Kaylin dropped the food when she realized she didn’t hear any wheezing. She tore back the cloth covering and looked down at her friend. She didn’t understand what was happening. Or maybe she wanted to pretend for just another minute that her world hadn’t shattered.
“Mirna,” she said and crouched by the old lady’s hip, crying. “Mirna, wake up.”
“Baby, she’s gone,” Mack said.
Kaylin shook her head. “No.” She started to shake the woman but knew the woman was dead. She was so cold. “Please, Mirna, wake up.” She felt the tears falling from her eyes but ignored them. “You promised, Mirna.”
After another few shakes, Kaylin stopped and rested back on her heels. A haze of fear and uncertainty started to grow again. Without Mirna, she wouldn’t survive. She’d been her only friend, and now she had no one. The feeling was worse than when she realized she was homeless for the first time, because now she knew what happened to women living on the street.
The first night she just wanted to survive one day at a time. She hid under some stairs with boxes covering her. She didn’t get a lick of sleep that night. Fortunately, she’d met the older woman the second night and been with her ever since.
“What do I do?” Kaylin asked.
“We’ll call the police and get her taken care of. We’ll plan her funeral,” Jace said.
Kaylin nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay here with her until they come.” She sat down next to her friend and held her hand.
The men nodded.
It seemed to take hours before police officers and an ambulance showed up. The cops didn’t ask her many questions. She didn’t think they cared about the homeless. One cop especially pissed her off. He leaned against the wall with a toothpick in his mouth, playing a game on his phone. She waited until Mirna was on the gurney and in the ambulance before she walked over to the cop.
“You know what? You might not think we matter, but we’re humans too. Show some fucking compassion. My friend just died. Act like you fucking care even a tiny bit.”
Jace walked over, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled away from the cop. She was so close to kicking him.
“Easy, tiger,” Jace said.
The cop stood and glared at her, and she glared back.
“Dude,” Mack said. “She’s sad and young. Give her a break.”
“These nobodies make me sick and take up my time when I could be helping real people,” the cop said.
“Wearereal people.” Kaylin couldn’t help it. She lashed out and kicked the guy in his shin as hard as she could.
“You fucking cunt!” the cop yelled and rubbed his shin.
Mack stood in front of her when she stepped toward the cop, and Jace pulled her away.
“I don’t want to hear that shit ever again. You have no idea what her circumstances are, but still, you judge them,” Mack said.
“Fuck off. I want her arrested for assault.”
Kaylin started to struggle against Jace’s grip. “Let me go. I want to kick him again.”
Jace turned her to face him and then wrapped his arms around her. “Forget him. We need to get you situated.”
“No.”
“I wasn’t kidding,” the cop said.
Mack took a card from his pocket and handed it to the prick. She was pleased to see that he got pale after he read it. She had no idea what it said, she was just glad it scared him.
“Just back off,” Mack growled.
“You’re worthless, and someday someone is going to bring you down a notch,” the cop said and walked off.
“I already knew that, fucker!” she yelled.