“Branson! No!” My ears rang with a deafening sound, and I couldn’t hear. But in my deafness, I scrambled toward my brother, who was kneeling before he fell sideways and hit the floor hard. His body started violently jerking.
I turned him on his back and pressed my hands against his chest that oozed with blood. “Bran, it’s me. Stay with me.”
His eyes opened and closed.
“Stay with me.” I pushed harder against the wound, but blood seeped out of his chest fast—too fast.
“Hold on, Branson. Don’t leave me. Please. Branson, stay with me.”
My hands shook. Phone. I need my phone. With one hand on his chest, I reached behind me toward the desk, grabbed my cell, and glanced at the screen. It was dead. Fucking David.
“Hey, stay with me. I need your phone.” I carefully reached beneath him to his back jeans pocket until his cell was in my hand.
I slid open the emergency screen and punched 911.
“Help.” My body shook when the operator answered.
“Nine-one-one, please state—”
“My brother’s been shot. Please hurry. We’re at 100 State Street, apartment 713.” I knew Branson’s phone would ping our location to the police because it was an app I’d added to his phone so we could always find him. I left the call open but tossed the phone aside. I didn’t want to speak to anyone but my brother.
I pulled him against me and pressed my hands against his chest. I could barely feel his heartbeat.
“Branson, come on, brother. Don’t do this. I’m back. He’s gone. David’s gone.”
His eyes flickered open, and I swear he smiled.
“Hey! Stay with me.”
But his eyes closed again.
“Branson!” It didn’t matter how loud I screamed my brother’s name. He never responded.
I didn’t know how long it took for the police and paramedics to arrive, only that by then, it was too late.
When they approached us, I refused to let go.
“You don’t understand. He’s my brother.”
“We’ll take care of him now,” one of the paramedics said.
My tears fell on my brother’s cheeks that were cool against me. I tried to keep him warm, but it wasn’t working. One of the last questions he asked me deserved an answer.
I gently kissed the side of his head and whispered in his ear. “Do I like you? Of course I like you, Ernie. You’re my best friend.”