"Last Call"
Johnny stood, phone in his hand, minutes lost to the sound of the silence on the other end of the receiver. It couldn’t be. It couldn’t. The spell was broke by the angry squawk of the phone signaling to be hung up.
It couldn’t be. It coul...but the phone call from less than a minute ago, more like a lifetime, didn’t lie.
"When?"
"This morning."
"How?"
Pause.
"Heart attack."
Pause.
"You...you okay Johnny?"
"Yeah...yeah I’m fine. I’m...just...just give me a...."
"Take your time Johnny."
"Yeah."
It wasn’t right. It wasn’t. The man was the epitome of health, the pillar of the community, the....
"Johnny?"
Pause.
"Yeah, Roy."
"You uh...you want me to...."
"No...I’ll be okay. You just stay with JoAnne. I’ll...."
I’ll what? Go on? Yes...yes we’ll all go on but... No, no buts. We’ll all go on it’ll be hard. It’ll be... It wasn’t right. It never is when it happens like this.
"Hey, Roy."
"Yeah, Johnny."
"How ‘bout tomorrow we uh...we stop by his wife’s and uh...."
Pause.
"Yeah, yeah that sounds like a good idea."
"Yeah."
Pause.
"Hey, uh...you uh...you take care of yourself all right?"
"Yeah...,you too, Roy. I’ll uh...I’ll see you tomorrow."
"Sure. See ya then."
It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Good men just don’t go like that. Without warning. Without saying Goodbye. Good men just don’t...or..or maybe they do.
Author’s Notes:
I only give voice to those who’s thoughts may have reflected those of Johnny’s and Roy’s. I know mine were very near the same when I found out my father passed away last Oct. Good men do go just like that and that’s what makes it hard. Like my father Mr. Page was a brilliant man when it came to the world of EMS. I mourn the loss of both men and send my humble condolences to the family of EMS. Both men are/will be missed greatly
