Categories > Cartoons > Delilah and Julius > Rapid Hope Loss
Time seemed to slow for Julius as realization hit him. The car, the mugging … the curly brown hair barely visible in the back of the ambulance. But … no. This kind of thing didn’t happen. Not to Nosey. He and Delilah, sure – bad luck always seemed to follow them, but Nosey … none of this should have happened to him.
Suddenly, he became aware he was running. Odd … he hadn’t even noticed Delilah pull him to his feet. His body was in autopilot mode, moving while his mind and thoughts were elsewhere. Handy, really.
The pair burst into Al’s office, Delilah babbling out their story and Julius standing in a daze. Al’s eyebrows furrowed with concern. When Delilah was done, he got to his feet and began walking to the door.
“Al?” Delilah asked. “What are you doing?”
“Come on,” he sighed, without looking at her. “We’d better go to the hospital.”
Both of them continued to the door. Only when Al reached for the handle did Delilah notice Julius was still standing by Al’s desk. She turned around to look at him, worried.
“Julius? Are you coming?”
He shook his head slowly.
“Why?” Delilah persisted.
“S …” He faltered. “Someone … someone needs to tell Scarlett … and Emmett, I suppose … Ursula’s visiting her family … I should call her … tell her.”
Julius was still confused, bewildered. He didn’t want to accept that any harm had come to his best friend – and he wasn’t ready to see him. Not yet.
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At the hospital, Delilah’s worst fears were confirmed. The victim of the mugging had been Nosey, and he was in ICU. What she didn’t know, however, was just how bad her friend had been injured. Walking into his room, she nearly cried out in surprise.
Nosey was hooked up to at least three different machines, covered in bloody bandages, and obviously out cold.
“What … happened to him?” Delilah breathed.
The doctor whom Al had been talking to, Dr. Stephen Wright according to his nametag, stepped in to the room. “Unfortunately, we don’t know the extent of it. What we do know is that your friend took an awful beating, and has at least two gunshot wounds.”
Delilah’s mouth fell open. “Gunshot wounds?”
Dr. Wright nodded soberly. “One to the left thigh, and another to the abdomen. He’s fine right now, but we are fairly certain that the bullet damaged one of his kidneys, which is likely to lead to failure. Once we are positive of the damage done, we will need to find a donor as quickly as possible.”
“You’ve got to be joking me,” Delilah muttered, mostly to herself. This had only been a mugging, after all. Muggings hardly ever involved guns! Why Nosey? He had only gone out for coffee and breakfast, not to die. Nothing bad ever happened to Nosey.
Delilah staggered slowly over to Nosey’s side, still unable to believe this. She slid her hand into Nosey’s, giving a sharp intake of breath at the hot temperature.
“Oh Nosey,” she murmured to her unconscious friend. “What have I gotten you in to?”
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It was easier than Julius had thought it would be to tell Scarlett. Her eyes had gone wide, her grin vanished, and she blinked a few times. But she didn’t cry, and Julius was grateful for that. He didn’t think he could handle it if she had cried.
“Do you need a lift to the hospital?” she had asked.
“Nah,” he replied. “Gotta find Emmett. You don’t happen to know where he is?”
“In the gym, last time I saw him.” Scarlett had smirked briefly. “You know him. He gains one pound, and he’s in there for hours working it off.”
Julius attempted a grin, which made Scarlett’s fade. “Are you okay, sugar?”
“Considering the circumstances, I’m decent,” was his reply. He left before she could ask any more questions.
He found Emmett in the gymnasium, as Scarlett said, beating ruthlessly on a punching bag. His jaw was set grimly, and he glowered furiously at the red leather. Winding up, Emmett gave another punch, putting all his strength behind it. Angrily, he tore off his gloves and threw them to the floor.
“Son of a bitch!” Emmett roared, continuing to hit the bag with bare hands, much harder than before.
“You’ll hurt yourself doing that,” Julius said loudly, walking towards him.
Emmett gave the punching bag one last brutal shot before turning to face him. “It’s practice,” he grunted.
“For what?” Julius laughed.
“For those bastards who … who … Argh!” Emmett whirled around and belted the bag again. “I saw the news, Julius. I assume that’s what you’re coming to tell me. That was the channel my TV was on when I decided I wanted to watch a movie. Ursula already knows; she’s going to try and catch the next flight here, but with the weather, it could be hard.”
Julius sighed, seeing the pain on Emmett’s face. “Listen …”
“No, Julius, you listen! I know that we’re supposed to forgive people and all, but this time I can’t! I don’t care what you say, but I am going after those monsters who attacked Nosey.”
“Emmett, I’m with you all the way.”
