Dawn Patrol

149

It's surreal.

What Johnny sees in the reeds.

Boone Daniels staggers toward him, a girl in his arms, his chest soaked with blood, more blood running down the side of his head.

“Boone!” Johnny yells.

Boone looks at Johnny with glassy-eyed, faint recognition and stumbles toward him, holding the girl out like a drowning man lifting a child up toward a lifeboat. Now Johnny can see Boone's thumb pressed deep into a wound on the child's neck.

Johnny takes the little girl from him, replacing his own thumb for Boone's. Boone looks at him, says, “Thanks, Johnny,” and then crashes heavily, face-first, to the ground.