Everything Changes by Melanie Hansen

could see there was something on his friend’s mind. He didn’t want to push it, and he figured he knew what it was, anyway. Carey wasn’t what anyone would call an open book, but Jase knew him well enough by now to know what had happened at the club had freaked him out. Jase was kicking himself for getting carried away, for getting caught up in the moment and letting his emotions and desires run away with him.
    They were driving up a two-lane windy road that hugged the coast, and Jase glanced over at Carey. It wouldn’t be long before they merged onto the interstate that would take them south back to Coronado, and Jase hoped Carey would open up and share what he was thinking so they could deal with it and move on.
    Suddenly a car roared around them on the left, passing and pulling in front of them with just inches to spare before an oncoming car would have smashed into them. Horns blared, and Jase clenched the wheel hard.
    “Son of a bitch , that was close! Fuckers!”
    “Some teenage kid driving like a lunatic,” Carey said, shaking his head.
    “He’s gonna kill someone!”
    Just as the words left Jase’s mouth, there was a grating screech up ahead and the sound of grinding metal. His heart dropped to his toes, and he reflexively slowed down. Carey already had his phone out and ready, and they rounded the curve.
    “Oh my God,” Carey breathed. Jase took in the scene at a glance, pulling up as close as he dared, and was out of his door in a flash, rummaging in the back of the Jeep.
    “Got some emergency flares back here, Carey,” Jase instructed tersely, pulling his medical kit out from behind the seat where it was always wedged. “Set them out to warn oncoming cars. And fuck’s sake, be careful.” He saw Carey nod, then start speaking to the dispatcher who had answered his 911 call.
    Jase took off in a run toward the wreck, his mind switching into caregiver mode as he assessed the scene. The car full of teenagers had obviously tried to pass again, skid marks showing where the driver had had to avoid an oncoming car and then overcorrected, rolling his vehicle. The small car lay on its side, and bodies were strewn haphazardly around where they’d been thrown clear, broken as rag dolls. Several other cars were stopped in the road and off to the side, their occupants emerging, some with hands over their mouths in horror, others hurrying to help.
    Jase ran up and knelt by the first boy. He was clearly dead, his head a pulpy mess from hitting the pavement. Still, Jase gloved up quickly and checked for signs of life, not surprised when he found none.
    There was a man a few feet away on his hands and knees, vomiting, the usual civilian’s response to the horror of a scene such as this. When he finished heaving, the man wiped his mouth shakily, then pushed up and headed toward Jase.
    “What can I do?” he asked. “Are you a doctor?”
    “I’m an EMT,” Jase answered, admiration for the man’s courage sweeping through him. “How many of them are there, do you know?”
    “Three, I think. I saw the whole thing.” The man shuddered.
    “Okay, this one is gone,” Jase said, tilting his head toward the boy on the ground. “If you have any blankets in your car….” The man seemed to understand instantly and nodded, seeming grateful to be given a task, and took off in a sprint toward his vehicle.
    Jase stood up and ran to the next body on the ground, only to feel sorrow cramp his gut as he made the same assessment… dead, head injuries too severe. What a fucking waste, he thought sadly.
    The helpful man ran up with an armload of large beach towels, and Jase stood, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder and murmuring, “Cover their faces, okay?” The man swallowed hard and nodded.
    “This one’s alive! Oh God, somebody help!” Adrenaline surging through him, Jase grabbed his medical kit and sprinted toward the voice, which came from right next to the smashed vehicle. He reached the scene, then skidded