Free Love is Just a Moment by Taylor Hill Page A

groan, faint and groggy, but alive at least. My shoulders collapsed in relief.
    “Carmie, is that you?” he murmured.
    “No, Gino it’s me Sandy. Hold on, I’m going to call an ambulance to come get you...”
    I rushed out to the office and picked up the phone but the line was dead. In a flurry I ran into the café to use the customer pay phone but then I realized I had no change in my pocket and the key to the cash register would be firmly wedged in Gino’s inside pocket. I didn’t want to risk moving him to try to get it.
    “Ok, think Sandy, think…”
    Free texts. I had a bundle of free texts on my phone to use up this month, which had been tiding me over in lieu of call credit for the last couple of days since I was trying to save cash wherever I could. Cursing my own frugality, I whipped out my phone and began frantically tapping.
    “ Gino Accident at Café Can’t call ambulance HELP!!! ”
    I hit send to both Lisa and Lou, and then rushed back to Gino. I dropped to the ground beside him and placed my hand tentatively on his shoulder.
    “Gino, what happened?” I asked.
    “Sandra… I don’know, I must have fallen, I think…” Before I could stop him, he tried to get up, crying out in absolute agony as his abdomen moved but his twisted legs stayed exactly fixed in their sickeningly-warped position. They were broken, both of them, and badly by the looks of it.
    “Don’t!” I cried, “Stay still, I’ll get help...”
    That second, as if to prove my point, my cell phone started to ring.
    “Hold on,” I promised and then stood up to answer my phone. “Hello?” I choked down the line.
    “Hello, Sandy?”
    I blinked. For a moment I didn’t know who it was and then the fog cleared. It was Romeo, Lou’s new friend. “Romeo?” I said, “Where’s Lou?” I didn’t even have to time to wonder why it was him calling instead of my brother.
    “He’s not here,” Romeo answered, “with Lisa I think. Are you ok?”
    “No!” I shouted, unstoppable tears beginning to spill down my cheeks, “Gino’s had an accident and I can’t call an ambulance! Please help me!”
    “Ok,” Romeo said, “hold tight. I’ll call the paramedics and then I’ll come over myself and pick you up. You’re at the Café, right?”
    “Uh-huh,” I nodded.
    “Cool, that’s not too far from the hospital—they’ll be there within minutes. So will I. Everything’s going to be ok Sandy. See you soon.”
    “Ok,” I said, my voice choked and sniffling, “thanks.”
    The line went dead and I went back to sit by Gino’s side until whoever arrived first, the ambulance or Romeo Mancini.
     
     
    It went like this: the paramedics arrived in as fast and efficiently as a well-trained army, two tall, muscular men, striding into the café in their gleaming uniforms.
    “Where is he?” the first one demanded.
    “Out here,” I called from the hallway door.
    They burst into movement again, striding past me.
    “Any idea what it was? Does he have heart problems, poor health?”
    “No,” I spluttered, “I think he fell down the stairs.”
    “Ok, good,” the paramedic nodded and then they were beside him. “Sir, can you hear me?”
    Gino murmured his affirmation and then they checked him over. One of them stood up and turned back to me. “Looks like he’s got a couple of breaks. They’re bad, but he’s going to be alright.”
    “Ok,” I nodded, feeling more helpless than I had in years.
    “We’re going to take him to the hospital. Can you follow behind us?”
    At that moment Romeo appeared in the door, strong, cold and calm. “Yeah,” he said, “we’ll be right behind you.”
     
     
    The paramedics loaded Gino up on a stretcher and he couldn’t speak when I squeezed his hand as they carried him past us, because of the ventilator mask covering his mouth. Romeo placed his hand on my shoulder.
    “He’s going to be ok,” he said. “Come on, my car’s outside. We’ll be there practically before they