A Storied Man

“Wall, Gaither’s car was found abandoned about a half mile from the Pinnacle Mountain parking area, on the west side.”

Wall’s evening just got longer. He sat on a gurney.

“Hey, what’s the big idea?” said a patient lying on the gurney. A thin piece of silver metal attached to a green plastic card protruded from his left arm. Very little blood was coming out around it. He noticed Wall looking at it. “It’s a graphics card for my computer. Long story.”

“I don’t doubt that,” Wall said. He stood and walked over to a chair in the waiting area.

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(note: If you are just now finding this story, then please see the other chapters here)

Wall did not have time to think about Stivins’ intentions toward his leg. This guy could bleed out, and then I’ve got nothing. He punched in 911 on his mobile phone. That service was rough around the edges for cellular phone users, but he didn’t need anybody to locate him; he was coming to them.

“911, what is the nature of your emergency?”

“This is Detective Wallace Davies, third precinct, Little Rock Police. I’m bringing in a man with multiple wounds. One is a laceration to the leg, and the other is a gunshot to the shoulder.”

“Okay, Detective. Where are you taking him?”

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(NOTE: I moved this story off my regular blog so I could get back to the business of Regular Life. I will post a copy of the entire story here soon, but for now you may go to the table of contents on my main blog to read the previous 10 installments.)

Jim landed on a steep grade of shale, which acted as a landing ramp. Had the moon shed more light, he would have been able to tell the difference between it a large boulder field about 10 yards away. The unexpected landing prolonged his life, but helped him understand how people in severe physical discomfort could ask for death. He almost forgot his anguish, the pain was so great.

I’m not dead. How long will this take?

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