Page 120 of Don't Look Down

My eyes fill with tears that I try to force myself to swallow down. Meeting the eyes of the EMTs, we share a knowing look.

Still, they fight to preserve a life that is no longer. Carefully loading him onto a backboard, to a stretcher and into the ambulance.

Twelve forty-one.

The paramedics allow me to climb into the ambulance and ride to the hospital. I’m a nurse and Andrew is my best friend’s fiancé.

Cayden.Cayden needs to know.

The paramedics work as they’re trained to do. Just in case there’s any hope at all of saving his life.

“Clear!” I flinch when the defibrillator shocks Andrew's lifeless body. I want to avert my eyes from the terrifying scene, but I can’t force my eyes away.

I’m in an odd limbo of numb disbelief and sheer terror. This has to be a dream.

A nightmare, rather.

Andrew’s chest rises and falls way too easily when they switch to compressions. It’s not a good sign.

His body is visibly broken from slamming into the ground at such high speed.

As a nurse, I know what this means.

I’ve seen death.

And I wish to God I wasn’t a witness to this one.

It fucking hurts.

My throat clogs with the sob, my vision blurs with tears that I roughly wipe away.

There’s no coming back from this. I don’t get to cry.

A bump in the road causes Andrew’s head to shift. His lifeless eyes land on me. His pupils are blown. And yet, the paramedics don’t give up.

They don’t call time of death. But I know it.

And I’ll never forget it.

Twelve forty-one.

After what feels like hours,we pull into the emergency bay of the local hospital. The EMT, ‘Riggs’ his badge says, updates the hospital personnel. “Adult male, mid to late twenties. Multiple blunt force injuries post skydiving incident. No signs of life. No return of vitals en route.”

The nurse closest to me meets my eyes. Sympathy fills them. She knows what I know.

The stretcher is wheeled into the ER. After a quick exam and assessment of Andrew, the physician raises his eyes to the clock. “Time of death-”

My voice surprises everyone, including me. “Twelve forty-one.”

Backing away, I reach down to pull my phone out of the zippered pocket of my joggers. It takes a few tries to retrieve. My hands are shaking.

“Hey, you. How was the jump?” Addy’s voice catches me off guard, and I pull my phone away and check the screen. I’d hit her name instead of Cayden’s.

“Sky? Are you there? Hello?”

Placing the phone back on my ear, I try to speak. A ragged gasp leaves me. Urgency fills her voice. “Sky, answer me. Are you alright? You’re scaring me.”

“Addy…” Her name is broken.

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