"Excuse me, I am Lieutenant Brown and I am looking for Rick Simon. I didn't see him in the waiting area?"
"Let me check for you" replied the receptionist as she picked up the phone. "I'm looking for Rick Simon. Uh-huh. There is a police officer looking for him. O.K."
"Sir, Mr. Simon is back talking to the doctor and should be out shortly, you can take a seat."
"Thanks"
Despite his reassurances to Rick, Town was worried for his friend. He had been on too many calls in his years on the force that ended with a young person dead from an overdose.
He checked his watch…5 minutes…and started tapping his foot.
He checked his watch again…10 minutes…and stood up to pace.
He checked his watch one more time…15 minutes…and starting walking up to the desk when the receptionist called out. "Rick Simon"
"He isn't here waiting room" he informed her.
"Oh, he has to fill out this admission paperwork for his brother; he should have been back by now."
"If you don't mind, I can start filling it out until he get's back." Town took the clipboard but, he didn't return to the waiting room. Instead, he walked down the hall in search of Rick. He turned the corner and stopped short. " A.J.'s dead!" his only thought.
The room behind him had gone quiet. No monitors screaming or doctors yelling orders. Rick thought after Vietnam that he would be able to hold it together no matter the circumstance. He didn't count on hearing his own brother die in the next room. "He's dead, what am I going to tell Mom?" Rick knew he was losing it. "He's dead, I am going to throw up, he's dead, he's dead, he's dead."
Town wanted to turn around and walk away so he wouldn't have to accept the death of his friend but, he had another friend that needed him. The Rick in the chair was a Rick he had never seen before.
"Rick?" Town placed his hand on his friends shoulder to get his attention. Rick looked up at him.
"A.J. is dead, I heard my brother die. How am I going to tell Mom?"
"What happened? Has the doctor spoken to you?" Town asked.
"No" Rick put his face back in his hands.
"I'll get some answers," Town rapped on the door to A.J.'s room and held his badge up, then sighed in relief. "Rick, they are still working on him, A.J.'s not dead." No response, "Rick? Did you hear me?"
The doctor came to the door. "Yes?"
"I am Lieutenant Brown, can I ask Mr. Simon's condition."
"Rick" the doctor admonished, "you were supposed to return to the waiting room."
"Is he dead?" Rick croaked out.
"No, no, we stabilized him. I have every reason to believe your brother will make a full recovery."
"Can I see him?"
"Not yet, give me around twenty minutes to finish up and I will come get you. Why don't you return to the waiting room and fill out that paperwork."
Town helped Rick to his feet and took him by the arm to guide him back to the waiting room chairs, careful to turn him away from A.J.'s trauma room. Something seemed to have broken in his friend and Town hoped he snapped out of it soon.
After a few minutes Rick's body gave up the fight to stay awake. Town carefully pulled the pen and clipboard from his lap and finished the paperwork.