After a quick trip inside to the gift shop, Kurt returned to the streets. This time, with an umbrella. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and flicked open his zippo. The air was cold and moist so the heat from the lighter felt warm on his face. His lips were the stack on a train as the smoke rolled out and floated up towards the sky. Kurt had no idea why but he really enjoyed being outside at the moment. Maybe it was because he liked the rain. Maybe it was because his conversation with the old man made him change a little. Maybe it was because the rain was washing away everything that he was that he no longer wanted to be.
The sounds of the city filled the air, just like always. Cars were honking and peoples’ shoes were tapping. Mouths were shouting and rain was splashing. Thunder was booming and lightning was cracking.
As Kurt took one of the last few drags of his cigarette, his thoughts were interrupted. The burst of a gunshot broke the walls of the surrounding buildings. It echoed all the way down to Kurt’s soul. It was followed by screams and shouts by many men and women. He threw his cigarette and ran down to see what had happened.
Everyone was surrounding a girl on the ground.
“Call 911!” screamed a woman.
“Somebody get the police!” yelled another person.
Kurt had a hard time getting close enough to the girl to see what had happened. He pushed through the crowd until he could see the woman’s face. When he saw her, his heart dropped.
The girl was pale. There was blood covering the yellow shirt she was wearing. She was crying and having trouble keeping control of her breathing. She had been shot in the shoulder. Kurt didn’t know why but he wanted to cry. He had feelings for that girl from the train.
“Addy!” he yelled.
Faces of helpers turned around to meet Kurt’s voice.
“Do you know this girl?” they asked.
“Yes. We are friends,” he said hurriedly.
The sounds of sirens were blaring down the street. Medics got out and cleared a way for the ambulance and crew to get to the wounded person. They carefully loaded her up on a stretcher and put her in the ambulance. Before closing the doors, a paramedic yelled out to the crowd of people. “Does anyone know this girl?”
“Yes,” answered Kurt quickly. “Her name is Adeline Fair.”
“Get in,” ordered the paramedic.
And without any hesitation Kurt quickly climbed in the back of the ambulance and sat down next to Addy.
He starred down into her eyes.
She starred back and smiled for just a moment. In all the distress, it was the first time she had a chance to notice him.The look of pain soon returned to her face.
“Kurt...,” said Addy, fighting the tears.
“Hey Addy,” Kurt said with a concerned smile.“Am I going to d--,”she said before Kurt interrupted.
“Don’t talk Addy. Everything is going to be okay,” he reassured her. “Everything is going to be just fine.”
Kurt sat with Addy for a long time as she slept. The doctors had her sedated because of the operation she just got out of. She slept for hours and hours. He wanted her to wake up but he knew she needed to sleep. So he just sat and waited. His mind wondered.
After thinking for a while, he realized something. He hadn’t been sitting around being sad for himself. He hadn’t been trying to find any happiness. He wasn’t thinking about his parents at all. He was too busy worrying about Addy. Maybe this girl...maybe this girl is good for me, Kurt said to himself. He smiled at the thought.
Then, Addy started to wake up. She made some noises as Kurt got up from his chair and rushed to the side of her bed. She opened her eyes and met his.
“What happened?” she asked in a soft voice.
“You were shoot in the shoulder. But don’t worry everything is okay. The doctors did a little work and before long, you’re gonna be as good as new.
Addy seemed to be fully awake now. “I was shot?..”, she said in a confused voice. “I was shot! I remember now! He tried to take my purse but I wouldn’t let go.”
“Just relax Addy,” he assured her. “The police will be by tomorrow and you can tell them all about what happened.”
She sighed a little then gave in. “Okay. How long have you been here?”
He looked at her in her eyes and answered, “I haven’t left your side since we got in the ambulance.”
The wounded girl said nothing. She sat for a moment and looked at Kurt. She looked up, she looked down, and back up again. Then she smiled at him. The smile slowly turned into a look of confusion. “Why do you care so much, Kurt?” she asked. “You hardly even know me.”
“Well...,” Kurt stopped. “You have never given me a reason not to. Remember that talk we had on the train. I could have sat there with you for the rest of forever and it would have been fine by me. ‘Cause when I’m with you...I forget about all the bad stuff. Nothing really matters. I don’t know why, but it’s true. I’m sorry if that sounds weird but--”
“Thank you,” interrupted Addy.
“Thank you,” interrupted Addy.
“Thank you for what?”
“Thanks for taking care of me.”
And so they sat in silence. Nothing more was said that night between the two. Sometimes they smiled. Others they just looked at each other in the eyes. Eventually they fell asleep, holding hands as they drifted off to dreamland.
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