I Helped an Elderly Man Who Collapsed at a Bus Stop During a Heat Wave – That Evening, I Found a Note He Had Slipped Into My Pocket, and My Hands Started Shaking

By the time my shift ended, the sun had turned the sidewalks into a griddle.

The bus stops were mostly empty.

Sensible people were inside.

I was three blocks from home when I saw him.

An elderly man sat alone on the bus stop bench.

Sensible people were inside.

His pale blue shirt was soaked through.

His hands trembled as he pressed a folded handkerchief to his forehead.

Something in me slowed.

« Sir? Are you alright? »