Chapter 37

Nick sat in the rapidly cooling car hoping and praying that someone would find their car and call for help. He knew that even if it was too late to help Harry that each and every second that passed was a second less that Brian had left to live.

Nick slightly turned his head towards the driver's side of the car and felt his eyes again fill with tears as he thought about how brave Brian’s brother had been.

"I'm so sorry this happened Harry." Nick whispered hoarsely “This is all my fault. If I wouldn’t have left Brian and gone to LA, he wouldn’t have been so upset and he wouldn’t have had that heart attack. Even though I know Dr. Adele said it wasn’t my fault I know deep down inside that it is. And now look what happened to you Harry. If I wouldn’t have collapsed from exhaustion and ordered to rest, we would have never left the hospital to go to the hotel and you will still be alive. But you were right Harry, something good is actually coming out of this tragedy, Brian now has another chance at life but I wish that it didn’t involve you dying. You was, are, such a great person and I know everyone will miss you.” Nick said while looking at the spider web pattern of the broken windshield.

He sat and wondered if Harry’s family and friends would ever forgive him for what happened, because no matter what anyone said, he knew everything that had happened was a horrible tragedy and it was all his fault. He found himself wishing it were him that had died instead so he wouldn’t have to face the anger and pain he figured he would experience.

He was so lost in thought that he didn’t even hear the sound of an engine in the distance. He screamed out in fright as he suddenly seen the beam of what seemed to be a flashlight out of the corner of his left eye. He lifted his eyes and looked in the rear view mirror and seen a tractor trailer a few yards behind them. He then watched silently as the truck driver looked inside the car and ran back towards the tractor-trailer. Nick felt tears of frustration fill his eyes as he assumed that the truck driver didn’t want to be involved in what had happened and was going to leave them stranded. He cried out in joy when he heard someone tapping on his passenger’s side window and seen the truck driver trying to pull the door open. He silently thanked God as he barely heard the truck driver talk on a cell phone explaining to who Nick assumed was the 911 operator the details of what he knew about the wreck and the location of the accident.

Nick sat quietly, the shock of the events that just happened finally reaching him as he watched the truck driver push a button on his cell phone and throw the phone in the grass and run to the driver’s side of the car and tug on the door handle to try and open the door. After a few moments, Nick heard the truck driver scream, “DAMMIT!!” and run back to Nick’s side to try again to get his door open. A few moments later, Nick heard the groaning sound of the metal as the driver finally got Nick’s door open enough to get him out.

“Son, don’t be scared I’m here to help you,” said the truck driver as he looked over Nick’s body to see if he could see any visible injuries. He immediately seen the blood stains on the young man’s shirt and began to act fast.

The truck driver cried out in triumph moments later as he lifted Nick’s body out of the car and gently placed him in the grass near the crash scene. “Stay still son, I need to get your friend out,” said the truck driver as he got up and started to walk towards the nearly totaled car.

“Sir wait!!” Nick cried out in a hoarse voice.

The truck driver spun around quickly and looked at the scared young man in front of him. “Yeah son?” he asked

“My friend didn't make it, but he wanted me to tell the paramedics that he wanted to donate his heart to his brother who needs a transplant. Can you please tell them when they come?” he asked weakly.

“Of course I will, son. You just rest here and save your energy, the paramedics should be here soon.”

Nick nodded his head slightly and looked on as the truck driver crawled through the halfway opened door and came back out minutes later with the body of his best friend’s brother in his arms and laid him near Nick. Nick watched silently as the truck driver checked to make sure Harry didn't have a pulse.

“How long has he been gone, son?” the truck driver asked gently as looked at Nick through sympathetic eyes.

Nick cleared his throat and willed the tears behind his eyes to stay back, “He died a few moments after the crash, sir. His last request was that his brother gets his heart. His brother is very sick and needs a transplant soon.” Nick whispered.

The truck driver nodded and stood up and ran a little distance up the road waving his arms wildely. It was then Nick realized that he heard sirens above the roaring sound in his ears. The last thing Nick remembered moments later was hearing the truck driver tell the paramedic about Harry’s last request and he then slipped into unconsciousness, a place where nothing could hurt him and a place where he could forget about everything at least for a little while.

Chapter 38