Trystan
THREE DATES DOWN, three more to go before I reach Camryn. I feel like I am back in school, listening to my tenth grade biology teacher drone on endlessly about shit I could care less about. Part of me feels like a dick because these women are genuinely interested in me, and I give zero fucks about any of them. There is one mission on my mind tonight and that is it. Sadly, these women are just a small price to pay to get my ultimate prize. And they have noticed my disinterested state. One questioned me on it. Another asked who the girl was. So I filled her in a little on my story, without the major details. She sighed and swooned and thought my approach was a good one. Hopefully Cam feels the same.
Cam is around the corner and not being able to see her has been killing me. Although, maybe it is a good thing. If she saw me ‘dating’ these women, on my way to her, her sassy little self would have probably flown the coop. Chuckling to myself, I think of her storming off. Hunter has seen me and we even chatted for a bit. He found humor in my tactics to get some alone time with my girl. Surprisingly, I really like him. I say surprisingly, because life events have taught me to get to know people very well before deciding I like them. He definitely has Cam’s best interest at heart but also seems to have a soft spot for me. Confused as to why, I decide not to question it. The more people on my side, the better it will be for me in the long run. When I bid him farewell at the bar, he was nose deep in his phone, franticlly typing a text to someone.
Ten minutes doesn’t seem like a long time, but let me tell you, it fucking is. Think of being at the gym, running on the treadmill. You run for what seems like hours and miles, and then you look down and the timer indicates you have spent three minutes working out. That is what this night has been like. Each minute drags on longer than the last. My watch has been checked and looked at more tonight than probably ever before. Each time I hear “SWAP” I am euphoric and hop up like the Energizer Bunny.
There is a loud crash and I notice a commotion at the bar. My nerves instantly on edge, I jump up from the table to go investigate. Hunter looks visibly shaken and has gone pale. The hair on my arms and the back of my neck instantly stand on end. Something is very wrong. Looking around to where Camryn should be seated, I see her table empty and the fear that sets in is like nothing I have ever felt. If she was in the restroom, her date would still be seated. Right? Why is the table empty? Andrew, the bartender, is trying to calm Hunter down and waves me over.
“Trystan, we just got a call from Preston Davis. He indicated you know him and he works with you. He has Camryn and was taking her to the hospital. She was displaying signs of being drugged.”
“Fuck!” I exclaim. This cannot be happening. This case has weighed heavy on me for months, but I am not sure I can live with myself if something happens to her.
“How long ago did he call?” I question.
“We just hung up and I was coming to get you. Hunter overheard my end of the conversation, and I mentioned Camryn’s name and hospital. Dude starting freaking out. Understandably so.”
“Trystan, we need to go now! Cam must be freaking out. Jesus fuck. Why did I insist she come here tonight? She didn’t want to. This is all my fucking fault.”
Hunter is completely shaken up and looks ready to lose it. The emotions written on his face are evident. Knowing how close he and Camryn are makes me understand the reactions clearly.
“Hunter, this is not your fault. Shit, it is my fucking fault. We have been trying to catch these fucks for months and run into dead end after dead end. Andrew, shut this shit down now!” I snap. “I will call for some of my guys to come down and do some investigating. Hunter and I need to get to the hospital. We will need every fucking single camera video from the last few hours. That fucker may still be here.” Raking my hands through my hair in frustration, I realize one of my biggest fears has happened. Each victim I care about without question and am empathetic toward. But I have always feared this would happen to Avery or Camryn. The thought alone makes me nauseous.
Hunter and I hop in my truck and speed out of the parking lot. Realizing I didn’t even ask what hospital Preston was going to, I make my best judgement based on closeness and ease of getting there.
“What does this mean for her, Trystan? I know fuck all about roofies. To say I am freaking the fuck out is an understatement,” he chokes out the words.
“Hopefully, that’s not what happened. Maybe she has heat exhaustion or something. But if she was drugged, she will likely be feeling disoriented, paralyzed in her movements, dizzy, nauseous, and likely really confused. Please know I am not saying this to scare you. I will always be honest with you, and sadly I know far too well the effects of this drug on its victims.”
“This is my worst nightmare,” Hunter croaks out. His voice is thick with sadness and tears. “She is all I have. She is it for me. If anything were to happen to her, I would not survive it.”
“The hospital is the best place for her. They can help her if she has, in fact, been drugged. Thank fuck, Preston was there. He is a good guy and one of the best cops on the force. She is in good hands, Hunter. That I can assure you.”
Off to the side of the road in front of us, I notice a car with smoke billowing from it. This can’t be happening right now. The cop in me knows I need to stop and see what’s up, but my heart and mind want to get to Camryn as quickly as possible. Knowing my Sunshine is in good hands, I make the decision to pull over quickly.
