This was not how she pictured her night going, not in the slightest. Sarah was leaning against the brick side of the local hospital, lit cigarette dangling from her mouth, her sharp, dark blue eyes shooting daggers at anyone who happened to so much as look at her the wrong way, judging her silently as if she was in the wrong. She knew the rules, she knew where she could and couldn't smoke. If it wasn't for the fact that she was currently standing, right foot pressed against the hospital building, she wouldn't even be smoking something as simple as a cigarette.
Earlier, Sarah had been walking, hands thrust into the pockets of her jeans, towards her house. She needed a fix and badly, having run out after a few too many nights of getting over-eager and taking more to increase her high. With money pickpocketed from strangers - and 'friends' - she had purchased enough to last a week and was almost to her crappy apartment with her crappier roommates who were just as eager to smoke up as she was. She had had a few drinks before leaving, though not drunk, just slightly buzzed. If she was driving it was very possible she'd get pulled over, and then arrested for being under the legal drinking age by two years. Which is why she walked.
That night, she never did make it to her home.
Rounding a corner, she noticed a car speeding down the street coming towards her direction. The car was swerving, making Sarah question if the sidewalk was going to be safe. The car zoomed past her but was going far too fast to make the turn, instead going off road, turning over, and slamming into a tree, the sounds of grinding metal and breaking glass filling the air.
"Drunken idiots," Sarah said, shaking her head, no pity offered, no concern for their well-being. Still, she had a morbid curiosity. How often did one get to see a wreck like that up close, and her responsibility was to call the police ,right? Well, that wasn't going to happen, not with her carrying a bag or two of illegal substances. It was her curiosity that caused Sarah to approach the wreck, hesitating a bit as it caught on fire. Good sense told her to run, to get the hell out of there and let someone who actually cared handle this.
But then she looked into the backseat.
Sarah closed the distance between her and the car with a jog, bashing against the car window. There was a person back there, alive - hopefully, but trapped. The glass shattered, cutting Sarah's hand slightly, but it was nothing, manageable. She crawled into the burning wreckage, her body halfway inside, coughing. Unbuckling the seatbelt, she took the survivor into her hands and yanked, pulling him out. He looked in a bad way, blood, an ashy face, he was either unconscious or dead, and Sarah really hoped it was the former.
She carried the male in her arms, moving swiftly, nearly losing her balance as the car exploded just as she managed to return to the sidewalk. The explosion drew pedestrians, one of whom called 911. Sarah, avoiding questioning by the police, opted to ride in the back of the ambulance, despite their protests. "Shut up, I saved him, I'm riding with him, do your goddamn jobs, alright?" was her response to their complaints.
Arriving at the hospital, the paramedics rushed the survivor off to intensive care, leaving Sarah to wait in the waiting room. She didn't wait around long, choosing to wait outside, to smoke. She called one of her roommates to come pick up the drugs she was carrying, which he did, and Sarah declined a ride back.
Putting out her cigarette, Sarah sighed, and stepped off the wall. She reached into the pocket of he jacket and pulled out the other thing she managed to save, due to it being in the possession of the one she rescued. It was a teddy bear, and looking at it caused a slight pang of regret in Sarah. She needed to give it to him, he would probably want it, it would make him comfortable. That is, if he was anything like the Charlie she once knew.
That night, instead of going home, Sarah saved the life of someone she hadn't seen in years, not since getting kicked out by her parents. That night, Sarah had saved the life of her younger brother, Charlie. Rubbing her forehead with her fingers, Sarah let out a sigh and re-entered the hospital. She wanted to be there when he woke up. And she had to give him back his teddy bear.
Earlier, Sarah had been walking, hands thrust into the pockets of her jeans, towards her house. She needed a fix and badly, having run out after a few too many nights of getting over-eager and taking more to increase her high. With money pickpocketed from strangers - and 'friends' - she had purchased enough to last a week and was almost to her crappy apartment with her crappier roommates who were just as eager to smoke up as she was. She had had a few drinks before leaving, though not drunk, just slightly buzzed. If she was driving it was very possible she'd get pulled over, and then arrested for being under the legal drinking age by two years. Which is why she walked.
That night, she never did make it to her home.
Rounding a corner, she noticed a car speeding down the street coming towards her direction. The car was swerving, making Sarah question if the sidewalk was going to be safe. The car zoomed past her but was going far too fast to make the turn, instead going off road, turning over, and slamming into a tree, the sounds of grinding metal and breaking glass filling the air.
"Drunken idiots," Sarah said, shaking her head, no pity offered, no concern for their well-being. Still, she had a morbid curiosity. How often did one get to see a wreck like that up close, and her responsibility was to call the police ,right? Well, that wasn't going to happen, not with her carrying a bag or two of illegal substances. It was her curiosity that caused Sarah to approach the wreck, hesitating a bit as it caught on fire. Good sense told her to run, to get the hell out of there and let someone who actually cared handle this.
But then she looked into the backseat.
Sarah closed the distance between her and the car with a jog, bashing against the car window. There was a person back there, alive - hopefully, but trapped. The glass shattered, cutting Sarah's hand slightly, but it was nothing, manageable. She crawled into the burning wreckage, her body halfway inside, coughing. Unbuckling the seatbelt, she took the survivor into her hands and yanked, pulling him out. He looked in a bad way, blood, an ashy face, he was either unconscious or dead, and Sarah really hoped it was the former.
She carried the male in her arms, moving swiftly, nearly losing her balance as the car exploded just as she managed to return to the sidewalk. The explosion drew pedestrians, one of whom called 911. Sarah, avoiding questioning by the police, opted to ride in the back of the ambulance, despite their protests. "Shut up, I saved him, I'm riding with him, do your goddamn jobs, alright?" was her response to their complaints.
Arriving at the hospital, the paramedics rushed the survivor off to intensive care, leaving Sarah to wait in the waiting room. She didn't wait around long, choosing to wait outside, to smoke. She called one of her roommates to come pick up the drugs she was carrying, which he did, and Sarah declined a ride back.
Putting out her cigarette, Sarah sighed, and stepped off the wall. She reached into the pocket of he jacket and pulled out the other thing she managed to save, due to it being in the possession of the one she rescued. It was a teddy bear, and looking at it caused a slight pang of regret in Sarah. She needed to give it to him, he would probably want it, it would make him comfortable. That is, if he was anything like the Charlie she once knew.
That night, instead of going home, Sarah saved the life of someone she hadn't seen in years, not since getting kicked out by her parents. That night, Sarah had saved the life of her younger brother, Charlie. Rubbing her forehead with her fingers, Sarah let out a sigh and re-entered the hospital. She wanted to be there when he woke up. And she had to give him back his teddy bear.