“Hey guys! That’s not fair!” Brian shrieked at this two older brothers playing keep away with their Frisbee.
“Mom said it was all of ours Frisbee, let me have a turn!!”
“Alright, Alright. This ones for you.” Garrett, the eldest brother, sends the Frisbee to fly just within Brian’s reach.
“Dangit..” Hands closing just after the Frisbee passes by. Brian looks over in dismay at the three feet of descending rock where the toy landed, which led closer to the ocean water.
“You idiot Brian. This was supposed to be a nice day at the beach and you’re already losing our toys.” Flynn was always rude to Brain, he was the baby of the family until his parents decided two wasn’t enough.
“Stop it Flynn, it was an accident. How about you go around and find a nice path down to get our Frisbee.” Garrett pulls his defeated little brother up and wipes the cascading sand from his clothes. “Don’t mind Flynn, he is just jealous of how cool his little bro is.” Garrett and Brian share a high five and a smile before turning to find Flynn’s path.
Joking and laughing among themselves about what other fun things they could do today at the beach, Garrett and Brian follow an easy path down past the rocks and around the corner where they saw Flynn. Both boys instantly stopped at the sight before them; Flynn was standing stoically over a trembling man, close enough to the ocean that every time the water came in it went up past the strangers shoes.
“Flynn! Get back here.” Garrett calls out.
“I...I...I think this man is dying or something Garrett, I’ve never seen this.”
Garret joins alongside Flynn, asking Brian to hang back for a minute while he figures this out. The man was throwing up constantly, but in small amounts. He would try and vomit onto the sand, but his body didn’t seem able, as about seventy five percent of everything that went out, fell back into his throat.
“Go take your brother, Flynn, and run to Mom and Dad. Tell them we have a very sick man, and to call 911 immediately.”
“But Garrett! I FOUND him!” Flynn loudly proclaims.
“FLYNN. Take your little brother NOW, get our parents and have one of them call 911. Go NOW.” Angrily Garrett shoves Flynn over to his little brother and away from the scene before them. Reluctantly, Flynn takes Brian and begins to hurry to camp. Turning his attention back towards the man, he knew he had to do something to help with the vomit. At the very least he cannot be throwing up into his own mouth. Struggling, Garrett picks up and drags the stranger to a short but long piece of driftwood, and leans him against it so that if more vomit came, it would definitely only exit. At this point, the man began to try and speak.
“Juhg. .red..Jar.ed .Jhlug… Jared.” Looking up to Garrett, all the while dry heaving, he points to himself.
Was this man trying to speak to me? It sounds like his name is Jared, but Garrett was far more concerned with his health and well being than a name. Garrett was one of those kids constantly made fun of in school for his always worn fanny pack, but how else would he have an extra bottle of water and some bandages on him at a time like this? Garrett pulled out and lifted the water bottle in front of Jared’s face to gauge a reaction. The feverish nodding from Jared was all Garrett needed. Both of Jared’s arms, and even legs, were constantly twitching and in motion. Garrett uncapped the water, realizing he would Jared’s hand, and slowly poured into Jared’s mouth for a few seconds then pulling away to allow to swallow.
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Jared coughed several times before eventually catching his breath.
“Th-Thank you. Can I have the rest of the bottle?”
“Of course, you are in more need than I. Drink the entire bottle, I also have bandages if your scratched or cut.”
Quickly, Jared pulls his sweater tight around himself and sits upright.
“Nah I’m good on bandages man, thank you… Where am I though?”
“You’re on the Columbia River, in Washington. See Oregon right there?” Garrett peers into the distance.
“Ah, damn you’re right. Well I gotta get going buddy. Thanks for the water.”
“Hey! Wait, my two brothers and parents are coming right now to make sure you are ok.”
“I’m ok little buddy, you don’t need to tell them anymore about me.”
“GARRETT!!!” His mom Perri shrieks as she sees her son with a vagrant on the edge of the ocean. Forgoing the natural path, Perri deftly leaps down the rocks to her eldest son, holding him close.
“Who the hell are you, and what the fuck are you doing passing out on a beach children play at.”
“Miss, I meant no harm, I was just taking my leave now actually.”
“Like hell you are, the cops are already here at the beach, they’ll be here any second with an ambulance.”
“Um yeah, you guys have a good vacation I’m going to….” Jared turned to leave but walked right into the chest of Michael. The boys father looked just as irritated as his wife, and he did not need to speak words to convey his feelings towards the man.
Now at a standstill, the family waited the few minutes for authorities to show up. The boys were huddled far from the man, but both of their parents were close and alert to anything he may try to do.
Finally, an ambulance being driven down the beach front came to meet us while a few cop cruisers parked near us and took the path down.
“Mark. I am not at all surprised to find you here. Let me guess, you were drugged and left for dead by the Mexican Cartel? Oh how about being framed for a multitude of B and Es that I’m sure you didn’t commit. Am I getting the Mark excuses down yet? Come on, police car, lets talk.”
The police officer, in no gentle manner grabbed the man by the arm and begins to bring him towards the cop car when Mark let out a blood curdling scream and drops to the floor. The officer removed the mans sweater and finds that even now, he had heroine needles in both arms, wrapped up with belts and all. It was clear this man was on a one way train prior to the boys arrival.
“You have got to be fuckin’ kidding me Mark. DO YOU want a life behind bars? DO YOU?” The officer screams in his face before removing the needles and belts to hand to another officer who can dispose properly of it. Then, picking Marks whimpering body from the car, he handcuffs and walks him over to the now present ambulance and paramedics.
Michael and Perri went over to their three solemn children. Before any words are spoken, they share a lingering hug before Michael sighs. “I am sorry boys. None of this is your fault, and I wish you hadn’t seen this today. They have the best men on the job, and they are going to help Mark get his life together. You guys do not need to worry…. in fact! Lets go grab some ice cream.
As the family turned to exit the scene, someone calls after them “Wait! Wait!”
“My name is Pardish Shurnan, and I have to meet your sons.” The woman says, slightly panting. She is wearing a paramedics jacket.
Garrett steps ahead, with Flynn and Brian sheepishly following.
Pardish smiles. “The man you found today, Mark, was trying to kill himself. You three boys saved a mans life today. You three boys saved another family or field trip a bad day at the beach. You three boys, are heroes.
The ride to the ice cream shop was mostly silent, each boy reflecting on what had happened that day. They had never seen a man act like that stranger had, and it scared each of them to a different degree. They each tried to put the incident in the back of their mind, thinking instead of video games, skateboarding, and playing with their friends. Finally, Brian broke the silence and proclaimed to his brothers.
“We Are Heroes!”