Tibby Armstrong - Full Disclosure 5 by Tibby Armstrong

Author:Tibby Armstrong [Armstrong, Tibby]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

The crowd around the ambulance parted whenthe paramedics rolled the stretcher carrying Greg onto the courtyard. Aaron trotted alongside. A tense quiet, almost funereal, fell over the group until someone laughed.

“So touching. A fagand his dog.” The comment didn’t so much register as explode across Aaron’s brain. As if programmed to seek and destroy, Aaron’s body pivoted to complete its mission: killKevinSully.

One punch, so hard it snapped the bully’s torso around, sent Sully face-first onto the pea gravel. Dazed, he shook his head and tried to rise, but a trained kick from Aaron thudded to his ribs and sent him skidding across the stones onto his back, where he lay panting. Aaron drew back for another kick, but someone grabbed himfrombehind, pinning his arms to his sides, and dragged himbackward.

Mission compromised, he screamed a curse and struggled against the restraininghold.

“Aaron. Think. What would your father want you to do?” Hunter’s soothing tones shattered his anger, and he slumped inhis stepfather’s arms.

“I can’t. I never stuck up for Greg. I should’ve,” Aaron said, choking on his own words, then screamed at Sully, who’d struggled to his feet, “If I’d kicked your fucking ass sooner, you wouldn’t have had the chance to hurt him!”

“Aaron.”A hand on his arm made Aaron jerk his head around. An alumnus whose name Aaron couldn’t recall studied him with a worried expression on his round face, his glasses askew. “We’ll take care of everything here.” He indicated Aaron’s friends, minus Zach and Sully. “We’ve got your back, buddy. Go help Falk— Go help Greg.”

The ambulance doors thudded shut, bringing Aaron’s attention to the vehicle. He looked to his stepfather, who nodded his reassurance.

When Aaron hesitated, his stepfather put a hand to his shoulder and whispered for his ears only, “I’ve got it covered. You’re family.”

Aaron nodded. Jerking his shoulders straight, he turned and followed the paramedics into the waiting ambulance. Without a next-of-kin to call, or anyone else to ask about Greg’s medical history, the medical professionals accepted Aaron’s help. Questions about Greg’s blood type, any recreational drug use, and medications kept Aaron busy and unable to access his anger and fear for a good part of the ambulance ride. He rode in front, the little window between the paramedics and the driver open.

Aaron forced himself to remain calmfor Greg. He heard his own voice, so monotone and rote it disturbed him. He should feel something other than the compression of his own heart within his chest and the floating disconnectedness from his body. His lover lay unconscious and strapped to a backboard less than five feet away, and Aaron didn’t shed a tear. He heard the chatter over the hospital radio. The EMTs’ voices as theyrelayed medicalinformation.

“Can you hear me, Greg?” they’d asked. “Can youopenyour eyes?”

Aaron turned to stare as they did something to the bottom of Greg’s foot. When Greg jerked and said something that sounded profane, the EMT met his partner’s eyes and said, “Glasgow nine.”

“If he needs blood, can you provide it?” the EMT closest to the window asked, and Aaron belatedly realized they’d spokento him.

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