You Just Saved My Life

It happened so fast.

Too fast.

That moment lasted forever, it seemed.

We were walking down a busy sidewalk when it happened. That very morning, Kurt had told me that I needed fresh air, for I had been cooped up in the apartment since christmas break started. Let the record show that break from college near Christmas is much longer than break from high school. My days were spent watching cartoons, eating, sleeping, eating, watching cartoons, sleeping, singing, and, well, eating… and I was having fun while doing it. But Kurt had been working, and I didn't exactly know what to do with myself.

“We should go for a walk,” Kurt recommended. But I shook my head.

“It's too icy… what if we slip?”

“We'll survive,” he argued. I shook my head again, but he wouldn't give up.

“Come on! I'll buy you a Starbucks. They sell vanilla scones now,” he sang.

“Oh… well alright then. I do kind of need exercise.”

We left the apartment in no rush- putting each other's jackets on for them, stealing kisses, and gathering our things- before we were out the door.

Starbucks was fatally busy, as usual, but we persevered. We sat at a table by the window where we split the small pastry and took small sips of our coffee. We sat close; my arm around him protectively as we're both used to, and his head resting on my shoulder. There are just some things you can do publicly in NYC that you can't in places like Lima. Ever since I moved at the beginning of August I found that the freedom was warming.

After throwing our empty cups in the garbage and bidding our goodbyes to our usual barista, Cassie, we were off. Kurt thought we should catch a movie, but I disagreed, saying we should just go home and spend time together, maybe even organize the book shelf. And then I winked, so that he knew exactly what I meant. The sidewalks were covered in snow and the sky remained grey. I wasn't holding his hand while I talked about how excited I was for Christmas and how much he'll love the gift I bought him. His eyes seemed to drift to whatever was down the street, but I kept talking. I nodded and hummed in agreement. I was just about to ask him what was so important that he wasn't paying attention to me, but before I even opened my mouth his face turned pale and he shoved me hard into the pavement. I was so confused for about a millisecond before a large SUV came crashing towards us… towards Kurt. I was about seven feet away from the car. The car had hit Kurt, sending him flying towards the brick staircase into an apartment building.  

It was an awful sight.

The car had crashed right into a wall. The driver's airbag went up but he seemed to be fine. I could see glass and smoke, but I could not see Kurt. I ran around the car.

Kurt had his eyes wide open, clearly in shock. He was breathing heavily, almost as if he was hyperventilating, flat against the ground. He had glass on his face and in his hair. He seemed to be bleeding through his jacket and his eye was bruised. I crouched down to calm him down, yelling to a passerby who was eyeing the car, to call for an ambulance.

I cupped his cheek with one hand and wiped some of the glass out of his hair with the other. He gripped my arm tightly.

“We're gonna get you help, baby,” I assured him, picking him up slightly, and sitting down to lay him in my lap. He let out whimper as I did so. He pressed hard against his stomach with his hand, and it was easy to tell that he was trying so hard not to cry. He muffled a small sob into my jacket as he curled into me, and all I could do was stroke his head and massage his neck until the ambulance arrived.

The man in the vehicle emerged from his cowardice hiding place to inspect his car. He wore a sweater vest and baggy jean(weird combination). It wasn't until I cleared my throat angrily that he looked over. His face filled with terror.

“Oh my god…” he said, shocked. I puffed a breath of air and nodded. He was younger than us.

“I… I did that!” he screamed. “I'm so sorry. Is an ambulance on its way?”

“Should be,” I informed him hearing the sirens that sounded from down the street.

Kurt kept very still on the way to the Hospital as the paramedics felt for his pulse and put an IV in his right arm.

He was treated for his injuries at the Hospital. He had to get glass removed and stitches near his torso, and on his right ankle. He had a stage two concussion and a broken thumb. But with all of the bruises and injuries, he managed a smile when I walked in the Hospital room. I sat on the edge of his bed and took his hand.

“You just saved my life,” I breathed. My eyes welled with tears, and he nodded.

“Just returning the favor,” he rasped out. I didn't know what he meant, but I didn't need to. He was safe and so was I.