CHAPTER ELEVEN
Bosco felt as if he was on fire as his body slowly careened to the left. He felt the impact of his head meeting the cool asphalt and wondered if he'd have a scar. Where are the bucket boys? his mind asked wildly. I'm on fire. They have to put me out. All chaos erupted as the men around the fire scrambled for their belongings and took off.
Faith bolted towards her partner while she screamed into her cell phone. "I'm officer Faith Yokas with the 55th precinct, my partner's been shot! Send help please!" She knelt beside Bosco's fallen body as she shouted their location into the phone. After hanging up with dispatch, Faith dropped her phone and cradled Bosco's head in her lap.
"Maurice, Maurice, Maurice," she chanted, crying uncontrollably, "look at me. You have to stay awake, understand? You have to stay awake!"
Bosco gazed sightlessly up at Faith. "I'm going to die," he whispered in resignation.
"NO!!!" Faith roared. "You are not going to die! You have to fight, you stubborn son of a bitch! Fight Maurice!"
It felt like hours before Faith heard the sirens approaching. Police cars blocked off the alleyway as an ambulance squealed in front of them. Faith was surprised to see Doc and Carlos jumping out of the bus.
"How's he doing?" Doc asked, as he and Carlos rushed up to Faith and Bosco.
"Why are you here?" Faith asked in confusion. "Did you switch your shift too?"
Carlos and Doc shared a look. "Ummm.no we're pulling a double," Carlos answered. "Stand back Yokas, we need to get at him."
Reluctantly Faith pulled back and watched Doc and Carlos work frantically over Bosco's body. She was oblivious to the officers trying to get her attention as she stared into Bosco's blank eyes.
"Okay, let's go!" Doc yelled to the officers. "Faith, come on."
Faith jumped in after the three and grabbed Bosco's hand as she took a seat. Doc called out vitals to Carlos as he worked on Bosco with experienced hands. Suddenly, Bosco's head jerked towards Faith.
"He's awake," Doc informed Carlos. "Bosco? Bosco? Can you hear me? You've been shot, three times in the chest and abdomen and once in your left arm."
"Don't tell him that!" Faith cried.
"Faith, Faith," Bosco struggled.
"Calm down, Maurice. You're gonna be okay."
"I have nothing to lose now," he whispered. "I tried to protect.I have to tell you."
"Shhh, you can tell me later," Faith assured him.
"Now.I chased you.you're the only.thing I know," Bosco persisted.
Doc shot Faith a look. "Bosco, you need to calm down. I need to bag you to protect your airway."
Bosco forcefully pushed away Doc's hands. "Faith I'm in love with you, I've always loved you," he said painfully with his last ounce of strength.
Faith and Doc froze. Regaining his composure quickly, Doc pushed the airbag over Bosco's mouth.
"What's going on, how's he doing?" Carlos asked, sensing the sudden silence.
"Step on it Carlos," Doc demanded. He looked over at Faith and saw that she was in what he could only describe as shock. Her mouth hung slightly agape as she stared straight ahead.
Carlos pulled the bus up to Angel of Mercy and jumped out to help unload Bosco. The two paramedics rushed his gurney up to the waiting emergency room personnel, shouting out vital statistics. Faith followed in a fog, oblivious to everything and everyone. One of the officers on duty asked her questions about the incident and she answered each in autopilot.
I killed my partner, was her last thought as the world went black.
×××××××××
Bosco felt as if he was on fire as his body slowly careened to the left. He felt the impact of his head meeting the cool asphalt and wondered if he'd have a scar. Where are the bucket boys? his mind asked wildly. I'm on fire. They have to put me out. All chaos erupted as the men around the fire scrambled for their belongings and took off.
Faith bolted towards her partner while she screamed into her cell phone. "I'm officer Faith Yokas with the 55th precinct, my partner's been shot! Send help please!" She knelt beside Bosco's fallen body as she shouted their location into the phone. After hanging up with dispatch, Faith dropped her phone and cradled Bosco's head in her lap.
"Maurice, Maurice, Maurice," she chanted, crying uncontrollably, "look at me. You have to stay awake, understand? You have to stay awake!"
Bosco gazed sightlessly up at Faith. "I'm going to die," he whispered in resignation.
"NO!!!" Faith roared. "You are not going to die! You have to fight, you stubborn son of a bitch! Fight Maurice!"
It felt like hours before Faith heard the sirens approaching. Police cars blocked off the alleyway as an ambulance squealed in front of them. Faith was surprised to see Doc and Carlos jumping out of the bus.
"How's he doing?" Doc asked, as he and Carlos rushed up to Faith and Bosco.
"Why are you here?" Faith asked in confusion. "Did you switch your shift too?"
Carlos and Doc shared a look. "Ummm.no we're pulling a double," Carlos answered. "Stand back Yokas, we need to get at him."
Reluctantly Faith pulled back and watched Doc and Carlos work frantically over Bosco's body. She was oblivious to the officers trying to get her attention as she stared into Bosco's blank eyes.
"Okay, let's go!" Doc yelled to the officers. "Faith, come on."
Faith jumped in after the three and grabbed Bosco's hand as she took a seat. Doc called out vitals to Carlos as he worked on Bosco with experienced hands. Suddenly, Bosco's head jerked towards Faith.
"He's awake," Doc informed Carlos. "Bosco? Bosco? Can you hear me? You've been shot, three times in the chest and abdomen and once in your left arm."
"Don't tell him that!" Faith cried.
"Faith, Faith," Bosco struggled.
"Calm down, Maurice. You're gonna be okay."
"I have nothing to lose now," he whispered. "I tried to protect.I have to tell you."
"Shhh, you can tell me later," Faith assured him.
"Now.I chased you.you're the only.thing I know," Bosco persisted.
Doc shot Faith a look. "Bosco, you need to calm down. I need to bag you to protect your airway."
Bosco forcefully pushed away Doc's hands. "Faith I'm in love with you, I've always loved you," he said painfully with his last ounce of strength.
Faith and Doc froze. Regaining his composure quickly, Doc pushed the airbag over Bosco's mouth.
"What's going on, how's he doing?" Carlos asked, sensing the sudden silence.
"Step on it Carlos," Doc demanded. He looked over at Faith and saw that she was in what he could only describe as shock. Her mouth hung slightly agape as she stared straight ahead.
Carlos pulled the bus up to Angel of Mercy and jumped out to help unload Bosco. The two paramedics rushed his gurney up to the waiting emergency room personnel, shouting out vital statistics. Faith followed in a fog, oblivious to everything and everyone. One of the officers on duty asked her questions about the incident and she answered each in autopilot.
I killed my partner, was her last thought as the world went black.
×××××××××