Getting Home

Part 37

Oh my God, I killed Henry.

I sprinted around the Civic to where Henry lay on the soft ground. The sky above had finally fully darkened to a purplish-black streaked with silver, but there was more than enough glow coming from the trees and water.

Henry was on his back, eyes closed.

Please be okay, Henry. I don't want to be alone here without you.

I dropped to my knees next to him, trying to remember the CPR classes I didn't pay attention to. My heart was beating wildly. Calm down, you'll never remember if you don't control yourself. What's first?

I remembered something else too—the police station.

Breathing.

Check his airway, see if he's breathing.

Henry suddenly sat up.

He shot up so fast I yelped in surprise, literally jumping up to my feet. "Oh my God, Henry! Are you alright?"

He thickly swallowed.

I quickly grabbed one of the bottled waters from the Civic, opening it and kneeling back down next to Henry. His eyes were wide as ever, the silver spinning as fast as ever.

Should you even give him this water? You almost just killed him with a piece of candy!

Henry took the bottle from my hands and started gulping.

It only took a few seconds until his head was tilted all the way back, the bottle completely empty. He immediately dropped his head, the empty plastic bottle falling from his hand right before he let out a giant belch.

"What was that?" he gasped.

"It was just candy! Oh my gosh, Henry, I'm so sorry, I... had no idea—had no..."

I lost my train of thought—the image of Henry laying on the ground was in my head, Henry laying on the ground in front of me as I was surrounded by the glowing darkness, alone...

Like when I was in the police station, kneeling, next to that—

I suddenly burst into tears.

"Ava," Henry said, immediately concerned. "Are you—"

I waved him off, then just let myself go into the tears, doubling over and sobbing where I was on that soft, velvet-mossy grass. I couldn't have stopped it, even if I tried... so I didn't try. It completely overwhelmed me, consuming me, coming in waves that crashed into me, absorbing into my every fiber, into everything that made me...

Me.

Eventually, the waves began to come slower and slower.

"Ava?" Henry said after a time, his voice very low and quiet.

"I'm sorry, Henry," I said, sniffling and wiping my face with my hands. "I hate crying. It's just been a lot. Right before I found you again, back home—there was... I found a hurt police officer. An old guy. He died in front of me, Henry. He—he literally died in my arms."

Henry remained silent, but his face was firm and encouraging. I turned away, feeling the tears brimming fresh again, knowing that I'd start crying again if I kept talking...

But I had to.

"That old guy, Henry... he lived out his whole entire life—only to end up dying in front of me. The last thing he saw was me, Henry. I highly doubt when he pictured how his life would end, that he imagined dying in front of—in front of some random 17 year old—"