A Rose in Bloom

Jaxon crawled out onto the small balcony.

“Elyssa!”

No answer.

A voice called out from above. “There’s no sign of her up here. And the escape ladder leads down to your platform."

Where could she be? Could she have climbed down somehow without using the ladder? He leaned over the edge. What was that dark lump on the street below?

“Elyssa? Elyssa! No! God, no!”

He pushed down the lever on the fire escape ladder, jumping from foot to foot while it clattered to the ground. He didn’t remember climbing down, but found himself kneeling on the street beside Elyssa’s unmoving crumpled form, with tears streaming down his face.

“I’m so sorry… I’m so sorry… I didn’t get here in time… Oh, God. No, no, no…”

He felt a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his wet face to the gray-haired officer. “Is she… Does she have a pulse, Mr. McCall?”

The policeman knelt beside him and reached out to lay his hand on her neck. Jaxon waited. And waited. Too long, he waited.

Part 17: Forget-Me-Not

“OH… I’M SORRY… Excuse me.”

Jaxon apologized as the man he'd bumped grappled with three coffee cups balanced in his hands, one of which tumbled to the floor to splatter the nearby seats in the emergency waiting room. At least those particular chairs were vacant, the recent occupants having relocated in response to Jaxon’s incessant pacing.

“That’s okay,” he replied, his words belying his irritated expression.

“I’ll… uhhh… I’ll find something to clean this up. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“Yeah, I noticed.”

Jaxon surveyed the area and, spying a sign for the men’s room, started toward the door. Surely he could find paper towels to sop up the mess. But his attention was drawn to the emergency room doors as they opened and a man in scrubs emerged.

“Family of Elyssa Rose?”

“That’s me!” His cleanup quest forgotten, Jaxon hurried to hear the news.

“Hi. I’m Dr. Ireland. You’re related to Ms. Rose?”

“Uhmm… Yes… Well, we’re not related, but we’re really close. I’m Jaxon McCall. I haven’t had time to actually contact her family yet.”

“I’m sorry. I can’t give you any information unless you’re related. Do you have a phone number for someone in her family?”

“No, but… Actually, we’re engaged. Does that count as family?”

“You’re engaged?”

“Yes… Well it just happened. We haven’t even told her family yet. Please, I have to know… Is she okay?”

He must have looked the part of worried fiancé, because the doctor relented.

“Tell me your name again?”

“Jaxon. Jaxon McCall.”

“Mr. McCall, she’s bruised and scraped up, and she has a concussion, but miraculously, she doesn’t have any broken bones. I understand she fell from a fire escape?”

Jaxon’s relief turned to fury. “Maybe she fell, or maybe she was pushed. Either way, it’s that criminal who almost killed her.”