Save Me (2 page)

“What’s their number?”

“8..77…295...6.”

Marc typed the number into his cell phone and pressed send.  The call went unanswered.

“Sir, my name is Marc, I’m calling about your daughter Mercy.  Call me back when you get this, my number is 288-2983.”

“My parents are…out of…town on…business…I should…have known.”  Mercy closed her eyes.  “I don’t wan…want to be…alone.”

“I’m right here, Mercy, I’m not leaving you.”

“Pa…lease…don’t…please…I’m sca…ared.”

“I won’t leave you.”

Mercy reached toward his hand with her scuffed up hand.  Marc accepted it without hesitation.

“Than…thank you.”  Her voice was utterly pitiful.  “Fo…r…helping…me.”

“You don’t need to thank me.”  Especially since he was a party to what caused the accident.  Had they not been racing, she would not have been hit.

“How bad…is my…leg?  Ba…be honest.”  She gripped his hand softly.

“I don’t know, Mercy, honestly.”

“My…chest hurts…so bad.  Feels like an…elephant…is sitting on me.”

“Don’t talk, just try to relax the best you can.”  Marc ran his fingers down the side of her face.  “Help is going to be here soon.”

“Don’t…leave me.” 

Marc didn’t want to go anywhere.  Her pleas for help were heart wrenching.  He wondered if she would live.  There was no telling what she had for internal injuries.  The fact that she was still alive at that point was a miracle in itself.  Marc felt overwhelmed with guilt for his part in the situation even though he was not the party who hit her.

“I’m not going anywhere, I promise.  I’m here with you.”

“Don’t leave…”  Mercy’s eyes started to flutter.

“Stay with me Mercy,” Marc’s voice became serious as he feared she was on her way out.

“It hurts…so bad.”

“Squeeze my hand when it hurts.”

Mercy’s grip was weak. 

“I don’t want…to die…Marc.”

“You’re not going to die.”  Marc leaned over her. 

“Pa…promise?”

“I promise.”  Marc gave her hand a gentle squeeze.  “You’ve got this, you just stay with me and I’ll get you through the rest, alright?”  Marc ran his fingers down the side of her face trying to provide her a small amount of comfort.  She leaned her face into his warm palm.

“I felt like…something…was wrong tonight…I knew…knew it.”  She held Marc’s gaze.  “Ever feel…like that…like something is wrong?”

“I had that same feeling tonight.”  And he had, just as he turned the engine over on the start line.

“Running at…midnight is a bad…idea…I know that but…but I needed to get…out.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

If Marc had been in front of Jose, he would have been the one to hit her.  The idea of that made him feel nauseous.

“I’m so…scared.”  Her voice was low, almost sedate.

“It’s alright, Mercy.”  Marc stroked her face.

“Stay with me,” she repeated as though she were afraid he’d bolt at any moment.

“I’m right here.”

“Come…with me.”

“Come with you?”  To where?

“To…to the hospital.  You…make me feel…safe.”

Marc looked at her imploring eyes.  He’d give her his soul if she asked.  She brought their hands atop of her heaving chest.

“Okay, I’ll go with you.”

Mercy nodded her head.  Marc continued to stroke his face with his right hand, his left hand covering hers as a comfortable silence settled between them.  All he wanted to do was protect her, take care of her, go back in time and prevent what he’d in part caused. 

What seemed like hours later, blue and red lights approached.  The ambulance and a police officer.  About damn time.

“They’re here.  Help’s here,” Marc said calmly.

“Come with me.”

“I will.”

“Pa…promise me.”

“I promise.”

Both the ambulance and state trooper’s car parked behind them.

A trooper knelt down beside them.

“What happened here?” the older curt trooper asked.

“She was hit by another car.”  Marc rubbed his thumb over the back of her palm calming her.

“Did you see who did it?”

“I couldn’t make out what the car was,” Marc lied.

The trooper looked over at Marc’s vehicle suspiciously.

“Did you hit her?”

“No,” Marc said defensively. 

“Did you see who did this ma’am?”

“Na…”  Mercy took a deep breath.  “No.”

The trooper looked through Marc.  Two medics crouched down to her.  Marc took a step aside, kneeling down behind her head.  She wouldn’t let go of his hand.  Her breathing quickened as they began to work on her.

“It’s alright Mercy, it’s alright,” Mark assured.

“Stay with me,” Mercy pleaded.

“I’m here.”

“What’s your name?” the trooper asked her.

“Mercy Kendrick.”

“What’s your date of birth?”

“May…fifteenth…nineteen eighty seven.”

“Thank you Mercy,” the trooper looked to Marc, “we need to talk.”  He pointed his finger to Marc.

“Then talk,” Marc said bluntly.

“Come with me.”

“Whatever you need to say, say it.  I’m not leaving her.”

“Let me explain something, this isn’t a choice.  You need to stand up and come with me son.”

“I’m not your son.”  Marc had a foul taste for law enforcement when they treated him with disrespect.

“Come with me, now.”  The trooper’s voice was commanding.

“No, no…Marc…stay…please, no…” Mercy pleaded.

The trooper grabbed Marc by the elbow.  Marc pulled back.

“Whatever you need, I’ll answer, I’ll be cooperative, just wai
t, please, let me stay with her.” Marc tried to appeal to his decent side.

The officer grabbed him and pulled him to his feet dragging him away from Mercy.

“Marc…Marc…” Mercy called after him.  “No…Marc…”

“I’ll be right back, Mercy,” Marc said as he was led away.  “Sir, I promised her I wouldn’t leave her.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”  The officer pushed him against the police cruiser.  “This is your time to come clean.  Did you hit her?”

