The Ultimate Sacrifice
Retribution
My eyes instantly snap open and I take a shallow breath. I look around me to see Jack’s face looming over me. I still feel the pressure on the wound that bleeds unyieldingly. Help me! I want to plead but nothing comes out of my mouth. Looking around I see Jack is covered in my blood and sweat is dripping down his face in sheets. I can’t see Derrick anywhere but my line of vision is so limited. I try speaking again but blood starts dribbling out instead. Jack looks at me in sheer terror.
“Helen, you’ve got to stay with me, please!” he screams in a panic. “Derrick, go get help! She is going to die if you don’t! Don’t you understand?” Jack growls in anguish.
“You -you-you-you shot her!” Derrick shrieks still in utter shock as he slowly steps away from Jack and me. I try to see the terror stricken Derrick but can’t.
“I know! I shot her! Now go get help! Please!” Jack shouts, straining his voice. This causes Derrick to whimper but I hear his footsteps scurrying off.
“I’m so sorry, Helen. I’m such an idiot!” Jack cries, tears streaming down his face. “I don’t know what came over me!” He continues becoming an utter mess. I feel the constant stream of tears pleat my face. Jack’s pressure loosens on my wound but he quickly replaces it even stronger. “What is going to happen to you? God, you HAVE to be okay.” Jack sobs as he shakes uncontrollably; but continues to put pressure on my wound. “No! You’re going to LIVE! You’re going to live Helen!”
“Jack,” I barely utter as a little more blood dribbles out of my mouth.
“Shhh, don’t try to speak. Just – stop!” Jack franticly clamors as the sobs cause his whole body to tremble. He places a blood soaked hand lightly on my cheek. “Just don’t . . .” He says trailing off into silence.
“Why?” I simply croak as I try to look him in the eyes. Mine slowly start to close instead. I feel a cold creeping through my veins, as if my blood is being frozen solid.
“Helen! Look at me! Please! Don’t leave me!” Jack wails as he shakes my limp body. I want to keep my eyes open but something is pulling me into darkness. I hear loud pounding footsteps running towards me. Jack’s hands are removed from my chest forcefully and another immediately take their place.
“You are under arrest you have the right to remain silent. . .” snaps a police officer but I can’t see him or Jack.
“Helen, we are going to take you to the hospital right now. Do you understand?” A paramedic states rather loudly in my ear. I nod as I’m being lifted onto a gurney and wheeled outside and into an ambulance. Our dean of students’ is running right beside me holding my hand.
“It’s going to be alright, Helen. I’ll call your father as soon as we get to the hospital.” He croaks squeezing my hand as he climbs into the ambulance with me.
As we are rushing down the street the sirens are blaring; coldness consumes my body. The siren blasts through my entire body. My body feels completely exhausted, I can’t focus. All I want to do is close my eyes and go to sleep. What have I done? I took a bullet for Derrick! Why?! Of all people why did I save Derrick? I’m going to die because of Jack! Why did he shoot me? I didn’t think he would, guess I was wrong. I cough causing more blood to dribble down my chin.
“We are losing her,” the paramedic shouts to the driver who pushes down on the accelerator even harder. “Helen, you need to keep your eyes on me, please.” The paramedic says so calmly causing me to internally panic.
“What are her chances of survival?” The dean questions the paramedic as he packed more gauze on my wound.
“Not high,” He replies. I groan softly in response the dean squeezes my hand to comfort me. I saved someone’s life. My death saved an entire school.
My eyes fall like a heavy blanket and everything is quiet . . . serene . . .
“Hello, John? I assume you heard about the school shooting today,” The dean utters with great difficulty.
“Yes, yes, it is truly terrible. Well that’s why I’m calling John; I’m calling about Helen. I regret to tell you that your daughter was wounded by the shooter today. She . . . unfortunately died on the way to the hospital. I am so very sorry for your loss, John. If there is anything I can personally do for you don’t hesitate to ask.” The dean says with a broken heart and tears streaming down his own face with the hysterical father on the other end of the phone.
“I know John, I know.” says the dean in an attempt to reassure John. The dean listens silently to the screams and cries of total despair and grief on the other end of the line.
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through John. We all loved your daughter.” The dean says with his own utter despair creeping out in his voice.
“Your daughter was an amazing person, John, never forget that.” The dean murmurs through the hysterical sobs of Helen’s father. The dean pauses giving John time to scream out in grief and anger. “Helen made the ultimate sacrifice; she saved the lives of many.” The dean finishes as he too loses all composure and silently sobs. Both crying men try to comfort each other by sharing in the grief.
“I promise, John, the student responsible for this will face the dire consequences to the fullest degree.” The dean reassures John.
“I know it’s not fair, John, but you still have Alex. Think of Alex stay strong for him.” The dean pleads with the hysterical John. He slumps down in the uncomfortable armchair in the waiting room of the hospital. “I don’t . . . I don’t think you should be driving John. Let me get someone to come and get you. Please listen John,” the dean pleads franticly causing people to glance over worriedly at him.
“I understand John. I will meet you here at the hospital.” The dean says hanging up the phone. He slumps even farther down in the armchair and covers his face with his hands sobbing. How can this be happening? And to John. He thinks shaking his head.
John comes through the hospital doors, a distraught mess. At the moment of John’s entrance the dean stands up and walks over to him. The dean embraces his friend and cries on his shoulder.
