Thomas, a short rotund man with a balding head and bad breath, was crossing the street as he did everyday at this time. This time as he crossed the street he was hit but a speeding City Board ridden by Luci, a red haired, busty young woman. Luci was hurt, but nothing serious, when she abruptly struck Thomas since the City Board she was riding jammed deep into Thomas’ side thus flinging her some twenty yards past the collision onto the roadway. She lay in the street quickly trying to figure what just happened.
City Boards had a top speed of fifty miles per hour. This particular mode of transportation was used by younger adults who still had the agility to maneuver it. Due to the advances in health-care during the last decades, the fact that these devices were very economical and environmentally friendly the number of Boarders, as they were called, had increased to outnumber all other modes of transportation. Special lanes in all big cities had been designed as well as special rules for the riders. Stopping the boards had always been tricky and Luci was fairly new at it. Stopping involved a combination of shifting your weight to the rear of the board and applying the reverse thrusters. Luci had trained herself to allow plenty of stopping distance.
Thomas didn’t know what had hit him. He did know he was at fault. He never looked before crossing the street. People were constantly telling him that ‘one day you’ll get hit’. He never checked to see if the lights were in his favor, if there was traffic coming or anything. He was in his mid-fifties and had never had a problem, not even a close call. He figured either he was lucky or people just slowed down or stopped for him. He had crossed every street in this town; walked in front of buses, cars, motorbikes, those new board things, even taxi’s and nothing. Those people that told him his time would come were right. He stepped out and BAM, down he went.
Luci felt terrible. She had never even bumped anyone before, let alone hit someone. She had never heard of this type of injury before. She picked herself up and limped the twenty yards to the man. Assessing her injuries as she progressed; bleeding shoulder big bump on her head, that explained why she was a bit dizzy, and she could not put her full weight on her right leg, not broken though. As she approached the body it moved. She stopped in her tracks. He’s alive? she thought. She continued towards him.
“Hey… you OK?” Luci asked. She could see he was not. What with the four foot board protruding from his body. He moaned. Patting her skin tight one piece lavender bodysuit trying frantically to find her Skin-Cell until remembering she had stashed it in her cleavage. The Skin-Cell was cell phone that was micro thin. They were sold at vending machines, grocery stores, even fast food joints. Cheap throw away devices that could be folded, crumpled, and stashed just about anywhere. Since these devices also had a built in emergency tracking device all she had to do is press the emergency button and help would be on it’s way.
Slowly and cautiously she continued her approach.
“What’ your name”, she called. She received no response.
“HEY! What’s your name?” louder this time.
“Mister, You alive?” she continued to call out to him.
“Toms…” she heard something but could not quite make it out. She continued closer.
“What? Didn’t quite here you. See you’re alive though. I didn’t even see you. I swear my light was green.”
“C’mere” came a request from the body, gurgled as it was.
She went to his side. He was bleeding badly. She could now see that bout six inches of the three foot board as embedded in his side. Even though he was portly she knew this was not good. If the medics or police did not arrive soon he would bleed to death right here.
“Anything I can do? I’m not a medic or doctor or anything but can I make you more comfortable? Luci asked.
“I want to turn over.” He murmured. To this point had been on left side and front with the board acting as a kind of kickstand for this body. His face was more or less pointing right at the pavement.
“Mister, I don’t think that is a good idea. It might make things worse. You might bleed more and man you’re bleeding pretty badly now.” This was no understatement. He was lying in a pool of blood about two feet around. By this time a small crowd had started to gather.
“Then I’ll bleed more. Please turn me over. I don’t want to die with my face in the gutter.” This time even those in the crowd could hear him. He wanted to be heard.
“Can someone call the medics again!?” Luci called out to the crowd.
“Sure I will.” A young girl about twelve called back.
“Thank you. Does anyone have any medical training?” Luci was asking to an unresponsive crowd. No response.
“Mister, are you sure you want to move? I don’t know if we should. You could die.” This time Luci was trying to be stern about not moving him but still trying to let the man have some say in the matter. After all he was the one dying here.
“I just don’t want to die face down in the street.” Thomas knew he was going to die. Before or after the medics arrived did not matter to him. He just wanted to have some dignity left.
“OK, on three then.
“One,” Positioning herself behind Thomas and sliding one hand under his head and the other to the front side of his hips.
“Two,” She started to pull back slightly on his hip to let him know that it was coming. He was going to have to help her though. He was too heavy for her to move him by herself. Thomas took as deep a breath as he could.
“Three.” Luci pulled as hard as she could and Thomas shifted his weight. Flopping onto his back he let out a gurgle that this time contained blood.
Looking into Thomas’ eyes, Luci and Thomas realized that moving him was the worst thing they could have done for now he was bleeding even more from his wound and now from his mouth, nose, ears and eyes. Luci had seen things like this at the VirtuaPlex and it never had a good outcome.
They could now hear the sirens. They were both looking into each others eyes and Luci had taken Thomas’ hand and start squeezing it.
“I’m so sorry.” They both said.
“I should have looked before stepping out. Now you will have these terrible memories for the rest of your life.” Thomas said.
“I should be better at breaking. That’s not going to be a problem any more.” Luci replied.
“What’s your name?” Thomas hadn’t asked and Luci hadn’t offered it.
“My name is Luc…” she trailed off because she realized he would never know. He was gone.
When the Medics did arrive as well as the police no charges were pressed, no one went to jail. There had been several witnesses to the initial incident. Thomas was at fault. The medics also said that this was the third such incident week.
Thomas had no family, no friends, No one. Luci would be that family. She would be that friend. She would see that he had a proper funeral. He deserved at least that much. He was a fellow human being after all.
As for Luci, she never road a board again; she did keep an ever watchful eye on folks crossing the street. She may have even saved a life or two along the way.
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