a message from our knights in shining green fleeces! since most places are seeing yet another wave of covid cases! WEAR YOUR MASKS! social distance, and wash your hands often! (Also remember to show your body love! Nourish yourself, hydrate, and get rest beautiful 💖)
Ashley sighed, and looked at his watch. If this line doesn't move along soon, I'm gonna be late for work, He thought. He took out his phone and started texting “I’m at the bank, might be a bit late. Cover for me.”
A few seconds later Stuart responded, “You picked the wrong day, mate. Woodvine is extra grumpy today.”
Ashley groaned quietly to himself.
***
“Hey Rachid, Ashley just texted to let me know he’s running a bit late, so it looks like it’ll be the two of us till he gets he- '' Stuart was interrupted by the dispatch tones coming on over the loudspeakers. He stopped to listen.
“Did they just say standby for a hostage situation?” asked Rachid. “At the bank?”
“Fuck!”
“What!?” Rachid asked.
“Ash is at the bank!”
Stuart took off at a run towards the ambulance, he didn’t even wait to see if Rachid was coming. He didn’t need to. He knew Rachid would be right behind him. He was going so fast he nearly collided with Kirsty.
“Whoa! Slow down!” she exclaimed.
Stuart didn’t stop, not until he reached the ambulance. By the time he got in and started the engine, Rachid was pulling open the door on the other side. As soon as he was in, Stuart stepped on the gas and sped away, lights and sirens blaring.
***
Well this is shaping up to be one hell of a day. Ashley thought as one of the hostage takers tightened the zip tie around his wrists and shoved him to the ground beside one of the other hostages. Ashley wasn’t particularly scared, definitely not as scared as he should’ve been.
***
By the time the ambulance got to the bank the police had already blocked off the surrounding area. Stuart's heart was racing as he jumped out of the ambulance. He looked around, trying to get a grasp of what was happening. There were police cars everywhere and officers everywhere else. Stuart found Maxine and made his way over to where she was standing with Ryan.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“I'm not sure exactly, I know there’s four terrorist inside and they have several civilians as hostages.”
“Yeah, including Ashley!”
“What, how do you know?” Ryan, who’s attention had previously been elsewhere, suddenly turned his attention towards Stuart.
“He texted me a couple minutes before the call came in. He said he was at the bank and would be a bit late.”
Ryan looked towards the bank. Start could see the fear in his eyes. He felt the same fear welling up inside him.
“Have they made any demands yet?”
“I think so, but no one’s told me what they are. Honestly I'm just here for crowd control.” Maxine replied.
***
Ashley quietly moved closer to the kid next to him, careful not to attract the attention of anyone else.
“Psst, hey, what’s your name?” he whispered.
“Chris.”
“Alright, Chris, listen. I need you to do me a favor. Reach into my pants pocket and get the trauma shears out. I can’t reach them with my hands behind my back.”
The kid turned so that he could reach into Ashley’s pocket and pull out the trauma shears. He handed them to Ashley who then cut the zip ties from his wrists, then he cut Chris free too.
“Keep your hands behind your back so they don’t notice.”
“They’re going to kill us aren't they?”
Ashley thought for a moment then said, “No I don't think so. See, they need us alive for leverage.”
This didn’t seem to satisfy the kid any.
***
Rachid paced back and forth in front of the ambulance. It had been hours since they had arrived on scene and nothing was happening. Everything seemed to be at a complete standstill. Stuart was leaning his back against the side of the ambulance, rubbing his temples. He looked up when he heard two officers whispering to one another.
“Did you hear? They’ve threatened to start killing the hostages if their demands aren't met soon.”
“I don’t see why we don’t go in and rescue the hostages.”
“It’s too risky. The civilians could get hurt.”
“Do you really think they’ll start killing people?”
“I don’t know, maybe.”
Stuart felt the panic rising in his chest. His heart was racing. He risked a glance towards Rachid to see if he had overheard the conversation too. He was still pacing, clearly oblivious to the police officers’ conversation. Stuart leaned back against the ambulance. He closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer to whatever higher power that may be.
***
“They don’t believe us.”
“Well then prove them wrong.”
Ashley felt his blood run cold as saw one of the terrorist tilt his head towards the group of hostages. He hadn’t caught the whole conversation but he had heard enough. Ashley watched in horror as one of them cocked his gun, grabbed a woman by the arm and pulled her to her feet. He couldn’t watch this. He leapt to his feet. Chris tried to stop him but it was too late.
***
Stuart stiffened when he heard the gunshot echo through the air. Rachid stopped in his tracks. They both looked at each other in horror. Rachid started towards the building but Maxine stopped him before he could get more than a few feet.
“Rcahid, no!”
“We have to get in there!” Stuart exclaimed as he slipped past Maxine, who was busy holding Rrachid back.
“You can’t. We have to wait for SWAT to clear the building.” Ryan said, grabbing Stuart by the arm.
“Tell them to clear the fucking building then!” Stuart tried to pull free, but Ryan’s grip was too strong.
