Free Dead and Forsaken by J.D. West

downward. Officer Darden was still outside when a young woman
walked up to him.
    “ I sorry to bother you.”
she said. “Can you please walk me to my car?
    Administration
warned staff members not to walk by themselves at night. A few
vehicle break in's and armed robberies recently happened on
property. One nurse was stabbed during an attempted sexual assault.
She was sent home early one morning because it was unusually slow.
As she walked across the parking lot headed to her car alone a man
approached her from behind. Just as she pulled out her keys to
unlock her car door he shoved her against the car and put a knife to
her neck. A few seconds later his hand was up her shirt caressing
her breast. She yelled out and luckily got the attention of another
staff member. The man took off running but she didn't get a good
look at him. It was only after the cops caught up to him that she
found out he had been a patient in the ER. That's why it was not an
unusual request.
    “ Anything for you pretty
lady!” Darden said with a sly smile. “Follow me!”
    “ This is Officer Darden. I’ll
be doing an escort from the south entrance doors to the east parking
lot.”
    I
saw Darden walk to the edge of the sidewalk on his way to the west
parking lot. A real cute doctor followed a few steps behind him. I
gave him a head nod before they rounded the corner of the building
and disappeared out of sight. A few minutes later I heard his voice
again.
    “ This is officer Darden to
communications. The helicopter is outbound.”
    “ Ten four sir!”
responded Hernandez.

CHAPTER 5:
Death and Resurrection

    By
the time I closed the gates to the HELO pad and started back to the
ER Dr. Sanchez was standing outside the ambulance doors leaning
against the wall with her head down. When she looked up her eyes
sparkled in the moonlight. As I moved closer I realized they were
full of tears. She had been crying. I walked up to her and put my
hand on her shoulder. She was startled and tried to quickly wipe her
tears away.
    “ Is everything okay Maria?”
    “ Yeah I’m fine Kevin.”
    “ Are you sure? Cause you can
tell me if it’s not.”
    “ I’m just having a
rough night that’s all.”
    “ Well if you need to talk I’m
always here.” I said smiling.
    “ Thanks. I guess that’s
good to know.” she said smiling back.
    I
punched in the security code for the doors and we both walked back
inside. She looked like her old self and gave me a quick hug to show
her appreciation. Her skin was soft and she smelled like fresh cut
peaches. I almost forgot we were at work.
    “ Thank you Kevin. I really
needed that.”
    “ It was my pleasure. Trust
me.”
    We
both had to get back to work so we smiled at each other and went our
separate ways. I left her in the four corners hallway. She had to
go to registration to meet the family of her dead patient. Our
hospital had a protocol about giving family members bad news. Only
the social worker or doctor could give out that information. They
did that out of respect for the dead. The social worker escorted
the mother of the Mark Cordova the dead patient from room #6. Their
family pastor was by her side, Pastor Harrell. He was a powerful man
of God whose leadership strengthened the faith of his congregation.
Dr. Sanchez met up with them on the way there.
    “ Mrs. Cordova it’s
nice to meet you. I am your son’s physician.”
    “ Where is he? Where is my
baby boy?”
    “ Ma’am there is no
easy way to say this but your son is dead!”
    “ No, no, please God no. Not
my Mark Anthony!”
     The pastor
and Marks fiancée Serena tried to comfort his mother as Dr.
Sanchez led them to his room.
    Pastor
Harrell’s church serviced the community close by providing
food, family counseling, and spiritual support. He was supposed to
marry the couple. Dr. Sanchez told them that his tests were not back
yet but she believed he died from respiratory failure. She comforted
them with the knowledge that before he died he was