"Kevin! You ready to go?" Connor McKinley shouted up the stairs to his boyfriend. They were going out to celebrate their first anniversary as a couple since they'd gotten home from Uganda. As Connor adjusted his bow-tie in the mirror, he thought about his plan for the night. They would eat and celebrate themselves for a while, then they would go for a nice romantic walk. Providing all went as planned, Connor would then propose to his boyfriend. He was almost giddy with excitement but he kept it hidden so that Kevin wouldn't suspect anything. He smiled as his soon-to-be fiancé yelled back down to him.
"Yeah, almost, I just-" The words were followed by a loud thud and a groan.
"Kevin, what are you doing?" No response. "Kevin?" Connor was getting worried now. He ran up the stairs into their bedroom and held back a scream. Kevin was unconscious on the ground and it appeared that he wasn't breathing.
"KEVIN!" he shrieked. He quickly ran to him and dropped to his knees next to him. Cradling the brunette's head in his lap, he grabbed his cell phone from his pocket and dialled 911.
"911 emergency dispatch, how may I assist you?" a friendly sounding woman said.
"Umm, my boyfriend is unconscious, I don't think he's breathing and I don't know what to do." Connor felt his eyes prick.
"Okay, sir. Calm down-"
"I can't! What if he's dead or-"
"Sir. Be quiet so I can further instruct you so you can help your... friend," the woman snapped. Connor was silent.
"Alright, first things first. What is your address, so I can send an ambulance on it's way."
"Yeah, of course. 5572 Castleton Avenue. It's got a big oak tree in the front yard."
"Okay, the paramedics should be there in about ten minutes. Until then I want you to unlock and open your front door so they can get in, alright sir?" Connor reluctantly left the room, casting glances back at the man on the floor. He ran down and unlocked the door, throwing it open and running back up the stairs. Suddenly he heard a noise coming from the bedroom. He jumped back in and saw Kevin coughing up blood on the floor.
"Kevin! Kevin, honey, can you hear me?" The younger man nodded and continued coughing. Connor turned his attention back to the woman on the phone.
"Okay, he's conscious again but he's coughing up blood. He can breathe and everything, but I still have his head propped up."
"That's a good sign. Just wait about two more minutes and help should be there soon. Try taking him downstairs, so you're closer to them." Connor nodded and put an arm around Kevin's waist.
"We have to go downstairs, okay babe?" Kevin nodded and smiled at the other man weakly.
"I love you, Con. Just in case-"
"No, Kevin, don't think like that! You're going to be fine, okay?" The young man nodded. They walked down together and Connor could hear people near the front door.
"Hello? Is Connor McKinley in there?" a man yelled inside the door. Connor sighed in relief.
"Yes! We're just at the stairs!" A young blonde man came running in with two others, carrying a stretcher and first aid kit between them. They carefully lifted Kevin onto it and put a breathing mask over his perfect, yet pale face. He looks so small and helpless, Connor thought sadly. Kevin looked up at him and stretched his hand out to him. Connor grabbed it and brought it to his mouth to kiss it softly. The older man smiled softly, holding the hand to his face.
"Love you, Kevin. So much," he whispered. Kevin nodded and closed his eyes. They brought him out into the ambulance.
"So, how are you related to him?" a young woman paramedic asked him.
"He's my boyfriend." To his surprise, she didn't flinch or recoil in any visible way. She just looked from him and then back to Connor.
"You two make a cute couple. I hope everything works out for you guys," she said kindly and squeezed his shoulder before jumping into the back to help bring the stretcher into the end of the ambulance. Connor jumped up next to him, still holding his hand tightly.
Thus began the longest ride of his life.