He crawled into the bag and pulled the zipper up to his chin, gazing up into the night sky. There were stars and the hint of jasmine in the distance. The park around him was damp, the grass recently cut. There was so much to inhale for the last time. He used the emergency link on his locked mobile phone.
“9-1-1 what’s you’re emergency?”
“I need you to come pick me up,” he said with his mobile phone held to his ear. Even now he wouldn’t tolerate speaker phone.
“Pick you up? What do you mean? What’s your emergency?” the dispatcher responded curtly.
“Sorry, I need you to come collect my remains.” He spotted Venus, bright in the sky Towards the south and crossed his feet.
“Sir? Pick you up? Do you need medical help? Where are you calling from?”
“I’m here” he said, “and I’m a carrier. I’m in a bag and I even put some biohazard stickers on it” he chuckled, “but yeah, I’m going to be dead in a few minutes and I just need you to send someone out to collect me. Again, I’m already in the bag.”
He proceeded to provide the address, describe the park and the nearby playground.
“Sir,” the dispatcher stepped out of routine, “Stay with me. I’m going to get you help. We’re on our way.” He could hear the dispatcher frantically tapping at her keyboard.
“I’m here. And thank you. You sound… kind. But let your guys know that there is only one round chambered in my pistol and it’s going to be discharged. My HRP is closed but I’m infected. Just be safe and keep distance.”
“You’re positive?” Dispatched asked, her tone softened.
He choked back tears, “I am. Yeah.I found our yesterday. So I’m trying to do this… on my own terms. I don’t want to be a problem. Just send someone to collect me, please. I’ll be right here but zipped up. There’s no one else to contact.”
He looked up into the sky, wishing the Milky Way was visible, and set his phone into to damp lawn, still connected, and closed the zipper of his own plastic body bag.