Page 5 of Chasing Sunrise

It was way past dark when they finally made it home, three white vans from the local news channels were parked on the street, and a group of reporters waited in front of his house. His dad honked for them to move off their driveway. His mother tsked. “They’re eager for an exclusive.”

Kasey opened the door of the SUV and handed the crutches to his dad. Then he carefully slid out.

“We want to hear your side of the story, Kasey,” a reporter yelled.

He ignored the question as he hobbled into the house. His brothers nagged him for information as he scarfed down corndogs slathered in mustard and French fries dripping with ketchup. Then he took the most awkward bath of his life. He’d rather take a shower, but Dr. Derek explained he couldn’t get water on the wound. So, he sat in the water with his leg perched on the side of the tub.

Stacy’s panicked voice came from downstairs as he exited the bathroom. Not wanting to go down and back up the steps, he called, “Stacy?”

She quickly scaled the stairs and launched herself forward to hug him, crying into his chest. It was awkward holding on to the crutches and trying to hold on to her at the same time. “Are you okay? Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

Her parents and his were right behind her. They all stood in the hallway and talked for a few minutes. His friends showed up and joined them.

“It’s late. We better go,” Stacy’s dad said.

Stacy quickly kissed him. “I’ll come by tomorrow.”

“See you then.”

He and his friends escaped to his room. He fell on his twin bed and propped up his injured leg on a pillow. Zack took the other bed, and Dre sat in a bean bag chair on the floor between them. He was grateful for these guys. They hadn’t asked him anything about what happened. The best thing about his friends, they knew he’d talk when he needed to.

They played video games well into the night. It was like so many other weekend nights they’d spent together.

Around three, the scene from earlier played in his mind. He closed his eyes. His breath caught, and his throat tightened. Maybe he should’ve talked more with Dr. Youst.

He opened his eyes and tried to concentrate on the video game.

The memory kept attacking him.

The gun.

The robber’s bloodshot eyes.

Mike getting hit.

The tick of the clock.

He threw the controller down and wrapped his arms around his torso. He had to stop the memory. How?

“Kasey?” Dre said. “You okay?”

His fear spilled out. “What happened keeps running through my mind.” His words were fast, too fast. His mind was on super speed. “When I saw what was happening, I couldn’t leave Mike alone, so I stepped forward. That’s when the guy, I don’t even know his name. Do you know his name?”

They shook their heads.

“That’s when he turned the gun on me. He ordered me and Mike to sit and stood behind us.” He cleared his throat, fighting it from closing. “I was okay until he began choking me. Even now I feel—”

No words could describe the terror in his mind. He bowed his head and rocked back and forth.

A hand clasped his bicep before Dre whispered, “Feel whatever you need to, man. Talk or don’t, it’s up to you.”

“We’re here,” Zack assured him.

“I can’t think of anything else.” He hadn’t cried in years, but he felt the sting of tears in his eyes.

“Come on, we’ll take you to the hospital,” Zack offered.

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