Sapphire Angel / Lucas Wong (Wong Yukhei)

Part 57 - Irreplaceable

Chinese will be labeled *C* 

******

The room was silent, and time seemed to move in slow motion as everyone took in what had just happened.

Vince stood, his arm still outstretched and clutching the gun in his palm.

Chaz, Winwin and Johnny stood, jaws dropped, and all eyes were on Lucas.

He gulped loudly, and then looked down at his torso that was slowly becoming engulfed in his own blood.

He could feel his heart racing and adrenaline flowing through his body, but no pain.

He felt a strong pressure in his chest, and a burning heat that was beginning to form and was spreading slowly through his veins.

He stumbled back, clutching his chest until his back hit the wall and then he slid down, his body slamming onto the ground.

Vince took a few steps forward in victory wanting to get a closer look at his victim, which for him would be a mistake.

Winwin was quickly at Lucas's side, and Johnny turned his sights to Vince, who was now standing within reach of his chains. He quickly tackled him to the ground.

Zeda grabbed the metal bat from the ground and rushed inside.

When she walked in, Johnny was on top of Vince beating his face in with both fists, while Chaz and Winwin were at Lucas's side.

Each strike was audible, along with Vince's groans. Vince not standing a chance against Johnny in full rage, thinking his friend had just been murdered.

*C* "Lucas, I am so sorry." Winwin said, taking his shirt off and pressing it onto Lucas's wound to try and slow the bleeding.

Lucas winced and groaned, the pain slowly starting to set in.

"Holy shit, dude." Chaz said, shocked, looking down at them.

*C* "I can't ... ugh -" Lucas spoke weakly through groans. *C* "Can't .... believe ...... this."

*C* "I am to die ...... at the hands of ... this fool." He glared at Vince.

*C "You are not, you will be alright, Lucas." Winwin sniffled.

Zeda first grabbed the gun that sat on the ground and pushed it out of reach of anyone. She then approached Johnny and Vince.

"Sorry, Johnny." She said, and gently pushed Johnny off of Vince, but not to save him.

"I wanna do the honors." She said, gripping the bat tightly in her hands.

He looked up at her, his face bloody and beaten already, and a smile crept across his lips.

Without hesitation, Zeda struck Vince in the face with the metal bat with all her might, knocking him out instantly. She dropped the bat and quickly ran to Lucas.

Chaz moved to let her be beside him, but Winwin remained on his other side, still applying pressure to his wound.

"Lucas." She cried, tears streaming down her face.

She saw the blood seeping from his chest on his right side, and it was already making its way onto the concrete beneath him.

Winwin had tears in his eyes, and they fell down onto Lucas.

Johnny got to his feet after being thrown off, and glared down at Vince, now unconscious on the floor. He had never wanted to kill anyone until this moment but knew he should let him live and spend his life suffering behind bars.

He tried to wipe dirt from his pants but ended up smearing Vince's blood onto them. He sighed and came to stand with Chaz.

"Help is on the way, Lucas, okay?" Zeda said with a sniffle, trying to reassure him.

"Is it?" Johnny asked.

"Yes." She grabbed the key from her pocket and unchained Lucas, the cuff falling to the floor loudly. "And I found the keys." 

She handed the key to Johnny and then turned back to Lucas, taking his now free hand into hers.

"Zeda." Lucas said weakly and had what sounded like bubbles in his throat and lungs.

She cupped his cheek and looked into his eyes.

"It's gonna be okay, Lucas." She said to him, but Johnny begged to differ as his chains too hit the floor and he passed the key to Chaz.

"Zeda ..." He said, and they all knew what he meant by his tone alone.

He did not believe Lucas would make it through this. He was shot in the chest and had fluid already in his lungs, along with the amount of blood he was losing ... Johnny knew it was over.

"Zeda, can you please take over for a moment." Winwin said, the key being handed to him by Chaz.

She hesitated but agreed and replaced his hands with hers.

Lucas winced and groaned again, sweat running down his forehead and his breathing heavy.

"I'm sorry, Lucas." She sobbed.

Winwin unchained himself and rubbed his wrist.

Johnny was starting to speak to Lucas, but addressed him as Yukhei, and Zeda turned to him with confusion.

"Yukhei?"

"That is my ... real name." Lucas told her with a cough.

"Really? I didn't know that." She tried to smile.

"Anyway ... Lucas ... we love you, man." Johnny said.

"I mean ... you and Winwin are like ... my best friends. I can't believe you're going out like this, man. To this coward who couldn't fight himself ... so he used a gun." He glared back at Vince.

"I don't know what to say ... I love you all." Lucas said weakly.

"Even me?" Chaz joked, and Lucas laughed.

"I suppose." He said.

"Hey, man. After all this ... outta respect for you I won't steal your girl." Chaz told him sincerely.

"Okay ... there are so many things wrong with what you just said but ... we can argue about that later. Just ... stop talking." Zeda said.

"Lucas I ... I found this." She put the black box into his palm.

He glanced down at it and smiled.

"Yes." Is all he said.

"I suppose now isn't a good time." She joked and they both laughed.

"You just ... keep it." He said, his voice growing even weaker and his breathing slowing.

He groaned loudly and a tear fell from his eye, as he felt his body shutting down.

"Lucas." Zeda cried quietly, holding his hands tightly with the box still inside it.

This instilled tears from everyone, and Lucas leaned his head against the wall, taking a deep breath.

And his eyes slowly fell closed.

xxxxx