Leaving Blue

Peter’s eyes opened slowly, the sound of the rain splashing down against the ground above him. He looked to the empty seat to his right where his wife was sitting a few moments before and felt shattered glass in the side of his face. With his injured right arm he reached to the belt buckle that had him suspended upside down, wincing at the pain from the movement, and released himself. His good arm helped to lower him slowly onto his shoulders instead of his head, but the glass cut through his shirt and into his forearm as his weight fell upon it.

“Sarah... Sarah?!” He shouted as he crawled out of the wreckage. Peter saw her a few feet away, lying chest down, unconscious, bleeding, and broken. He leaned over her, not wanting to move her in case he caused more damage. Her cheek was pressed into the ground facing to the side. The necklace he had given her had swung around, the heart-shaped locket falling down the back of her neck and onto the ground, the chain resting against her throat.

“Sarah, speak to me! Please!” He pleaded, unable to control his thoughts jumping to the worst. He frantically felt down for his phone in his trousers, grateful to find it intact and working.

“Fly Corp Rapid Response, what is your emergency?” The operator’s voice was a relief to hear.

“We’ve been in a car accident.” Peter said. “We need an ambulance. My wife...” Peter’s voice broke, and he went silent, not wanting to say what he was thinking, waiting for the woman at the other end of the phone to guide him.

“Based on your number this is Peter Lang, can you confirm to us your address.” The operator responded.

“Uh… We ’re in the middle of the woods, a cross roads, I’m not sure exactly. Can’t you just access my GPS?” Peter said down the phone desperately.

“Yes, we already have your location, but can you confirm to us your address so we can check you are in fact an employee of Fly Corp and entitled to the Fly Corp Rapid Response services.”

“Blue, no-“ he stopped himself from saying his old address. “Neutral Block 3, apartment 4.”

“Thank you for the confirmation, an ambulance has been dispatched to your location to provide medical assistance. Please stay on the line so we can assess the situation and prepare the medical team. What is the nature of your injury?” the operator’s voice was cold.

“It’s my wife, she’s unconscious - she was thrown from the car.” Peter was panicking, his eyes scanning his wife’s body for signs of life. He saw the rain water around her nostrils react to her breath.

“She’s breathing.”

“According to our records, your wife is Sarah Lang. Is that correct?” The operator asked.

“Yes.” Peter said.

“I apologise, but… as she is an employee of Blue Inc. and due to the ongoing trade conflict, she is… not… entitled to any Fly Corp services or products at this time.” The operator’s voice had the sound of false concern. She paused in the right moments to make it seem as if she found it difficult to say, but rattled off the end of the sentence like she had said it a hundred times before.

“No…” Peter shook his head, not that anyone could see him. “No, I’m an employee and as direct family she is also protected by Fly Corp!”

“Under normal circumstances, that would be true. But as she is an employee of Blue Inc. and due to the ongoing trade conflict, she is not entitled to any Fly Corp services or products at this time.” The operator repeated the line which she had rehearsed and memorised. Peter could hear sirens in the distance already as he protested, shouting expletives down the phone.

“I am sorry sir, but there is nothing we can do for your wife. I understand your anger, but if you keep shouting like this we will need to put a strike against your employee record.” The operator said. Peter took a deep breath and held it, eyes closed, thinking, attempting to calm himself.

Six months ago, when Fly Corp lost to Blue Inc. in their attempt to assimilate MTM’s assets, the market became unstable. All the corporations fought for a new balance and better deals due the change in power dynamics, especially Blue Inc. who attempted to take advantage of their increased water reserves. These trade crises happened periodically. Corporations would make inconveniences to the employees of another corporation until the pressure forces a concession. No single Corporation is able to provide fully for all their employees, so they have to cooperate eventually.

However, this crisis has been the longest since the Collapse. Without governments and courts, there was nobody to broker a peace.

Neither Corporation backed down, increasing their embargos by the day. Peter used to live in the Blue Inc. Block with Sarah, but he was forcibly evicted. Sarah could not move into the Fly Corp Apartments either, so they either had to separate or both move to the Neutral Block, which is what they chose. They had reduced rations there, lower security, and further travel to their respective offices.

