Sudden Independents

Hunter opened his one bloody eye. “You should see the other guy.” His body shook at his joke until the lines on his face drew into a tight grimace of suffering. A line of blood split his lips and trickled over his chin as he choked and gasped.

“Somebody help me!” Ginger cried.

Catherine gazed at Scout and he shook his head with despair. “Jimmy’s got the plague,” Scout said, rising to go help Ginger.

Jimmy’s bottom-half still sat in the Escalade, but his top-half draped heavily over Ginger. Scout grabbed Jimmy’s waist and ducked underneath his other arm. Together, he and Ginger carried Jimmy with his feet dragging across the pavement into the garage. They laid him next to his brother.

Scout stripped off his black sweatshirt and placed the padding underneath Jimmy’s head. “Raven, go find some blankets and pillows. Billy?” Scout found the boy all alone on the driveway like the new kid at school. “Go help her, okay?”

Billy nodded and hustled over toward Raven. He stopped, his eyes widening with recognition.

“Yes, it’s me, Billy. Let’s go.” Raven said. She held the door and pointed inside. Billy slipped past her quickly.

Dark circles ringed Jimmy’s eyes and every one of his limbs quivered. Sweat poured out of him like a squeezed sponge. He tossed his head, mumbling incoherently. In contrast, Hunter lay silent within the shell of his broken body.

Catherine shook her head. “He did this to me.”

“What?” Scout asked. “Who did what? Chase?”

“Whatever he wants to call himself,” Catherine said. She pointed at Jimmy. “He did this to me.”

“What’d he do, give Jimmy the plague?”

Catherine flipped an irritated hand. “That little toad is the plague.”

Scout ran that through his head and then processed what he could. “But you can save him right. You can save Jimmy.”

“Yes,” she said. “Healing Jimmy will be the catalyst to end this plague.”

“But how is that possible?”

“Because, that is what God sent me here to do.”

“Where is God?”

“He’s right where He’s always been, Scout. He is all around us, giving us hope and the freewill to choose between right and wrong.”

“What about Hunter?”

Catherine shook her head. “I can’t save both.”

“What?” Molly cried. Her face strained with anguish. “But you can’t let Hunter die. You can’t!” She leaned over Hunter and kissed his forehead.

Ginger quietly wept across from her, kneeling over Jimmy. He suddenly stirred, picking up his head and gazed heavily at Catherine.

“You save my brother. I’m not afraid to die anymore. Save him.”

Hunter’s bloody eye popped open. “No way,” he said, his voice gurgling in the back of his throat. He turned his head to face his older brother. “No way.” Hunter released one long breath and his chest deflated. His eye stared, fixed and unblinking.

Jimmy pushed himself up on his elbows. “Damn it, Catherine! You save him right now! Now! Hunter, don’t, Hunter, wait, don’t!” Jimmy glared at Catherine, but the little girl wasn’t budging to place her hands on Hunter. Her mind obviously made. Jimmy rolled over and kissed his brother’s bloody cheek. “I love you, Hunter. Don’t ever forget that.”

Scout looked around at everyone, as everything fell apart. Molly sobbed, wiping the blood from Hunter’s face with the end of a long sleeve shirt. Ginger pressed Jimmy’s hand to her lips and closed her eyes. Raven and Billy stood in the doorway, blankets and pillows piled in their arms, tears streaming down their cheeks.

Scout dropped to his knees and gripped Hunter’s boots. He heard Catherine say again, “He did this to me.”

Jimmy rolled over to his stomach. He dragged his legs up under him with his face flat on the concrete floor of the garage. “Then you can stop him. But not with me.”

Ginger scooted closer to Jimmy, “What are you doing?”

Slowly, and with unbelievable will, Jimmy’s infected body stood. His breathing was loud and harsh in the garage and the strain for him to stand there was incredible to witness. He stepped towards the light outside. “I love you, Ginger. I always did.”

Scout scrambled to his feet. “Jimmy, it’s too late.” The words almost choked him on the way out. “Hunter’s gone. Let Catherine heal you, man.”

Jimmy stumbled two more steps and leaned on Scout. His body was on fire and sweat smothered Scout like Jimmy just climbed out of a hot bath in hell. Jimmy’s hands fumbled over Scout. “Take care of them, Scout. Get them all home safe. You’re in charge now.”

“What are you talking about?”

Jimmy shoved Scout into Catherine. Scout twisted in midair with the little girl in his arms. He fell hard with Catherine on top of him and without plowing his head into the concrete. His breath rushed out from the landing. He lay on his back, trying to suck in air and watched Jimmy lope sideways, zigzagging and staggering to the Escalade. Scout moved Catherine off and patted his pocket.

Scout looked up at Ginger who was standing there staring as her departing boyfriend reached the Escalade. “He’s got the keys!”