So he’s a liar who has a gun fetish. Good to know. How is this guy a favorite of my boss? Martin has always been a pretty serious person. I have a hard time understanding how this guy’s clown act works on our boss.
“Come on,” I say, hating how I sound almost like I’m pleading. “Give me the gun back, and let’s keep going. I’m sure we’ll see more animals along the path up here.”
But Bryan isn’t persuaded. Waving the gun around, he laughs. “Take it easy, Connor. You’re so tight someone could stick a piece of coal up your ass and there’d be a diamond in no time.”
As I try to think of something clever to say back to him, he brags about how he owns a gun with some capability I know nothing about. I’m truly questioning how this guy is the star in my boss’s eyes. Does he have dirt on him? He must because it’s not like his personality is anything great.
Just then, I hear the gun go off, and I spin around to see Bryan on the ground. One glance at his chest shows me he fucking shot himself.
With my gun!
Looking around for anyone to help me, I see not a single soul. Where the hell is everyone today? This path should be packed with my neighbors on a day like this.
I stare down at him lying in the dirt and notice a huge rock next to his head. He’s lucky he didn’t bash his skull when he fell.
“Bryan?” I say, unsure what’s happening right now.
Christ, he isn’t dead, is he? That’s all I need today.
Crouching down beside him, I shake him by the shoulder but he doesn’t move. He just continues to stare up at nothing.
“Bryan, man. You have to get up. Talk to me. Are you okay?” I ask as my gaze scans his body before coming to rest at the spot where the bullet entered just around his ribs.
For a few seconds, I watch for any sign he’s still breathing. It’s like time stops as I stare at his chest, but then finally, he inhales. Thank God!
I check my pocket and realize I didn’t bring my cell phone. Fuck! The one day I need the damn thing and I don’t have it. I blame Jamie. If she hadn’t made my pants a wrinkled mess, I would have remembered my phone and an ambulance would be on its way right now.
“Bryan, don’t worry man. I’ll be right back. I’m going to go get help. Hang on, man. I’m just going back down to the community center to call an ambulance.”
I run back down the trail to get someone to call 9-1-1. By the time I reach the community center, I’m winded and barely able to get the words out to the cute girl manning the reception desk.
“Call…I need you to call…” I sputter out, but I need to catch my breath before I can get the entire sentence out.
“Are you okay, sir? Should I call an ambulance or something? A man your age should watch out.”
I ignore her idiotic remark about my age while I take a few deep breaths in and then say, “Call 9-1-1! The man I was hiking with on the trail that heads west shot himself. Call now!”
She hurries to do as I demand while I consider what I should do. Should I go back to where Bryan is no doubt lying on the ground in utter agony, or should I stay here and wait for the paramedics so I can show them exactly where he is?
The girl finishes with the dispatcher and hangs up. “They said they’ll be here in a few minutes. Are you okay, sir? Do you want me to get you some water or something?” she asks, wide-eyed like she’s as terrified as I was a few minutes ago back in the clearing.
I wave off her suggestions and shake my head. “I’m fine. I just needed to catch my breath. Why aren’t they here yet? Don’t we have a dedicated ambulance corps for this community? They should be here by now, shouldn’t they?”
She doesn’t answer but simply nods. A lot of good she is in a crisis. And these are the people we supposedly pay to help us? Thank God I’m not bleeding profusely or something equally as terrible. God knows if I’d be alive by the time the paramedics arrived.
Instead of waiting with her, I walk outside and begin pacing back and forth in front of the entrance to the building. Jesus Christ, what is taking these people so long? Do they answer all emergency calls like this? The guy could be dead up there by now.
I stop as that thought fills my head. I barely know Bryan, and what I do know about him isn’t great, especially the part about him being my boss’s new favorite for some reason no one knows but the two of them. That aside, I don’t want to see him die.
Finally, I hear the sirens and see the flashing lights as the ambulance pulls into the parking lot. The driver and his partner jump out and run toward me as I try to remember everything that happened.
“Who called for an ambulance?” the woman from the passenger side asks.
I point toward the trail and say, “I did. Follow me. He’s up on the hill. He was waving a gun around and…”
The driver looks over at his partner and then at me as I try to find the right words to explain what happened. “And what?”
“He shot himself.”
