But Now We're Stressed Out

Friend, please

"Okay, I'm going to need you to calm down," She told me. "We have an ambulance on the way. It should be about ten minutes. Can you see your boyfriend at all?"

"No," I sobbed. "He just disappeared. I don't see him at all."

The operator kept talking to me but I could barely focus on it. I clutched onto the railing, my eyes racking through the water.

I begged and pleaded with whatever god was out there to save Virgil. To not let him die.

I moved my phone from my ear and got back up. I bolted back across the bridge and turned to follow the gorge.

Thankfully it was winter so there was no leaves and brush to get in my way. I could hear the operator trying to talk to me but I ignored her.

There was a path that led down to the rocky beach around the river. I ran down the path, trying my best to watch out for ice, sticks, and rocks.

Upon reaching the beaches, I stumbled to the edge of the water and looked for Virgil. I ran down edge, jumping over rocks.

Finally I spotted a flash of purple among the grey rocks and water. His hoodie had gotten tangled in a branch. He was a good fifteen feet from shore.

Without even thinking about it, I dropped my phone on the rock and pulled off my jacket. I launched myself into the water.

I dragged myself through the water that eventually reached up past my waist. The water was freezing cold but I didn't care.

I grabbed onto Virgil's hoodie and pulled him to my chest. I dragged him back to shore.

Collapsing on the rocks, I took a few seconds to catch my breath. I turned back to Virgil, resting him in my lap.

There was a bleeding cut on his forehead, half of it hidden by his hair. His left leg was bent at an odd angle.

I saw the faint flash of police lights on the rocks across from me.  I saw few police officers and paramedics rush out onto the bridge.

They were looking around, eventually one started shouting and pointing at me.  I just sobbed, holding onto Virgil tightly. 

This is all my fault.

Paramedics rushed around me, gently pulling Virgil from my arms and onto a stretch. A police woman sat down in front of me. She gave me a sympathetic look, pulling at her notebook.

"I understand you must be in a lot of sadness right now," She said. "But I'm going to need for you to tell me what happened."

I took a shaky breath. I can't say that Virgil was trying to kill himself. He'll get out back in a mental hospital and that's is the last thing he needs.

"We were on a date, we were taking a walk because I was nice out. He was sat on the railing and then I got up with him. He were just laughing and joking but then he lost his balance. He fell backwards and I didn't grab him in time," I lied but I had to stop and clamp my hand over my mouth and squeeze my eyes shut. I started sobbing heavily again.

All I could think about was Virgil falling. How I barely grazed his hand before he went plummeting down.

"Can you tell me your name and the name of your boyfriend?" She asked me once I calmed down a bit.

"I'm Roman Prince, he's Virgil Pierce," I told her. She nodded, writing everything down on her notepad.

A paramedic came back and took Virgil's name.   Then he turned to me.