Dad picked up Chuck at Freddy Fazbear’s
Pizza and drove faster than
normal to Pete’s high school. He didn’t ask any questions about why Chuck
was supposed meet Pete there. He said Mom had gone straight to the school
when she got the call that Pete had been hit by a truck.
“Let’s keep the ditching school from your mom for the moment,” Dad
said. “She doesn’t need any more on her plate right now.”
Chuck felt the guilt like a punch in the gut. “Okay, Dad. You have to
understand it was for Pete. I would never do it otherwise.”
“I know, son. Don’t worry too much about it. Brothers look out for each
other.”
Chuck nodded. As they drove closer to the high school, Chuck spotted
flashing lights. Police cars were blocking the street, and barricades were
holding kids far away from the sidewalk.
Chuck swallowed hard. “Pete’s
gonna be okay, right, Dad?”
Dad pulled to the side of the road, a block away from the emergency
vehicles, and shut off the engine. “He’s going to be fine.” But his voice
sounded funny, like his throat was tight.
His eyes looked scared and
uncertain as if he didn’t believe his own words.
Chuck rushed out of the car with his dad. They headed toward the
flashing lights.
A police officer held up his arms. “Sorry, can’t let you through.”
“That’s my son. I need to see him. My wife is here.”
“Name?”
“Dinglewood. My son’s name is Pete Dinglewood. He’s the one who
was hit.”
The policeman nodded and let them in. They passed more emergency
workers
than Chuck could count, and a truck that was pulled to the side,
with a huge dent in the front of the bumper. Chuck gasped and hoped that
dent didn’t come from hitting Pete. There was a man sitting on the curb,
talking to a police officer. He had his hat in his hands, and he was crying.
Chuck glanced toward the middle of the street, and froze when he saw
Pete’s shoe lying there.
It was a plain white sneaker, making the blood
splattered on it horribly noticeable. All he could think was that Pete needed
his shoe. Little black numbers on plastic folded cards were scattered around
the road, like for an investigation. Chuck swallowed hard and followed his
dad until they finally spotted his Mom standing by a gurney. Her back was
to them and her shoulders were shaking.
“There’s Mom,” Chuck said, even though he was pretty sure Dad had
already seen her. Dad rushed to her side and put his arm around her.
Chuck
held back, afraid to see Pete on that gurney. He pulled out his
inhaler and took a puff before he got any closer. Behind the barricades,
there were some other high school students. Some faces were in shock,
some
kids were crying, and some kids were in pirate costumes.
Pete
probably loved that.
The thought made Chuck’s lips twitch, but he couldn’t
bring himself to smile.
“Chuck,” Dad said, reaching out a hand. “Come here, son.” He was
crying. He’d never seen his dad cry before.
Chuck didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to walk to the gurney. If he
could have, he would have gone in the opposite direction. But he forced a
step forward and then another. He felt dazed and in slow motion, as if he
was walking through heavy syrup. When he finally reached his dad and
mom, he moved between them for support.
Pete was laying on the gurney.
His eyes were closed, and he looked
incredibly pale. The scratches from the fishing accident stood out like angry
red lines on his face, and he had fresh scrapes etched into his forehead.
Chuck waited for his eyes to open. Waited for him to move, blink, anything.
“He’s gone, Chuck,” Dad said through tears. His words made Mom cry
even harder.
A man in a white uniform shirt walked over to them. “I’m sorry for your
loss. We can meet you at the hospital when you are ready.”
Dad said, “Yes, thank you.”
The man was wearing blue gloves. He grabbed the large zipper at Pete’s
chest and pulled it up, sealing Pete into a large canvas bag. Just like that,
Pete was gone.
Pete felt frozen, like he couldn’t move any part of his body. Strangely, he
didn’t feel cold or hot or any pain. He was surrounded by darkness. There
were distant voices … sounds of movement …
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