“Julius, I told you—-what?” Emmett stopped mid-sentence. “What did you say?”
“I said, I’m with you. We’ll get those guys … together. But first we need to see Nosey.”
Suddenly, he became aware he was running. Odd … he hadn’t even noticed Delilah pull him to his feet. His body was in autopilot mode, moving while his mind and thoughts were elsewhere. Handy, really.
The pair burst into Al’s office, Delilah babbling out their story and Julius standing in a daze. Al’s eyebrows furrowed with concern. When Delilah was done, he got to his feet and began walking to the door.
“Al?” Delilah asked. “What are you doing?”
“Come on,” he sighed, without looking at her. “We’d better go to the hospital.”
Both of them continued to the door. Only when Al reached for the handle did Delilah notice Julius was still standing by Al’s desk. She turned around to look at him, worried.
“Julius? Are you coming?”
He shook his head slowly.
“Why?” Delilah persisted.
“S …” He faltered. “Someone … someone needs to tell Scarlett … and Emmett, I suppose … Ursula’s visiting her family … I should call her … tell her.”
Julius was still confused, bewildered. He didn’t want to accept that any harm had come to his best friend – and he wasn’t ready to see him. Not yet.
--------------------------------------
At the hospital, Delilah’s worst fears were confirmed. The victim of the mugging had been Nosey, and he was in ICU. What she didn’t know, however, was just how bad her friend had been injured. Walking into his room, she nearly cried out in surprise.
Nosey was hooked up to at least three different machines, covered in bloody bandages, and obviously out cold.
“What … happened to him?” Delilah breathed.
The doctor whom Al had been talking to, Dr. Stephen Wright according to his nametag, stepped in to the room. “Unfortunately, we don’t know the extent of it. What we do know is that your friend took an awful beating, and has at least two gunshot wounds.”
Delilah’s mouth fell open. “Gunshot wounds?”
Dr. Wright nodded soberly. “One to the left thigh, and another to the abdomen. He’s fine right now, but we are fairly certain that the bullet damaged one of his kidneys, which is likely to lead to failure. Once we are positive of the damage done, we will need to find a donor as quickly as possible.”
“You’ve got to be joking me,” Delilah muttered, mostly to herself. This had only been a mugging, after all. Muggings hardly ever involved guns! Why Nosey? He had only gone out for coffee and breakfast, not to die. Nothing bad ever happened to Nosey.
Delilah staggered slowly over to Nosey’s side, still unable to believe this. She slid her hand into Nosey’s, giving a sharp intake of breath at the hot temperature.
“Oh Nosey,” she murmured to her unconscious friend. “What have I gotten you in to?”
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It was easier than Julius had thought it would be to tell Scarlett. Her eyes had gone wide, her grin vanished, and she blinked a few times. But she didn’t cry, and Julius was grateful for that. He didn’t think he could handle it if she had cried.
“Do you need a lift to the hospital?” she had asked.
“Nah,” he replied. “Gotta find Emmett. You don’t happen to know where he is?”
“In the gym, last time I saw him.” Scarlett had smirked briefly. “You know him. He gains one pound, and he’s in there for hours working it off.”
Julius attempted a grin, which made Scarlett’s fade. “Are you okay, sugar?”
“Considering the circumstances, I’m decent,” was his reply. He left before she could ask any more questions.
He found Emmett in the gymnasium, as Scarlett said, beating ruthlessly on a punching bag. His jaw was set grimly, and he glowered furiously at the red leather. Winding up, Emmett gave another punch, putting all his strength behind it. Angrily, he tore off his gloves and threw them to the floor.
“Son of a bitch!” Emmett roared, continuing to hit the bag with bare hands, much harder than before.
“You’ll hurt yourself doing that,” Julius said loudly, walking towards him.
Emmett gave the punching bag one last brutal shot before turning to face him. “It’s practice,” he grunted.
“For what?” Julius laughed.
“For those bastards who … who … Argh!” Emmett whirled around and belted the bag again. “I saw the news, Julius. I assume that’s what you’re coming to tell me. That was the channel my TV was on when I decided I wanted to watch a movie. Ursula already knows; she’s going to try and catch the next flight here, but with the weather, it could be hard.”
Julius sighed, seeing the pain on Emmett’s face. “Listen …”
“No, Julius, you listen! I know that we’re supposed to forgive people and all, but this time I can’t! I don’t care what you say, but I am going after those monsters who attacked Nosey.”
“Emmett, I’m with you all the way.”
“Julius, I told you—-what?” Emmett stopped mid-sentence. “What did you say?”
“I said, I’m with you. We’ll get those guys … together. But first we need to see Nosey.”
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