Page 104 of The Holiday Fakers
He keeps talking as I stumble forward, people running to meet us.
Thank you, God. Thank you.
Things are happening in slow motion now, and I wonder if I’m about to faint. I see John, Erica, Billy’s mom, his grandpa. There’s a guy with a camera over his shoulder and a woman with a microphone.
In the distance behind them all, heading toward the finish line, is a solitary runner, Hudson. No one can see him but me.
He stops at the finish line, his arms spread as if to ask, “What the fuck?” Then he shouts, “Hey!”
No one notices. All eyes are on me as I lurch forward.
Then chaos descends.
John lifts Lucky from me, and Billy’s mom, Grandpa, and another man, who must be Billy’s dad, rush to check I’m actually carrying him.
His mom tries to take him from me, but his grandpa stops her. “Judy, he needs to stay wrapped up till we can get him in the back of the rig.”
She’s crying. “Billy, baby, you okay?”
“Brody found me, Mommy.”
“He did, baby, and we’re gonna get you warm now, okay?”
“And Piper,” Billy adds, “don’t forget her.”
“I won’t, honey.”
Walter brushes his own tears away and puts a hand on my back. “There’s an ambulance behind the building,” he says, steering me forward. “They’ve got warm IV fluids and heated blankets.”
I’m in the center of a crowd as we move toward the building and the parking lot behind it. I can’t feel my limbs anymore. It’s like everyone around me is carrying me forward.
I’m barely aware of a woman right in my face, and a guy with a camera pointing my way just behind her.
A microphone is shoved toward me. “Sonia Ramirez,Down East News Now.Brody, you saved a little boy’s life today, how does that feel?”
I don’t answer. All my energy is focused on getting Billy to the ambulance.
“Sonia!” John barks, “Not now!”
But she’s not giving up. “Was there a moment when you thought you wouldn’t make it out? Can you talk us through what happened?”
John puts his arm between her and me, holding Sonia and the camera guy back so I can keep moving forward.
The ambulance doors are open, and there’s a gurney with blankets ready for Billy. My strength almost completely gone, I step inside with his mom, grandpa, and the man I’m presuming is his dad.
The paramedics prep the IV, then help me transfer Billy to the heated blankets.
“Daddy!” Billy says. “A bear attacked Lucky, but I fought him off with asword.”
His father’s eyes well up with tears. “I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
“Where’s Lucky now? She needs help more than me. She’s bleeding!”
“I’ll take her to the animal hospital,” his grandpa says.
A paramedic gets the IV line in. “Okay, we’re ready to go,” she says.
I move to the back door, but Billy reaches to stop me. “Will you come visit? We need to get our story straight before that lady interviews me. You know, about the bear and the crocodiles.”
