Like Wise. A Story. Part 11.

Wise recalls the incident well. Maybe better than anyone. In fact, he says he'll never forget some of the details. 

He saw someone running and it struck him as odd. The man looked suspicious, running out of an alley. It was more of a walk but the walk was only to hide the run. 

Wise made his way into the alley from which the man had come and fairly quickly saw the body. He quickly ran over to him and noticed the blood that had connected on the broken concrete, the swollen face, the pale skin, and the very shallow breathing. He quickly checked for a pulse and saw that he was alive. 

The blood had camouflaged the U.S. ARMY words and logo but when Wise saw them his breath left his chest. He then recognized the hair cut - he had seen it many times. And the chain of a dog tag around his neck - he had seen that too. 

He noticed a tattoo on his forearm. It was a symbol he knew well. He had seen it in paraphernalia and on helicopters. 

Everything in him wanted to walk away but he couldn't. He saw his son lying on similar broken and bloodied concrete for a moment but this man was still alive. He felt for a pulse again. 

And he lifted Billy up, put him over his shoulder and carried him out of the alley and onto the street looking for something. He saw a blue "H" with an arrow pointing toward a hill and he carried Billy as fast as he could toward wherever the signs pointed him. 

Billy doesn't remember any of it.

Later doctors told him that an Arabic looking man - with his head covered - had walked into the emergency room carrying Billy and crying out for help. He had told them everything he knew about his condition and pleaded with them to take him immediately as he knew he was dying. He had offered to pay for anything the hospital needed but he asked them to make sure he lived. 

Billy doesn't remember any of it. 

And doesn't really believe it.