down in tears, but couldn't. It wasn't his style. He had to help.
He ran to where it seemed another child was trapped.
'One hand reaches out and pulls a loss soul from harm
'While a thousand more go unspoken for
'And they say what good have you done by saving just this one?
'It's like whispering a prayer in the fury of a storm
'And I hear them saying
'You'll never change things
'And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
'But it's not the world that I am changing
'I do this so, this world will know that it will not change me.
**
Joe took Harvey home and stayed with him longer than he planned. He called Antwon, who had the day off that day to stay with him. Then he headed back to the scene.
It had really begun to calm down and clear out. He spotted his partner sitting in the Cuda leaned over the wheel. Joe opened the passenger door and sat down. He took only a second to realize Nash was crying.
" Hey nashman, you gonna be alright?"
Nash lifted his head up and looked at Joe, with immense fear and pain. Joe had never seen his friend this torn up.
" I don't know Joe, I just don't know."
" I know, its scary isn't it?"
" Joe, at least a hundred kids must have been killed today! A hundred damnit!" He almost screamed. " I mean what the hell happened? What the hell is this world coming to man? Where a 14-year-old kid goes to school and is killed by an explosion let a lone a shooting. What kind of world are we protecting Joe? Tell Me!" Nash almost yelling.
Joe sat in silence. He didn't know what to say. He felt the same way.
" We just gotta keep trying man."
Both men sat quiet for about 10 minutes. Till Nash lifted his head and spoke again, wiping a tear and turning the key.
" Joe?"
" Yeah?"
" How about that drink?"
" Ha, How about two!" He smiled.
Nash took one last look and drove off. It would be a long while before they would ever forget that day. But they had to keep trying; everyone had to keep trying.
'As long as one heart still holds on then hope is never really gone
'And I hear them saying you'll never change things and no 'matter what you do its still the same thing but its not the world 'that I am changing, I do this so, this world WE know never 'changes me.
'What I do is so, this world will know that it will NOT change 'me!
Hope you got something from this story, one person really can make a difference, so no matter what criticism you take, keep trying, cause ' as long as one heart still holds on, hope is never really gone'
As always, Till Next Time
-Trivette Lover Heather
This song is called, " The Change," by Garth Brooks. His rights along with Nash Bridges rights do not belong to me, blah blah blah.
By: Trivette Lover Heather
Nash was on his way to the SIU when his cell phone rang.
" Nash?"
' Boss It's Harv, huge explosion at North Green High School, all available units boss, want us to head out?"
Nash closed his eyes and took a deep breath. " Of course, get who you can, how bad is it?"
" Sounds pretty bad." Harvey replied.
" Damn! Alright, Joe there?"
" Yeah just got here."
" OK send him there, tell him ill meet him there"
" No problem, see ya soon."
" With all due respect Harv, I'm not looking forward to it!"
" I know what you mean."
Nash grabbed the sirens, shifted gears and headed straight there.
When Nash arrived he couldn't believe what he saw. It seemed like half of the school had been blown to pieces. He took off his sunglasses and just stared. He watched screaming kids running nowhere in particular, parents screaming for their kids, paramedics running, officers trying to maintain some kind of peace. It was horrible. Somehow Joe had found Nash and appeared at his side.
" Good morning." Joe sighed.
" Yeah right."
Nash and Joe showed no emotion. After the two men shot each other glances they knew they needed to do something to help. Nash took charge of his team, handing out orders for them to help a parent calmly find their child. Joe helped set up an area where all students and parents could meet. Harvey and a few others were trying to set up a place where the staff could regroup.
Joe couldn't believe how many people were around. It was absolute confusion and chaos. How he was holding it together he didn't even know. He glanced at his partner. He was screaming at officers and pointing to people. He saw one mother jump at Nash, almost hitting him, to find her son and daughter. Nash calmly shook his head and pulled an officer to take her to the rescued area. Joe still could not believe what was happening.
'This heart still believes that love and mercy still exist
'While all the hatred rage and so many say that love is only 'pointless in madness such as this
'It's like trying to stop a fire with the moisture from a kiss
Harvey Leek, after trying his hardest to get the adults to calm down, leaned against an ambulance; listening to all the sirens and screaming, it was really getting to him. Just as he laid back someone screamed at him to move as they lifted a gurney into the ambulance. The person on the gurney had to have been 14 years old. 16 at the most. Harvey stood up and watched. After it pulled away, he looked up and shook his head. A tear forming in his eye.
" My God." He whispered to himself. Putting his hands up in the air in almost pure helplessness. He leaned over an officer's car and began to cry. An officer approached him and placed an arm around him. Harvey didn't know this officer, but it didn't matter. Not now. It just didn't matter.
