Gilbert is fighting with his cousin. Again. Said cousin's wife is not paying attention and carrying all the bags, as the two men walk down the street in front of her, bickering.
Elizaveta sighs, the warm moisture turning opaque in the cold air. Her feet keep slipping on the patches of ice that coat the path, but of course neither of her companions notice, let alone offer to help.
"Red light," she says loudly. When they don't stop, she squeezes in between them and blocks their path.
"It would serve you right," she tells them tartly, "if you both fell off the curb. This is a crosswalk. The light is red. That means stop."
"We ain't five-year-olds, Lizzy," Gilbert grumbles.
"Oh? You're certainly acting like it."
Roderich pushes his glasses …show more content…
The pulse is weak and fluttery. "Hurry. Liz, check the driver- Liz? Oh, Liz, don't go into shock- hey! hey you! Yeah, you! Get over here!" he shouts at one of the horrified bystanders, then turns back to the boy, squeezing his hand and feeling how limp and cool it is. "Hang on, kid," he mutters desperately, "we've got help coming, just- hang on, okay?"
Tears are leaking out of the fluttering eyelashes, but the boy's eyes are blank and distant, as if he is staring at something just past Gilbert. The gash on his cheek oozes sluggishly; he coughs once, wetly, then again, hacking, spraying blood over Gilbert's face. Gilbert recoils involuntarily, and when he looks back, the green eyes have glazed over and he is no longer breathing.
"He's gone," comes a voice in his ear, and vaguely he hears sirens. Are the paramedics finally here, then? He stands up shakily, then collapses, Roderich catching him and lowering him to the ground as they watch the ambulance leave. Why bother, Gilbert thinks bitterly. They didn't save him, so why bother taking the body away?
Something rolls past Elizaveta's feet and, dreamlike, she bends to pick it up. It's the
Elizaveta sighs, the warm moisture turning opaque in the cold air. Her feet keep slipping on the patches of ice that coat the path, but of course neither of her companions notice, let alone offer to help.
"Red light," she says loudly. When they don't stop, she squeezes in between them and blocks their path.
"It would serve you right," she tells them tartly, "if you both fell off the curb. This is a crosswalk. The light is red. That means stop."
"We ain't five-year-olds, Lizzy," Gilbert grumbles.
"Oh? You're certainly acting like it."
Roderich pushes his glasses …show more content…
The pulse is weak and fluttery. "Hurry. Liz, check the driver- Liz? Oh, Liz, don't go into shock- hey! hey you! Yeah, you! Get over here!" he shouts at one of the horrified bystanders, then turns back to the boy, squeezing his hand and feeling how limp and cool it is. "Hang on, kid," he mutters desperately, "we've got help coming, just- hang on, okay?"
Tears are leaking out of the fluttering eyelashes, but the boy's eyes are blank and distant, as if he is staring at something just past Gilbert. The gash on his cheek oozes sluggishly; he coughs once, wetly, then again, hacking, spraying blood over Gilbert's face. Gilbert recoils involuntarily, and when he looks back, the green eyes have glazed over and he is no longer breathing.
"He's gone," comes a voice in his ear, and vaguely he hears sirens. Are the paramedics finally here, then? He stands up shakily, then collapses, Roderich catching him and lowering him to the ground as they watch the ambulance leave. Why bother, Gilbert thinks bitterly. They didn't save him, so why bother taking the body away?
Something rolls past Elizaveta's feet and, dreamlike, she bends to pick it up. It's the