Schandenfreude
It was just good timing that an LA police officer witnessed the accident.
The shaken driver stood by his bus, staring at the body crumpled in the street. “It’s not my fault,” he kept repeating. “He just stepped out in front of my bus.”
The officer patted the driver’s shoulder reassuringly. “I saw it all. There was nothing you could do.”
A man pushed his way past the crowd of gawkers, most of whom were taking videos of the accident on their cell phones and happily sending the videos to YouTube
“I’m a doctor,” he said. “I can help till the ambulance gets here.”
He knelt beside the fallen man, lifting an eyelid, feeling his pulse. The bus’ antenna was sticking out of the man’s chest. It’s like he was stabbed in the heart, the doctor thought.
The officer crouched next to him. “Is he dead?”
The doctor shook his head. “No, but he’ll always be in pain and he’ll be in a full body cast for many many months. How did this happen?”
“He was texting and just walked out in front of the bus,” the officer told him. “The driver never even had the chance to brake.” He looked down at the man lying in the street. “Not very bright, buddy.”
The officer stood up and pulled the man’s phone from his now limp grasp and took passport, British the officer noticed, from his pocket, holding them for the emergency technicians so they didn’t get lost.
He opened the passport to get the man’s id, then automatically glanced at the text message, written but still unsent. “This is the most fun I’ve ever had. I wish I could do it again.” The officer looked down at the man, his expression unreadable.
The ambulance arrived. The officer gave the emergency technician the wallet and phone and watched the ambulance drive away. “Payback’s a bitch, isn’t it?” the officer murmured with more than a hint of satisfaction in his voice. “Enjoy your stay in America.”
His partner had taken the driver’s statement already. The officer walked back to the driver. “You’re free to go, sir.”
As the bus drove away, the officer’s eye was caught by the large banner on the side. Save the Tea Boy.com, he read.”
He took out his Torchwood pen and wrote the url in his notebook. He’d be sure to check that site out when he got home.