“Why, Harry? Why? Helen!” John shouts as tears relentlessly stream down his face.
“I don’t know, but I think she did.” Harry whispers comfortingly in John’s ear.
“Helen, you’ve got to stay with me, please!” he screams in a panic. “Derrick, go get help! She is going to die if you don’t! Don’t you understand?” Jack growls in anguish.
“You -you-you-you shot her!” Derrick shrieks still in utter shock as he slowly steps away from Jack and me. I try to see the terror stricken Derrick but can’t.
“I know! I shot her! Now go get help! Please!” Jack shouts, straining his voice. This causes Derrick to whimper but I hear his footsteps scurrying off.
“I’m so sorry, Helen. I’m such an idiot!” Jack cries, tears streaming down his face. “I don’t know what came over me!” He continues becoming an utter mess. I feel the constant stream of tears pleat my face. Jack’s pressure loosens on my wound but he quickly replaces it even stronger. “What is going to happen to you? God, you HAVE to be okay.” Jack sobs as he shakes uncontrollably; but continues to put pressure on my wound. “No! You’re going to LIVE! You’re going to live Helen!”
“Jack,” I barely utter as a little more blood dribbles out of my mouth.
“Shhh, don’t try to speak. Just – stop!” Jack franticly clamors as the sobs cause his whole body to tremble. He places a blood soaked hand lightly on my cheek. “Just don’t . . .” He says trailing off into silence.
“Why?” I simply croak as I try to look him in the eyes. Mine slowly start to close instead. I feel a cold creeping through my veins, as if my blood is being frozen solid.
“Helen! Look at me! Please! Don’t leave me!” Jack wails as he shakes my limp body. I want to keep my eyes open but something is pulling me into darkness. I hear loud pounding footsteps running towards me. Jack’s hands are removed from my chest forcefully and another immediately take their place.
“You are under arrest you have the right to remain silent. . .” snaps a police officer but I can’t see him or Jack.
“Helen, we are going to take you to the hospital right now. Do you understand?” A paramedic states rather loudly in my ear. I nod as I’m being lifted onto a gurney and wheeled outside and into an ambulance. Our dean of students’ is running right beside me holding my hand.
“It’s going to be alright, Helen. I’ll call your father as soon as we get to the hospital.” He croaks squeezing my hand as he climbs into the ambulance with me.
As we are rushing down the street the sirens are blaring; coldness consumes my body. The siren blasts through my entire body. My body feels completely exhausted, I can’t focus. All I want to do is close my eyes and go to sleep. What have I done? I took a bullet for Derrick! Why?! Of all people why did I save Derrick? I’m going to die because of Jack! Why did he shoot me? I didn’t think he would, guess I was wrong. I cough causing more blood to dribble down my chin.
“We are losing her,” the paramedic shouts to the driver who pushes down on the accelerator even harder. “Helen, you need to keep your eyes on me, please.” The paramedic says so calmly causing me to internally panic.
“What are her chances of survival?” The dean questions the paramedic as he packed more gauze on my wound.
“Not high,” He replies. I groan softly in response the dean squeezes my hand to comfort me. I saved someone’s life. My death saved an entire school.
My eyes fall like a heavy blanket and everything is quiet . . . serene . . .
“Hello, John? I assume you heard about the school shooting today,” The dean utters with great difficulty.
“Yes, yes, it is truly terrible. Well that’s why I’m calling John; I’m calling about Helen. I regret to tell you that your daughter was wounded by the shooter today. She . . . unfortunately died on the way to the hospital. I am so very sorry for your loss, John. If there is anything I can personally do for you don’t hesitate to ask.” The dean says with a broken heart and tears streaming down his own face with the hysterical father on the other end of the phone.
“I know John, I know.” says the dean in an attempt to reassure John. The dean listens silently to the screams and cries of total despair and grief on the other end of the line.
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through John. We all loved your daughter.” The dean says with his own utter despair creeping out in his voice.
“Your daughter was an amazing person, John, never forget that.” The dean murmurs through the hysterical sobs of Helen’s father. The dean pauses giving John time to scream out in grief and anger. “Helen made the ultimate sacrifice; she saved the lives of many.” The dean finishes as he too loses all composure and silently sobs. Both crying men try to comfort each other by sharing in the grief.
“I promise, John, the student responsible for this will face the dire consequences to the fullest degree.” The dean reassures John.
“I know it’s not fair, John, but you still have Alex. Think of Alex stay strong for him.” The dean pleads with the hysterical John. He slumps down in the uncomfortable armchair in the waiting room of the hospital. “I don’t . . . I don’t think you should be driving John. Let me get someone to come and get you. Please listen John,” the dean pleads franticly causing people to glance over worriedly at him.
“I understand John. I will meet you here at the hospital.” The dean says hanging up the phone. He slumps even farther down in the armchair and covers his face with his hands sobbing. How can this be happening? And to John. He thinks shaking his head.
John comes through the hospital doors, a distraught mess. At the moment of John’s entrance the dean stands up and walks over to him. The dean embraces his friend and cries on his shoulder.
“Why, Harry? Why? Helen!” John shouts as tears relentlessly stream down his face.
“I don’t know, but I think she did.” Harry whispers comfortingly in John’s ear.