The lovebirds

Jack broke the silence. "Is it tonsils? Hendrick? Any idea?"

Hendrick shook his head. "I don't know."

Ivan spoke up. "It might have been something that caused an allergic reaction. Maybe something they ate. The car's got Adelaide plates. They were probably eating at a lot of roadside stands. You've got no idea... maybe they got a poisoned hotdog. It happens."

"The ambulance is here!" Daniel came running from the other side.

"Hey, y'all move aside, let them get to the patient." He tried to clear the way.

The ambulance pulled up, its red lights casting crazy circles. The sky was getting darker now.

Hendrick spoke again, his voice trembling. "This... this could be food poisoning, you know?"

Harris shook his head, his face pale. "I don't think so, man. Their eyes are bulging like they're gonna pop out... How could it be food?"

"You never know with allergies," Hendrick insisted, pointing to the man laying on the floor, who was silent now. "They can be as bad as this."

Two paramedics, Andy and Martin, rushed over, wheeling a stretcher. "Is there anyone in the car?" Andy asked.

Jack nodded grimly. "Yeah, two—a lady and her son. Both dead."

Andy, Martin, and David knew Jack. "Holy mother, Jack, you sure?" Martin asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah, and this man doesn't know they're dead," Jack replied, his voice shaky.

Andy crouched down beside the man on the floor.

"Sir, we're here to help you," he said gently, though the stench made him grimace.

Daniel watched the scene, feeling a cold dread settle in his stomach. The night was growing darker making it more bizarre.

"Are you taking him to Port Pirie Healthcare ?" Jack asked.

"yeah I guess."

Martin looked at him, bewildered. "What do I do with the two in the car? I don't know how to handle this, Jack."

"Daniel can call the patrol service. Mind if I ride in with you?"

"Uh, alright... I don't know. Okay, yeah, sure."

They got the man onto the stretcher and ran him out. Jack went over to Daniel.

"I'm gonna ride into healthcare with that guy. Would you call the state patrol and explain all this? And also call my wife, tell Elizabeth what happened."

"Okay," Daniel nodded, still shaken.

Jack climbed into the ambulance. David shut the door behind him and called out to the others, who had been staring into the Chevy with dread fascination.

A few moments later, the ambulance pulled out, its siren warbling and red dome light casting eerie, blood-coloured shadows across the station.

Few miles from the hospital, the man on the stretcher drew one final breath, let it out, and then hitched in a smaller breath before going still.

"Andy, look, he's..." Jack began.

"No more..." Andy finished, checking the man's pulse with a grim expression.

"Look for his ID," Jack said, rummaging through the man's pockets.

Jack pulled out the wallet and flipped through it. "So, he's Matt. He's from Adelaide," he read aloud. "His work card says he works in a hospital. Here's his work card."

There were pictures of his wife and son in the wallet. Jack's heart sank as he saw their smiling faces.

"Hey, David," he called to the driver. "There's no emergency now. He's dead. You can turn off the siren."

David nodded and switched off the siren, the sudden silence almost deafening. The ambulance's interior lights flickered slightly, casting a pale glow on their somber faces.

"Poor guy," Andy muttered, shaking his head. "Didn't stand a chance."

"Yeah," Jack agreed, still holding the wallet. He couldn't shake the image of the man's family. "I hope we can figure out what happened to him."

—-------------------------------

Freya Smith parked her car in the public lot at Highgate Brisbane Park. The hillside stretched out before her, basking in the sunny noon light. She could see Jim sitting at the edge of the hill, absorbed in his sketching. Birds wheeled and cried above him as he worked.

"A great sunny noon we got here!" Freya called out as she stepped out of the car. She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "Heyyy, Jim! How's it goinggg?"

Jim looked around, squinting in the sunlight before finally spotting her. "What's up, Freya? How'd you know it was me?"

Freya pointed to his single-gear bike in the parking lot. "Whose bike is that?"

"Oh yeah, you can catch it right," he called back, grinning.

Freya walked closer, laughing. "Got company over there?"

Jim shouted back, "What? Who?"

"You! Who else?" Freya added, looking up at the sky. "I just hope no bird dares to spoil your portrait by dropping a splat of white doo doo."

Jim chuckled, shaking his head. "Wouldn't be the first time. Tried to wave them off but they poked my head LOL."

Freya mouthed OUCH as she made her way up the hill, she noticed Gacy, a bald guy with protruding belly town fixture, coming out of his small booth. The fee for visitors was $2, but he knew Freya lived in town.

Without bothering to look at the resident sticker on her windshield, he greeted her warmly. "Hey Miss Ginger, how's the day treating you?"

"Oh, well, just came to meet—" Freya began, but Gacy cut her off with a knowing smile.

"Jim, yeah, he's out there," Gacy said, nodding towards the hill.

Freya smiled back. "Yes, that's right. And how's work? Business treating you well?"

Gacy sighed, wiping his brow. "Not much money was made this early in the month."

Freya gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I know you will. Till the end of the month, things will pick up."

Gacy nodded, his face brightening a bit. "Yeah, you know it. More cars will be coming soon in months enough, parking here a lot."

Freya chuckled. "I bet they will, Gacy."

"Oh heyy! Didn't expect you to find me." Jim saw her from far and spoke in a louder tone.

Freya walked slowly, her footsteps deliberate as she approached Jim.

He looked up from his sketch, a smile spreading across his face. She tapped his shoulder playfully.

"You're it!" she declared, then took off running.

Jim laughed, setting down his paint and portrait before taking off after her. "Oh, you're not getting away that easily!" he called out.

As Freya sprinted ahead, she suddenly tripped and fell. "Ouch! Oh my God!" she exclaimed, looking back at Jim who was closing in.

Jim reached her and knelt down, concern etched on his face. "Hey, are you okay, Freya?" he asked, his voice filled with worry.

Freya glanced at her hands, which were scratched and covered in dust. Her knees were torn and bleeding.

She looked at herself and then burst out laughing, despite the pain. Jim looked confused and frowned at her.

"what's wrong with you?" He asked in an clearly annoyed tone.

She hisses on the pain as she scrutinize her wounds.

"Are… you're okay, Freya? Did you hurt yourself? Let me see," he asked in a concerned voice, gently taking her hand to examine the scratches.

Freya, feeling a warmth in her chest, thought, Yes, that's the man I love.

His eyes searching hers for any sign of serious injury.

"You're bleeding, Freya. Look, let's get you up and find a band-aid. Come on," he urged, helping her to her feet.

They walked hand in hand, young lovers under the summer sun. As they approached the park attendant, Freya giggled despite her wounds.

"Hey, cover your eyes." she said with a mischievous grin. "I'm going to be unladylike."

Jim theatrically covered his eyes. "Oh, okay." he spoke with plain voice.

Propped on one arm, Freya leaned off the side of the pier and spat.

"Ugh, my tongue is bit, and I'm bleeding. Yuck," she said, wincing as she wiped her mouth. Blood trickled from her tongue, mixing with the dust on her hands.

Jim peeked through his fingers. "Freya, where are you bleeding? How did you bite your tongue?"

Freya laughed, albeit a bit painfully. "I tripped over a pebble. Some rock pebble some idiot threw. They can't even place it in the right spot. Why are there pebbles and rocks everywhere? Why can't people clear the way for others? Sheesh. So unthoughtful."

Jim answered,"You're something else, Freya. But you're right, people should be more careful."

Freya sighed, cleaning herself up as best she could. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm just being a bitch."

Jim shook his head. "No, you're not."

Freya smiled, knowing he didn't mean what he said. They continued to walk together.