“No, I didn’t hit her.  Look at my car, you won’t find any damage.”

“Then one of your little street racer friends did.”

Marc didn’t answer the accusation.

“Funny thing.  We had complaints of a car just like yours, with the same license plate, driving at excessive speeds.  You and a BMW.  About ten minutes before the accident came in as a matter of fact.”

The trooper looked at Marc in victory, his face stone serious.

“Care to tell me the truth?”

“I told you the truth.”

“So what were you doing out here.  You’re from Manhattan according to your license plate.”

“I was restless tonight so I went for a ride.”

“Right.  To Bellview.  The more cooperative you are with me, the better this will go for you, Mister Foster.”

“I’m being cooperative.”

“Sit down on the front of my car and stay.”

Marc did as he was told.  The trooper, Trooper Fuckstick, as Marc had officially deemed him, walked with his flashlight to Marc’s car.  Marc could hear Mercy saying his name and it tore him apart not being able to go to her.

“You didn’t find any damage, did you?”

“Just because I didn’t find any damage doesn’t mean you didn’t hit her.”

“Jesus Christ,” Marc exhaled.

“Why don’t you tell me how you came upon Miss Kendrick.”

“I came around the corner and there she was.  I don’t know what else you want me to tell you.”

“Stay here.”  Trooper Fuckstick pointed his flashlight and went to Mercy’s side dropping down on a knee.  He spoke to her for a few minutes then returned.

“Miss Kendrick said there was a second car.”

“It must have been before I stopped.”

“She heard you two conversing.”

Marc didn’t think she’d be coherent enough to remember, she was out of it when Jose had left.  Marc gritted his teeth knowing he was absolutely, 100%, fucked.

“So, you can tell me who this second car was, this BMW, or I can charge you.  It’s your choice.”

“I don’t know anything about a BMW.”

You don’t rat out another Tiburon.  His fate wouldn’t be much different than if he’d disobeyed Ace.

“You’re making this a lot harder on yourself than need be.  But
, if that’s the way you want it.” Trooper Fuckstick pulled out his handcuffs.

“What are you arresting me for?”

“Reckless conduct and driving with a suspended license.”

“Suspended license?  What?  My license isn’t suspended and you can’t charge me with reckless conduct based on hearsay.”

“You should have paid your speeding ticket.”

“I did pay my ticket.”

“And with five witnesses to your driving, I have plenty to charge you with reckless conduct.  I have a crash reconstructionist on the way here.  If he finds you’re responsible for this accident, you’re going to hang.”

Mercy was loaded onto backboard and lifted onto a stretcher.

“I promised her I’d go to the hospital with her, let me go, you can do whatever you want to me from there, just let me go with her.”

“That isn’t happening.”

“Let me say goodbye.”

“You’ve done enough son.”

“I’m not your fucking son!” Marc turned and walked toward Mercy.  Before he got three steps away, Trooper Fuckstick had him face planted on the pavement.

“I just want to say goodbye!” Marc yelled protesting.

“Marc!” Mercy cried as they loaded her into the ambulance.

“Mercy, it’s okay!” Marc yelled to her.  “It’s going to be okay!”

“Shut up.”  Trooper Fuckstick secured the handcuffs around his rugged wrists.  “You can kiss your little Porsche goodbye too.”

Marc struggled beneath him.  Trooper Fuckstick delivered a swift knee into his ribs.

“Get up.”

Marc complie
d in pain.  Trooper Fuckstick pushed Marc into the back seat of his cruiser. 

“You can add disorderly conduct to your list of charges.”  Fuckstick slammed the back door.  Marc watched as the ambulance pulled away.

*****

Mercy

Mercy had never felt such pain.  It was encompassing, all consuming.  Her leg, she couldn’t feel it below her knee.  The medic was focused on her leg.  Being strapped down to the backboard, she couldn’t look at her leg and she badly wanted to. 

Why did the trooper take Marc away?  Why wouldn’t he let him stay?  He promised to stay!  His touch grounded her and now she felt like she was spinning out of control.

“What’s your name?” t
he young woman who worked on her asked.             

“Mercy.”

“My name is Kendra.  I’m going to take good care of you.  We’ll be at the hospital in no time, alright.”

Mercy heard her, but didn’t respond.  Her strength was gone, the pain was starting to subside.  And then everything went black.

*****

Marc

Marc sat in lockup waiting for the opportunity to make bail.  It’d been hours and they’d yet to process him.  He had few people he could call.  Ace and that was about it.  Ace likely had a hit on him after losing $50,000 on his defeat. 

“Foster,” a guard opened the door calling his name.  Marc rose to his feet and was led out to the intake room. 

“Bail’s been set at four t
housand two hundred dollars,” the guard said.  “You get one call.”

“Four thousand dollars?” Marc said in shock.  That was a ridiculous amount for the offenses he’d supposedly committed.

“You going to make your call or not?” The guard asked impatiently.

The only person Marc knew that
had that kind of money on hand was the very man who was going to kill him.  Marc dialed the phone.

“Hello,” Ace answered.

“Ace, it’s Marc.”

“What the fuck happened?  You just fucking disappear, I lost fifty G
’s because of you!”

“I’m in county lockup.”

“Jose told me about—”

“Recorded line,” Marc reminded him.  “I’ll explain it all, but I need forty two hundred to get out of here.”

“Why should I bail your ass out, you fucking lost the shirt of my back tonight.”

“I’m here because of you.  I could get disbarred over this shit.”

“Tiburons look out for one another, you only remember that when it’s convenient.”

“I’m saving his ass,” Marc said behind gritted teeth.