The Rest
The day started with red. Red blood to match the red flower petals circling his shoes.
Lee decided to tell Jose everything. They decided to look for Edgar Maitland- only to watch him, to follow him, to make sure he had nothing to do with the envelope. They found him. But it turned out someone else had found him first. Even in death Edgar was drawing quite a crowd to his building. Lee felt a twinge of guilt at his relief in finding it was Edgar's blood that stained the front steps, especially after seeing Sayori drop her roses in horror at the sight of the body.
Lee stooped to pick up a rose bud just as a gasp spread through the crowd. Lee followed Jose's pointed finger to see a figure standing on the roof's ledge. Lee looked back down at the flower in his hand and the question echoed again in his mind. "What will you give?"
Lee started to run.
"HEY STOP!" one of the police officers yelled but Lee was already in the building.
He took the stairs, knowing from experience that the elevator in the dingy Eastside building would be far too slow. Lee raced up the stairs two at a time and just when he felt like his lungs would burst he reached the roof.
The sun blinded Lee as he searched the roof for the figure. At first he thought he was too late, the roof was empty. Then Lee spotted someone floating in the water. The sight of the body, all to familiar, knocked the remaining air from his lungs.
Lee shook but moved forward. It seemed like forever and only a second until he reached the water. He didn't let himself think, didn't let himself pause, didn't let himself stop. In that moment instinct took over and everything became simple. Everything became easy. Lee completed a perfect dive into the pool and a perfect stroke to the man. It was even easy dragging the man from the pool.
Lee held his face close to the man's mouth, smelling the unmistakable sent of whiskey and praying to hear the unmistakeable burst of breath. One two three seconds passed. Just when Lee was about to start cpr he felt it. The small gust of air on his cheek accompanied by the slight movement of his chest. The man was still alive, but barely.
Two female officers burst through the rooftop door and immediately raced to Lee's side. One pulled him off the man, the other knelt by the man's side.
"What were you thinking?' one of the women asked incredulously.
"He's alive," Lee whispered. The officers ignored him. "He's alive." Lee repeated louder.
The officer checking his pulse nodded.
Lee was forgotten in the chaos that followed. The man was taken to the hospital and the officers left soon after, only asking Lee a couple of questions. Lee did not move from his spot on a pool chair for sometime. His lips curled in a small smile as he gazed at the water and for `the first time in a long time he felt like he was floating.
Lee decided to tell Jose everything. They decided to look for Edgar Maitland- only to watch him, to follow him, to make sure he had nothing to do with the envelope. They found him. But it turned out someone else had found him first. Even in death Edgar was drawing quite a crowd to his building. Lee felt a twinge of guilt at his relief in finding it was Edgar's blood that stained the front steps, especially after seeing Sayori drop her roses in horror at the sight of the body.
Lee stooped to pick up a rose bud just as a gasp spread through the crowd. Lee followed Jose's pointed finger to see a figure standing on the roof's ledge. Lee looked back down at the flower in his hand and the question echoed again in his mind. "What will you give?"
Lee started to run.
"HEY STOP!" one of the police officers yelled but Lee was already in the building.
He took the stairs, knowing from experience that the elevator in the dingy Eastside building would be far too slow. Lee raced up the stairs two at a time and just when he felt like his lungs would burst he reached the roof.
The sun blinded Lee as he searched the roof for the figure. At first he thought he was too late, the roof was empty. Then Lee spotted someone floating in the water. The sight of the body, all to familiar, knocked the remaining air from his lungs.
Lee shook but moved forward. It seemed like forever and only a second until he reached the water. He didn't let himself think, didn't let himself pause, didn't let himself stop. In that moment instinct took over and everything became simple. Everything became easy. Lee completed a perfect dive into the pool and a perfect stroke to the man. It was even easy dragging the man from the pool.
Lee held his face close to the man's mouth, smelling the unmistakable sent of whiskey and praying to hear the unmistakeable burst of breath. One two three seconds passed. Just when Lee was about to start cpr he felt it. The small gust of air on his cheek accompanied by the slight movement of his chest. The man was still alive, but barely.
Two female officers burst through the rooftop door and immediately raced to Lee's side. One pulled him off the man, the other knelt by the man's side.
"What were you thinking?' one of the women asked incredulously.
"He's alive," Lee whispered. The officers ignored him. "He's alive." Lee repeated louder.
The officer checking his pulse nodded.
Lee was forgotten in the chaos that followed. The man was taken to the hospital and the officers left soon after, only asking Lee a couple of questions. Lee did not move from his spot on a pool chair for sometime. His lips curled in a small smile as he gazed at the water and for `the first time in a long time he felt like he was floating.
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