Visions

Visions

Right after he saw it, he ran. Calling his partner’s name, he grabbed his medical bag and dashed to the car. His partner, Nick, knew better then to stop him when he was like this. He simply grabbed his bag and jumped into the passenger seat of the ambulance. The men let the silence settle as they caught their breath; only the soft whine of the ambulance could be heard.
“Neal,” Nick began cautiously, “what did you see?” Neal shook his head. He needed a few moments to process the information. Nick sat back and waited patiently. It wasn’t the first time this had happened. Neal took a deep breath before beginning.
“Man, mid 30’s, dark hair. Face down on the corner of 1st and Oak street,” he said.
“Got a time?” Nick asked.
“No.”
That was the downside to his visions. They were clear and concise, but he could never be certain of the time. This was a problem, in the business of EMS, as a matter of one minute could mean life or death for somebody.
The ambulance skidded to a halt at the corner of 1st and Oak. Neal saw a large crowd of people gathered around, watching something.
“He must be there already,” Neal said, running a hand through his thick, brown hair. Simultaneously, each of the men grabbed a medical bag and darted toward the crowd, leaving the sirens wailing.
Neal burst through the crowd, only to see a man juggling bowling pins. His eyes flickered around the crowd. No one was dead, or injured. He stood there, stunned. This was the first time one of his visions hadn’t come true.
He didn’t hear the shouting. He didn’t hear the crowd dive out of the way. He didn’t hear the screech of the tires as they slid onto the curb. Nick tried to scream, but he didn’t hear that either.
By the time he turned around it was too late. The car hit him at full speed, spinning him like a top. With a sickening thud he landed face down on the pavement, his dark brown hair matted with blood.