“They will, you just have to give them time!”
***
Ashley fell to the ground, clutching his abdomen. He could feel the blood oozing between his fingers. He lay on the ground gasping for air. He knew the bullet must’ve hit his lung. He blinked, trying to keep his eyes open. He knew he had to stay awake and keep pressure on the wound. As he slipped in and out of consciousness he thought he heard shouting. They sounded far off, as if they were coming from a long way away. He prayed that it was the police, coming to put an end to this nightmare. He prayed that Stuart was with them. but he wasn’t even sure he had actually heard it. Maybe he was imagining it. Maybe he was hallucinating from all the blood loss. He heard someone call his name. Was it Stuart, or was it someone from the other side? He wondered as the darkness closed in around him and his world fell into silence.
***
Stuart reached Ashley’s side first. The blood was already pooling around him and his breathing was coming in short and shallow breaths. there was a stream of blood coming from the corner of his mouth. ‘At least he’s breathing’ Stuart thought.
“Ash, can you hear me? Ashley, stay with me!” Stuart pleaded. He could feel a lump rising in his throat.
“Ashley Greenwick, don't you dare die on me!”
Stuart felt a knot twisting in his stomach as the warm blood oozed between his fingers as he packed the wound with gauze. He had to look away; he couldn't stand to see so much blood coming from someone he cared about so much. He felt Rachid kneel down beside him. Together, they moved Ashley onto the back board and lifted him onto the stretcher.
As soon as they got him into the back of the ambulance, Stuart cut away Ashley’s bloody shirt so that he could hook him up to the heart monitor. Rachid jumped into the front seat and pulled the ambulance out onto the road, sirens wailing.
Ashley let out a quiet moan as Stuart backed his wound with more gauzz. Ashley was losing blood fast and Stuart worried that he had already lost too much.
“Stuart…” Ashley's voice was barely audible.
“I'm right here Ash, just stay with me. We’re almost to the hospital.”
Stuart could hear his own voice shaking. He glanced at the heart monitor and felt a shiver run down his spine as the line went flat.
“Damn it, Ashley! don't do this to me!” He was barely able to choke out the words because of the lump rising in his throat. He dropped the gauze and started chest compressions.
***
“He’s in v-tach! Get the defibrillator!” one of the doctors shouted as they rolled Ashley into the ER.
“Charging…clear.”
Stuart watched helplessly as the first shock was delivered and then as a second shock went through his best friend's body.
“Common Ash!” he heard Rachid muttering beside him.
He looked up and saw that there were tears streaming down Rachids face. Stuart looked away; he didn’t want Rachid to see that there were tears in his own eyes.
***
“Let's get him into O.R.”
Despair gripped Rachid as he watched them disappear into the operating room. He would never admit it but he had always looked up to Ashley. Ever since Rachid’s first ‘purple job’, Ashley had been secretly checking up on him. He had always made a point to make sure Rachid was okay after rough calls. Rachid hadn’t developed the same tough skin or put up the same walls that his partners had, and Ashley seemed to understand that, somehow. Rachid wasn’t sure what he would do without him. If it weren’t for Ashley he probably never would have made it through his probationary period as an EMT. He couldn’t lose him now.
Rachid heard a sniffle beside him. He looked down and saw that Stuart's cheeks were wet with tears. It scared him.it scared him more than the blood, more than defibrillator, more than anything that had happened. He had only ever seen Stuart cry once before. He had always seen Stuart like a rock; stone cold, unemotional and unmoveable. He used to find comfort in it, but now that Stuart was crying right in front of him, Rachid began to realize just how grim the situation really was.
***
Stuart sunk down into the nearest chair in the waiting room and put his head in his hands. He had done everything he could for Ashley and it still didn’t feel like enough.
“Stuart,”
Stuart looked up and saw Maxine standing over him.
“I was able to get Ashley's phone. I thought you might want to try and get a hold of his emergency contact.”
“Actually, could you do it?” Stuart replied. “I'm not sure if I'm up for it at the moment.”
“Yeah, I can do that. Do you know who it is?”
No, I have no idea. Ash said he’s never told anyone who it is.”
“Um… Stuart…” Maxine went quiet as she turned the phone screen around.
“Wait, but that's my number.”
“I know.”
“Fuck,”
Stuart stood up and looked around the room before making a dash for the exit.
“Stuart, wait” Rachid started to go after him but Maxine put out a hand to stop him.
“Let him go.”
Rachid sat back down then stood back up when he saw Woodvine walk through the door.
“What are you doing here?”
“One of my guys is hurt, of course I'm going to be here. I got someone to cover your shift, but you’ll have to make it up to me somehow, when all of this gets sorted out.” she said before stalking off to track down a doctor, probably to interrogate them for information about Ashley.
Rachid sighed and sat back down.
***
It felt like hours before one of the nurses came out of the OR and made her way over to where Rachid was sitting.
“The surgery was rough and we’re still not sure if he'll make it, but he’s stable for now.”
