Read Online Please by Peter Darbyshire - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Peter Darbyshire
Ads: Link
mistake."
We lay there for a while longer, until the sun was almost directly overhead. I began to sweat, but I stayed in place. The smoke from the fire drifted down over us, and everyone began to cough.
"What if they don't realize it's a mistake?" Rachel wondered after maybe half an hour of this. "What if they think that other disaster is really the exercise all along?"
"Well, they'd better figure it out soon," I said, "because my makeup is starting to melt."
Just then we heard the sirens. "Thank God," Eden said and turned in the direction of the mall entrance. But it wasn't ambulances that drove in, it was fire trucks.
"No no no," Eden said.
There were three fire trucks in total, two regular ones and one of those smaller kind that the paramedics drive. They wound their way through the parking lot, honking their horns at the people going in and out of the mall as they tried to find their way to us. They had to circle around us once before they discovered a path through the parked cars. They drove into the exercise area, the lead truck going through the tape as it did so.
"Hey," Eden shouted, running at the truck. "You're breaking the scene integrity."
The trucks stopped, and firemen in full gear climbed out. One of them pushed Eden out of the way and started shouting at a group of others who were unrolling a hose. He pointed at the truck, which was still burning, and they dragged the hose toward it.
"I thought this was an exercise for the ambulance staff," I said to Rachel.
She shrugged. "As long as we get paid," she said. She closed her eyes and started to moan again.
The firemen turned on the hose and began spraying the truck. "No!" Eden cried and put his hands in the air. And now other firemen were kneeling beside the closest victims, looking at their fake wounds and reaching into their first aid kits.
"I don't think these guys know this is an exercise," I said.
Rachel opened her eyes and watched the firemen for a moment. Another group had unrolled a second hose and they began spraying water on the victims closest to the truck. The makeup melted away under the water, and Eden screamed and threw himself in the way.
"Someone else must have called them," Rachel said.
"So should we be playing our parts or not?" I wondered.
"We'd better ask Eden," Rachel said.
"Do you really think we should break the scene?" I asked.
But she was already on her feet and walking over to Eden, so I got up and followed her.
Eden was on his knees when we reached him, staring at the firemen as they started loading people onto stretchers. He held his hands clasped to his chest, like he was praying. There were more sirens in the distance now.
"What should we do?" I asked him.
"Are we still getting paid for this?" Rachel asked at the same time.
"Hospital," Eden said, only it came out more like a gasp.
"What about it?" I asked.
"Take me," he said, making that same gasping noise.
It was only then I realized that he wasn't praying, he was holding his chest. "I think he's having a heart attack," I said to Rachel.
Eden nodded and caught my hand with one of his. "Hospital," he said again. "Take me."
"I don't think so," I said, trying to push his hand off mine. "They'll take care of you here."
"Help," Rachel called, waving her arms at the firemen. "We need some help here." But none of them looked at us, because they were all busy with the other victims.
"Please," Eden said, squeezing my hand just a little.
"We're victims, not ..." I didn't know how to finish.
"I'll pay you," Eden gasped.
----
WE DRAGGED EDEN through the parking lot, to my car. "How much exactly are we getting paid for this?" I wanted to know as we drove around, looking for an exit.
"Hundred bucks," Eden gasped.
"Each?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Only have hundred," he managed.
"A hundred bucks to save your life?" I shook my head.
"And we're still getting paid for the exercise, too, right?" Rachel asked.
Eden didn't answer, just turned his head and looked
We lay there for a while longer, until the sun was almost directly overhead. I began to sweat, but I stayed in place. The smoke from the fire drifted down over us, and everyone began to cough.
"What if they don't realize it's a mistake?" Rachel wondered after maybe half an hour of this. "What if they think that other disaster is really the exercise all along?"
"Well, they'd better figure it out soon," I said, "because my makeup is starting to melt."
Just then we heard the sirens. "Thank God," Eden said and turned in the direction of the mall entrance. But it wasn't ambulances that drove in, it was fire trucks.
"No no no," Eden said.
There were three fire trucks in total, two regular ones and one of those smaller kind that the paramedics drive. They wound their way through the parking lot, honking their horns at the people going in and out of the mall as they tried to find their way to us. They had to circle around us once before they discovered a path through the parked cars. They drove into the exercise area, the lead truck going through the tape as it did so.
"Hey," Eden shouted, running at the truck. "You're breaking the scene integrity."
The trucks stopped, and firemen in full gear climbed out. One of them pushed Eden out of the way and started shouting at a group of others who were unrolling a hose. He pointed at the truck, which was still burning, and they dragged the hose toward it.
"I thought this was an exercise for the ambulance staff," I said to Rachel.
She shrugged. "As long as we get paid," she said. She closed her eyes and started to moan again.
The firemen turned on the hose and began spraying the truck. "No!" Eden cried and put his hands in the air. And now other firemen were kneeling beside the closest victims, looking at their fake wounds and reaching into their first aid kits.
"I don't think these guys know this is an exercise," I said.
Rachel opened her eyes and watched the firemen for a moment. Another group had unrolled a second hose and they began spraying water on the victims closest to the truck. The makeup melted away under the water, and Eden screamed and threw himself in the way.
"Someone else must have called them," Rachel said.
"So should we be playing our parts or not?" I wondered.
"We'd better ask Eden," Rachel said.
"Do you really think we should break the scene?" I asked.
But she was already on her feet and walking over to Eden, so I got up and followed her.
Eden was on his knees when we reached him, staring at the firemen as they started loading people onto stretchers. He held his hands clasped to his chest, like he was praying. There were more sirens in the distance now.
"What should we do?" I asked him.
"Are we still getting paid for this?" Rachel asked at the same time.
"Hospital," Eden said, only it came out more like a gasp.
"What about it?" I asked.
"Take me," he said, making that same gasping noise.
It was only then I realized that he wasn't praying, he was holding his chest. "I think he's having a heart attack," I said to Rachel.
Eden nodded and caught my hand with one of his. "Hospital," he said again. "Take me."
"I don't think so," I said, trying to push his hand off mine. "They'll take care of you here."
"Help," Rachel called, waving her arms at the firemen. "We need some help here." But none of them looked at us, because they were all busy with the other victims.
"Please," Eden said, squeezing my hand just a little.
"We're victims, not ..." I didn't know how to finish.
"I'll pay you," Eden gasped.
----
WE DRAGGED EDEN through the parking lot, to my car. "How much exactly are we getting paid for this?" I wanted to know as we drove around, looking for an exit.
"Hundred bucks," Eden gasped.
"Each?" I asked.
He shook his head. "Only have hundred," he managed.
"A hundred bucks to save your life?" I shook my head.
"And we're still getting paid for the exercise, too, right?" Rachel asked.
Eden didn't answer, just turned his head and looked
Similar Books
