Eternity

"Rescue 1, respond to 7265 Progress lane, at the Adult Video News for a man down."

I fumbled for my radio, sitting in the charger next to my bunk. The indicator light was still red, must not have been out for long. I stood, felt the pains run up my legs, felt the familiar stiffness in my back and neck and did a quick stretch. I took a deep breath. Dragon fire. Should I brush? How would the "man down" feel about his rescuer doing a little bird bath and breath refreshment before rushing to his aid?

I popped a piece of Trident in, because it freshens your breath while whitening your teeth, rubbed the bedhead out of my scalp and hit the pole. Three minutes later, we stopped the truck in front of the x-rated novelty store. A woman ran out, shocked.

"He's in there!" she said pointing into the dark doorway. The sun had barely risen, some days dawn is beautiful and refreshing, others, just downright creepy.

"He's not supposed to be in there!" she continued, hiding behind me as I walked into the empty building. I keyed the mike.

"Rescue 1 to fire alarm, have the police respond here, possible trespasser."

"Where is he?"

"In the back."

"What's he doing?"

"Just laying there."

I approached the back of the store where the private viewing booths were.

"Which one?"

She pointed to a closed door. I wanted to walk out and forget the whole thing. Instead, I opened the door.

A man lay on the floor, dead. His face was plastered to the stained carpeting. The last video he ever saw was over. I reached in, felt for a pulse that I knew wouldn't be there. Ice cold.

"Rescue 1 to fire alarm, time on scene and a police Sargent."

"0622 hrs. Rescue 1, Police have been notified."

When the cops got there I told them time of death 0622. In reality, he died around 2300 hrs, alone, watching porn in a dirty booth on a sceevy block surrounded by deviants. He looked to be around fifty. Fifty years of life, family, kids, maybe church, might have been a coach, a teacher, a firefighter, a priest...who knows.

All I know is his last act is probably not how he wanted to be remembered for all eternity.