Being married to a Blue Inc. employee meant Peter was demoted from his position in the Fly Corp Technology Division, and worked in the warehouses. Sarah was removed from the research team in Blue Pharmaceuticals and worked as a teacher in their training academy. Neither of them was trusted with access to their corporate network, which was crucial for their previous jobs.

Peter applied for a transfer to Blue Inc., but they rejected him. Sarah applied for a role at Fly Corp, and was accepted on the condition that she had to wait a whole year between quitting Blue Inc. and starting at Fly Corp. They would likely starve on single rations between the two of them, especially in the Neutral Bloc.

So they had waited, hoping the Trade crisis would end, and their old life would resume.

Peter hung up the phone. He could hear the sirens in the distance, but he knelt by Sarah and moved slowly, gently reaching to find her phone. He had to call the Blue Inc. Emergency number, but his Fly Corp phone would not connect to them.

Terrified of moving her and breaking her body more, he felt through her empty pockets and looked for her bag. It wasn’t there. He stood up and ran back to the car, blood and rain dripping down his face, and he dropped to his knees to crawl in through the smashed windshield.

He finally found it half crushed between the roof of the car and the road, the screen exploded and the circuits inside exposed. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no!” He shouted, screaming in rage.

Peter stood up and ran back to Sarah. The sirens were close now and he could see the lights through the trees. “They’re almost here…” He said to Sarah.

His phone was ringing constantly, the words ‘Fly Corp Rapid Response’ lit up on the screen. He answered it.

“Mr Lang. The ambulance is very nearby… no… The ambulance crew confirm that they can see you.” The operator said before the line went dead again. Peter barely registered it, his hand was up in the waving at them as the Ambulance pulled close and two Fly Corp Paramedics jumped out, wings on the backs of their Hi-Vis vests.

“My wife, help my wife!” Peter said as they ran up to him.

The first paramedic looked at her but looked straight back at Peter, his hands motioning him to move closer. “My name is John. I am told your name is Peter correct?” He asked. Peter nodded. “Show me where you’re bleeding.”

The second stood back, shaking his head, eyes locked on Sarah. “We’ve got to help her.” He said, standing still, unable to move further forwards.

“Save her!” Peter shouted, standing up, walking towards the second paramedic.

“Sir, please.” The paramedic said holding him back. “We need to take you to the hospital, you seem to have hit your head in the crash and we need to examine you properly. Please, sit down.” He motioned to the back of the ambulance.

“No. Forget me, help her!” Peter shouted, his arms pointing his wife, barely breathing on the floor.

The second paramedic moved towards her but the first reached out and grabbed his shirt by the collar. “Simon, do not!”

“She’s dying!” Simon pleaded. “We can’t just leave her!”

“We have to.” The paramedic said calmly. “If we treat her, we get fired.”

“You’re going to let her die to save your job?!” Peter shouted, gripping the paramedics vest and shaking him.

“No. Fly Corp is going to let her die. I am doing my job so my family can eat.” The paramedic retorted, pulling himself free from Peter and walking back towards the ambulance.

Simon adjusted the bag on his shoulder; his medical supplies felt heavy. As he started to walk towards Sarah the paramedic shouted. “Touch her, and I drive off without you! I’m not going to be a part of this.” The paramedic jumped into the driver’s seat of the ambulance.

Simon stood there, frozen in the rain. He looked up at Peter and shook his head. “I’m sorry.”

“No, no.” Peter said. “Please. Help. Do something!” He walked at Simon who was backing away from him. “You have to do something. Look at her! Call the Blue Inc. hospital. Save her!”

Simon jumped into the back of the ambulance his eyes watching Peter moving towards him. He shook his head, his face contorted in pain as he repeated “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” over and over. The ambulance started to move and Peter screamed, grabbing the open door, limping, his blood flowing down his neck and swollen shoulder. He stumbled and fell into the ground as the Ambulance pulled around the corner.

Eventually, Peter had walked and crawled his way back to Sarah, collapsing beside her. He stroked the hair out of her face. He reached around and softly pulled her locket from the back of her neck to place the golden heart beneath her chin and against her neck.

He could not see if she was moving or not. The rain and their blood mingled with his tears into the cracked asphalt.