The large bald man leaned against the bench and scowled at me. I stood behind Patty as he riffled through a drawer. Baldy’s head was covered in thick black tattoos, that in the failing light looked like they were squirming across his head. His lip twitched into a sneer and I tried my best to casually slide closer to Patty.
“Who is that?” I whisper to Patty’s back.
He glances over his shoulder at the growling gentleman across the room, “That’s just Kirby.”
Patty pulls out a stack of papers and thumbs through them. “Kirby?”
Patty looks up at me bobbing his head, “Yeah, you know... like the video game character.”
Patty waved his hand half heartedly at the gentleman, “You see because he’s bald.”
Patty went back to searching his papers, “Well, that… and he eats his enemies to gain their powers.”
I turn back to look at Patty. “Run that by me again.”
“So, he’s a cannibal, can we not make a big deal out of it.”
“He literally stabbed me in the back,” Patty fell to his knees, “That fucker.”
His breathing is ragged. There is so much blood. The blade is pushed all the way to the hilt just below the level of his collar bone. Even as I watch he seems to be getting paler. I can hear the wheezing in his chest turning into a gurgle. I grab hold of him so he doesn’t fall back and drive the blade in further. I don’t know what to do, what the hell can I possibly do? I pull Patty close to my chest.
“This is all my fault,” I grab hold of the hilt. If I pull it out he’ll bleed to death. Maybe i should leave it in?
“Can’t argue with that,” blood is starting to burble up out of his mouth as he he speaks, “If you hadn’t asked me to come I would be sitting at home, comfortable, probably drinking tea. Instead I’m dying. You might as well pull it out, I don’t think it’s going to make much difference.”
Kirby comes out of nowhere. The man is like a fucking ghost. I look into his face but all his concentration is on the man bleeding to death at his feet. I brace myself taking firm hold on the knife which makes Patty groan in pain. Now or never. I yank the blade free and Patty cries out. I hold him close until his breathing slows back down. When he’s calm I lay him back. His eyes are unfocused as he stares up at the sky.
“When I die, don’t let him eat me,” Patty says turning his head slightly in my direction. At this point I don’t think he can see me.
Patty sounds like he’s joking, but I look up at Kirby and his expression hasn’t changed. He is looking down at his injured comrade so intensely that it’s making me uncomfortable. The shine in his eyes make me hear a dinner bell in my head. I try to shake it off, but it’s not easy.
Patty clasped his hand around my forearm and I grab his and he pulls me towards him. His breathing is burbling and ragged and his complexion is something like split milk under harsh fluorescent lights. I lean my face right down to him as he struggles to speak.
“I have to admit something to you,” he clutched hard against my arm as a spasm of pain struck him, “But don’t tell the big guy. I don’t want to upset him. He’s sensitive.”
I nod my head practically rubbing my cheek against his face, I;m so close.
“I’m terrified,” a single tear runs down his cheek and grazes against my own, “I don’t want to die. I want to go home.”
His grip tightens on my arm as his breathing gets faster, and more burbling. For a moment all there is in the world his Patty’s fast, fluid filled breathing. His pupils disappear back into his head and his entire body seizes. I grip tighter to his arm as he feebly tries to crush mine. Then the seizing stops and the world is completely silent. I don’t realize right away why it’s so quiet. He’s stopped struggling to breath. I’m clutching so hard to his arm that I don’t notice that he isn’t gripping mine anymore. I sit back on my heels looking down at this broken thing that use to be my friend, or at least the closest thing I had to a friend.