“I need to check this out. Call 911 and let them know there is an accident and an ambulance is needed. We are on River Street,” I order.
Jumping out of the truck, I make my way over to the car. They hit a tree and I don’t smell gas, which is a good thing. The driver appears to be slumped over the steering wheel, and looking in quickly there appears to be a passenger. They are collapsed over with hair covering their face. Female passenger. The driver is stirring a bit, but the passenger is not moving at all. Trying the driver’s side door, it is stuck. The passenger door is flush with the tree, so we have one option without help. Forcing my shoulder into the door over and over again, Hunter makes his way over and offers his help. We finally get the door unstuck and upon opening the doors, my nightmare just got bigger. The driver is none other than Preston Davis, meaning the passenger slumped over is my Sunshine. My heart.
“Motherfucker! No…no…no! This can’t fucking be happening. Hunter, help me fast. Cam is stuck in this fucking car.”
The sound that comes from Hunter is nothing I have ever heard before. The raw emotion emitted from him is something that will stay with me forever. His hands are visibly shaking. We work to move Preston out of the car. He comes out without many issues and we lay him on the ground. Before I can get up, Hunter is in the car and grasping for Cam. He clutches her in his arms. Her head is bleeding, and I know I need to make sure she is breathing.
“Check her pulse, Hunter. Make sure she is breathing.”
“She is, but barely. She is fucking bleeding and I am not sure from where. Where the fuck is the help?”
Hearing the sirens in the distance, I offer up a prayer. What I thought was my nightmare before pales into comparison to the gravity of this situation. Looking over, I see Hunter sitting on the ground rocking with Cam. He is kissing her hair and whispering to her. I know we should lay her on the ground, in case there are other injuries. Realistically, we shouldn’t have removed either of them from the car, but that wasn’t happening. Knowing there isn’t a chance he is letting her go, I tend to Preston. He is stirring, which is a good sign. Hopefully, he just has a concussion and no other injuries. His eyes open and his face is wrought with confusion. Blinking, he stares at me but no words come out of his mouth.
“Preston, can you hear me? Help is on the way. Just hang tight, buddy. I owe you one for being there with Cam and for trying to get her help.”
“Trystan, man, what the fuck happened?” groggily he questions.
“You were in an accident. Not sure of the cause, but you slammed into a tree. Looks like the passenger side got the brunt of it. Based on your windshield, I am thinking both of you hit your heads and pretty hard.”
“Where is Cam? Fuck, is she okay?”
“She is unconscious but breathing at the moment. The boys should be here soon, and we will get you both looked at.”
“Why are you over here with me? Go to your girl.”
“Her best friend, Hunter, is with her. He won’t let me near her at the moment and I am okay with it. Well, not really, but I don’t have a choice,” I sadly respond.
The first officer arrives and the first ambulance right behind it. The guys get to work on Cam immediately, and Hunter stands off to the side watching, looking desolate. After she is strapped to the boards, neck brace in place, oxygen mask on, she is loaded into the ambulance. Knowing there is not a chance Hunter isn’t riding with her, I give him a head nod, letting him know I am following behind as soon as they get Preston taken care of. I know I need to call my sister, and this is one call I do not want to make. She will want to be there. Making a decision, I opt to call my parents first. They can head over to Avery’s house, someone can stay with Caleb and the other can get Avery to the hospital.
The phone rings and my pops picks up. For the first time tonight the tears flow.
“Pop, I need your help,” I say sniffling. “Cam was in a pretty bad car accident and is being taken to the hospital.”
“Fucking hell!” he exclaims.
“Ave has Caleb and she will want to head there. Can you and Mom go to her house, tell her what is going on, and get her to the hospital? One of you will need to stay with my boy. I am on my way there now.”
My dad starts to pepper me with questions I don’t have the answers to. My tears continue to fall, and fuck if I care if I look like a pussy in front of my PD guys. So much time has passed, but I love Cam with the same ferocity as I did when we were young and everything was good between us.
“Son, we are on it. We are jumping in the car now. Keep us posted, please.” After promising to do that, I end the call. Seeing Preston is being loaded up in the second ambulance, I rush to my truck and head to see the fate of my Sunshine. Thinking my worst fear was her being drugged, I know that isn’t the case anymore. The windshield in front of her was shattered. She is breathing, but not knowing how much blood she lost, or the extent of her injuries, has me panic-stricken. Our story is long from over, and I will be damned if anything happens to her before we get our happily ever after. It is in God’s hands now, and for the second time tonight I find myself praying.