Page 131 of Things I Read About

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I

I hear screams, yells, more gunshots.

But it’s all drowned out by the pain.

My pain.

I…

I’ve been shot.

Nate?

Nate…

_____

“Sally! Sally! C’mon, Sal, open your eyes.” It’s Sadie.

I try to open them, I do, but it’s too hard.

Everything hurts too much.

“Sal, I’m here. We’re all here, we’re headed to the hospital, okay? It’s over, it’s all over Sal, okay?”

I moan.

“What?” Sadie is scared. Really scared.

“Na… Na—”

“Nate is, uh, right behind us. Going to the hospital, too. Just hang on, okay? We’re all here. Dad’s coming, he’s getting a chopper.”

“Sssss—” I try.

“You don’t have to talk, Sal, just listen to my voice. It’s going to be fine; we’re all going to be fine.”

I hear whispering, muffled sounds, the engine.

Pain.

I think I canhearpain?

“Su… Suze,” I whisper. I’m scared, and hurting, and confused. I want Nate and I want my mom… “Susan. Get Su—”

“She’ll be on the chopper. She’s coming, Sal. Susan’s coming.”

“Na—”

“Nate will be there too. We’ll all be at the hospital with you. Just hold on.”

Nate’s okay.

Susan’s coming.

I relax.

I don’t know if that’s the right thing to do. What would I tell a gunshot patient? I was never meant for emergency medicine, though.

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