Rachid ducked his head, trying not to let the nurse see how scared he was.
“Can we go see him?”
The nurse nodded.
“I’ll go find Stuart.” Maxine said.
***
Maxine found Stuart in the back of the ambulance. He was cleaning the blood off the floor. He didn’t look up when she opened the door. There was a lot of blood, Maxine noticed. She hoisted herself into the ambulance and picked up a rag and started helping him clean it up.
***
Rachid found a chair and a magazine and settled in beside the bed where Ashley lay. Ashley looked pale and his breathing was shallow. Rachid looked away. Why was this happening? Why did such terrible things happen to good people?
***
When they had finished cleaning away the blood, Stuart sat on the floor and leaned against the bench seat in the back of the ambulance. Maxine sat on the seat beside him.
“Ashley once told me that his ICE contact was the person he trusted most in this world… Did I let him down?” Stuart asked, half to himself.
“You did everything you could.”
“I panicked. I'm still panicking… Maxine, what am I gonna do if he doesn’t pull through?”
“He’s out of surgery…” Maxine said. “The nurse said he’s stable for now.”
“For now?”
Maxine instantly regretted adding that last bit.
“She said that they won't know for certain if he’ll pull through till he wakes up.”
“Can we see him?” Stuart asked.
Maxine nodded. Stuart didn’t move.
“We’ve been by each other's sides, through thick and thin, since we were 18.”
Stuart looked up at Maxine to meet her eyes.
“We were one fucked up pair, but at least we were fucked up together.”
“Stu, you better go see him now.” Maxine said.
“Is Rachid with him?”
“Last I checked.”
***
Stuart wandered into the ICU room where Ashley was. Rachid was asleep in a chair beside the bed, snoring quietly. Stuart pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed and made himself comfortable.
***
The first thing Ashley was aware of was the steady beeping of the heart monitor beside him. The next thing to enter his conscience was the sound of breathing, but not his own. He slowly blinked open his eyes. The room was dimly lit and the curtains were drawn, blocking out what he assumed was the late evening sun, but it could be early morning. He had no way of knowing for sure. He looked to his left and saw that Rachid was sleeping in the chair next to him. He was snoring softly. Ashley shifted to see that Stuart was asleep in a chair on his other side. He had his legs propped up on the bed.
“Stu…” Ashley's voice was barely more than a whisper; it was all that he could manage.
Stuart didn’t answer.
“Stuart…”
No answer.
it hurt to breathe, let alone speak. Every breath brought about a tearing pain in his chest. Ashley nudged Stuarts leg off the bed with his foot. Stuart nearly jumped out of his chair, he woke up so suddenly. The sudden movement woke up Rachid who sat up rubbing his eyes.
“Fuck! Ashley, you had us really worried!” Rachid exclaimed.
“What time is it?” Ashley asked.
Stuart looked at his watch.
“7:30 A.M.”
“How long have I been out?”
“Since yesterday.” Rachid replied.
“Was anyone else hurt?”
“No. Everyone else is fine.” Stuart replied
“Good.” Ashley let out a sort sigh of relief
“Ash, we tried to get in touch with your ICE contact.” Rachid said, a smile creeping across his face.
“Fuck,”Ashley rolled his eyes.
“I'm not sure I should be your ICE.” Stuart said.
“Why?” Ashley and Rachid asked in unison.
“I let my emotions get in the way and you almost died.”
“Oh yeah, it was bad.” Rachid said in a mocking tone, “he was so worried that he actually showed a real human emotion.”
“Shit, that is bad!” Ashley said with mock surprise.
“Fuck off!”
“The fact is, I was shot, and yes, I almost died, but you got me here alive. And I'm alive now, aren't I…” Ashley broke off into a coughing fit. When the coughing subsided he continued.
“That’s all the proof I need to know that I made the right choice, so yes, I’ll be leaving you as my ICE.” Ashley’s voice was low and quiet, barely more than a whisper; it was all he could manage. But it was firm and it got his point across that he meant what he said.
Much to Ashley’s relief, Stuart didn’t argue. Maybe it was because he didn’t want to make Ashley strain himself any more than he already had, or maybe it was because he realized that Ashley was right.
***
Stuart had stayed with Ashley all day, but now that dusk had settled over the place, it was best that he let Ashley sleep. Rachid had gone home a few hours ago and now it was time for him to go as well. He could tell that Ashley was struggling to keep his eyes open. Stuart knew he was trying to stay awake for him.
“Ash, you better get some rest.” He said, placing a hand on Ashley's shoulder.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ashley looked relieved.
“Do you need anything before I go?” Stuart asked, getting up from his seat.
“No, I'm good.”
“Alright, get some sleep.”
Stuart stopped in the doorway and turned to look back at Ashley. His eyes were closed and it seemed as if he was already sleeping peacefully. Stuart smiled and turned away, and, for the first time since this whole ordeal had started, he allowed himself a sigh of relief. He knew Ashley's road to recovery was going to be hard, but Ashley was going to be okay, and that was all that mattered.