'And I hear them saying
'You'll never change things
'And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
'But it's not the world that I am changing
'I do this so, this world will know that it will not change me.
After about an hour or so, it had calmed down somewhat. Joe had made his way over to Harvey and tried to be there for him. Even though Joe wasn't handling it all that well either. Joe was also wondering where his partner was and how he was dealing with it. Nash was tough, but not this tough. Harvey assured Joe that he would be all right and headed back to the staff area. Joe went to look for his partner. He walked through debris and still some dead bodies. He saw teenagers covered in ash and gashes. Paramedics still piling in from all different counties. He finally spotted his partner trying to get a body out from under a pile of debris. Nash caught sight of Joe and screamed for his help.
" Joe get over here!"
Joe jogged over.
" What do ya need man?"
" There is a kid under there man, maybe two, help me hold this up...ok boys, on three, 1...2...3" At that moment about 6 men lifted with all their might, firemen waiting by to pull the body out.
" There she is, get her out!" Nash yelled.
Two firemen pulled the girl out and laid her on a stretcher. She was scraped, and in pain, but alive.
" Good job boys, a little while longer and we wouldn't have her at all." The fireman nodded.
All the men nodded back.
Joe paced over to Nash and placed an arm on his shoulder.
" Good Job Partner." Joe said.
" Thanks, I'm glad I could do something in this madness." Nash replied.
" I know man, I know. We are doing our best. You should be proud of everyone man. Harvey's having a hard time, I think I'm gonna go take him home, you wanna go?"
" No, I cant, I'm gonna stay till this is all over with."
" You sure Nashman?"
" Yeah I have never been so sure." Nash replied with a nod.
" OK pal, I'll go drop him off and head back here with ya. Be back in about twenty minutes."
" Ok Joe, I'll see ya soon."
" You sure you're ok man?"
" No, I'm not ok, what human being can be during this? But I gotta do something, I just gotta." A tear seemed to be forming in his eye.
Joe walked over, placed an arm around his friend.
" I know man, just be strong, it will be over soon, then we can go out to get a drink, sound good?"
" Sounds great! You better go get Harv."
" OK consider me gone, be back soon."
Nash watched his partner walk away and wanted to break down in tears, but couldn't. It wasn't his style. He had to help.
He ran to where it seemed another child was trapped.
'One hand reaches out and pulls a loss soul from harm
'While a thousand more go unspoken for
'And they say what good have you done by saving just this one?
'It's like whispering a prayer in the fury of a storm
'And I hear them saying
'You'll never change things
'And no matter what you do it's still the same thing
'But it's not the world that I am changing
'I do this so, this world will know that it will not change me.
**
Joe took Harvey home and stayed with him longer than he planned. He called Antwon, who had the day off that day to stay with him. Then he headed back to the scene.
It had really begun to calm down and clear out. He spotted his partner sitting in the Cuda leaned over the wheel. Joe opened the passenger door and sat down. He took only a second to realize Nash was crying.
" Hey nashman, you gonna be alright?"
Nash lifted his head up and looked at Joe, with immense fear and pain. Joe had never seen his friend this torn up.
" I don't know Joe, I just don't know."
" I know, its scary isn't it?"
" Joe, at least a hundred kids must have been killed today! A hundred damnit!" He almost screamed. " I mean what the hell happened? What the hell is this world coming to man? Where a 14-year-old kid goes to school and is killed by an explosion let a lone a shooting. What kind of world are we protecting Joe? Tell Me!" Nash almost yelling.
Joe sat in silence. He didn't know what to say. He felt the same way.
" We just gotta keep trying man."
Both men sat quiet for about 10 minutes. Till Nash lifted his head and spoke again, wiping a tear and turning the key.
" Joe?"
" Yeah?"
" How about that drink?"
" Ha, How about two!" He smiled.
Nash took one last look and drove off. It would be a long while before they would ever forget that day. But they had to keep trying; everyone had to keep trying.
'As long as one heart still holds on then hope is never really gone
'And I hear them saying you'll never change things and no 'matter what you do its still the same thing but its not the world 'that I am changing, I do this so, this world WE know never 'changes me.
'What I do is so, this world will know that it will NOT change 'me!
Hope you got something from this story, one person really can make a difference, so no matter what criticism you take, keep trying, cause ' as long as one heart still holds on, hope is never really gone'
As always, Till Next Time
-Trivette Lover Heather
This song is called, " The Change," by Garth Brooks. His rights along with Nash Bridges rights do not belong to me, blah blah blah.