Echoes of Summer
When the chandelier crashed down at my wedding, I shoved my best man, Evan Simmons, out of the way.
I couldn't get clear in time. A metal support rod drove into my lower back and snapped, leaving a jagged piece embedded in the wound.
Blood soaked into my dark military dress uniform, but the thick fabric and wide, rigid belt hid the injury.
Evan, my parents' adopted son, had a clotting disorder. A shard of glass barely grazed his forehead, but blood was already running down his face.
My bride, Sophia Russell, was an ER doctor. She rushed to Evan and held him against her. "His blood doesn't clot properly! Even a small cut can be life-threatening!"
I caught her sleeve and pointed to my lower back, trying to get her to look at the wound.
She knew what I was telling her, but she brushed my hand aside. "You don't even look hurt. Stop making a scene."
My sister, Lila Bradford, was a fire captain. After checking the wreckage, she gave Evan the only available stretcher.
"We accounted for all the broken pieces. Nothing could've stabbed you, and I don't see a wound." She looked at me sternly. "Kyle, being my brother doesn't mean you get priority over someone who's actually hurt."
I staggered after them, but Mom, a head nurse, blocked me at the door.
"Evan got hurt at your wedding. You need to stay and handle the guests, or people will say he ruined your big day on purpose. Do you want them blaming him for this?"
They all left in the ambulance. I stood alone in front of a room full of wedding guests.
The pain was unbearable. I opened my mouth to call for help, but no sound came out.
Three years earlier, shrapnel from an explosion tore through my throat during a mission. I hadn't been able to speak since.
Now the only people who understood my gestures were gone. No one else realized I was asking for help.