Ghost Hope by Ripley Patton

Author:Ripley Patton [Patton, Ripley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ripley Patton
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

22

DAVID MARCUS

“Help me get him out of here,” Palmer ordered, as Kaylee moved out of our way.

Despite the table and the close quarters, we each managed to get an arm under one of Gordon’s and maneuver him toward the narrow RV door, but I didn’t see how all three of us were going to fit through it.

Kaylee slipped around me, opened it, and we came face-to-face with Mia. Lonan and Reiny were standing behind her at the bottom of the RV steps.

“What happened?” she cried, grabbing Gordon’s limp hand.

“I’m fine,” Gordon mumbled, coming to a little and lifting his head at the sound of her voice.

“Bullshit,” Palmer said. “Your lips are blue. You need oxygen. And we’re taking you to the Red Cross Tent right now. Lonan, give us a hand.”

By the time we maneuvered down the steps, Lonan had somehow taken my place under Gordon’s left arm.

“Clear the way!” Palmer bellowed, as he and Lonan lifted Gordon off his feet and charged through the camps, making a bee-line to the medical tent.

“Come on,” I said, grabbing Kaylee’s hand, the rest of us following as fast as we could, winding through a dusty crowd of concerned onlookers.

When we finally got to the tent, we found Palmer just inside, drilling the terrified, white-clad attendants on what kind of training they had for treating acute heart failure. Further in, Gordon was on a gurney in a small alcove wearing an oxygen mask, Lonan standing over him looking helpless.

Mia rushed to Gordon’s side, bursting into sobs.

“Now, don’t do that,” he said, as he took her hand, his voice muffled through the mask. “We always knew I’d go before you.”

“They’ve radioed for an evac helicopter,” Palmer told us, striding over. “It’ll be here in ten minutes if we can make room for it to land. Let’s go.” He looked at Lonan and me. “Time to move some campers.”

“No,” Gordon said, pulling his oxygen mask aside a little. “I need to talk to David.”

“You should save your strength,” Mia pleaded with him.

“It will only take a minute,” Gordon insisted, looking from Mia to Palmer.

He and Palmer stared at one another a moment longer, and then Palmer simply nodded, gesturing to Lonan, and the two of them left. As soon as they exited the tent, we could hear Palmer bellowing, “Move these fucking tents! Move these vehicles now, people! We have an emergency helicopter coming in any minute.”

When I turned back to Gordon, he reached inside his shirt, pulled something out, and handed it to me. As I unfolded it, I realized it was the picture he’d shown me back at his place, the one of the NAM group who’d raided Umatilla. He’d taken it out of the frame and there was something scrawled on the back, a list of names in faded pencil.

“I want you to have that,” he said. “Make sure your generation understands. Don’t let them make the same mistakes we did.”

“I’m sure we’ll make our own mistakes,” I said, knowing it was already true.

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