A Red Lighter

Connor: A Bad Mistake

"Caleb" my voice caught in my throat as I looked at Caleb, his face was white as a sheet and he swayed on his feet. When I looked at his feet which were blue and that's when I noticed the blood that was taking refuge on the snow dusted ground "dad look" I said pointing out that Caleb was bleeding

Before we could do anything Caleb grabbed his sweater and tore it off his body. I didn't know what to think or how to act but what I saw that night would haunt me forever. Caleb looked like he'd gotten into a fight with a cheese grater and lost, badly. His chest was nothing but blood and exposed meat. It looked like a bad scrap but instead of his knees it wrapped around his entire body. I wanted to puke just go and hide, so I didn't have to face the fact that someone had tortured this poor kid.

My world froze for a minute and in that little bit of allotted everything seemed to go from bad to worse. I watched shocked as dad held Caleb arms trying to not to irritate Caleb's wound. He lowered him to the ground calling for mom to come help him and as I watched as dad tried not to panic, guilt ate away at me. This is my fault, I did this to him, and I let Caleb go home it's my fault he's dying.

"Blake" mom said readjusting Caleb's body "He needs to go to the hospital he's going into hypovolemic shock" dad just nodded his head in understanding and called 9-1-1 "Connor honey" I slowly pulled my eyes off Caleb to look at mom "Connor honey, I need you to bring me a towel so I can stop the bleeding"

I ran off searching for a towel, I knew mom would take good care of Caleb while I was gone. She was doctor and she deals with problems like this every day, she could save Caleb, she had to save Caleb.

Once I brought her the towel she applied it to Caleb's chest trying to snub the bleeding there first. The blue and red lights outside were more than reliving, dad held me as mom worked with the paramedics, placing Caleb onto a stretcher. I wanted to go with them Caleb would need me there. But dad just as I was about to run out the door after them dad grabbed my arm and turned me so I was facing him.

"Connor" his voice was steady, how could he be calm, Caleb was dying "Connor, you need to breathe"

"Breathe" I yelled tears working their way to my cheeks "How can I breathe Caleb is dying dad, he's dying and it's all my fault"

"How is it your fault" dad said gripping my shoulders "did you hurt him"

"No... but I left him there, even though I knew I shouldn't have"

"Did you know he was going to get hurt" I thought dads question over

"I didn't know some sick bastard was going to try and erase Caleb like a bad mistake," I said with a huff "how could I've known"

"Exactly" my father grinned pulling me in for a hug "and now he's with mom so and I promise she will take very good care of him"

The car ride over to the hospital was tense and the air in the car was thick. I know what dad said was true but it didn't stop the fact that I felt all of this was my fault. If I had just told Caleb to stay the night he wouldn't be dying right now.

After Caleb was out of surgery and they assured me that he would be okay, well okay as someone in his situation could be. I just sat in the private room mom got him and I stared at his chest as it rose and fell. The machine in the room where the only things that didn't make the quietness unbearable, I knew that if the constant beeping was there then so was Caleb. Mom and dad were arguing outdoors. About what was lost on me, I just needed Caleb to be okay. He was just starting to be my friend.

"Hello" a small voice pulled me out of my dreams "Connor," wiping the sleep from my eyes I noticed that Caleb was awake and sitting with his feet dangling over the edge of the hospital bed

"Caleb, hey buddy you're awake" I didn't know what to say, what the hell could I say "how are you feeling" I guess that's a good start

"Uhmm" I could see the wheels turning in Caleb's head "I'm good, a little itchy" he spoke rubbing his chest causing blood to spread over the white of his bandage

"Well don't scratch" great now I sounded like mom I thought

"Do you know how I got here?"

"Well" my heart beat fast in my ears, did he really not remember anything "you showed up to my house, you know" I said gesturing to his body "then you just kind of passed out so my mom tried to stop the bleeding as we waited for the paramedics to show up" Caleb frowned at my words, rubbing his chest again. Before he could speak mom entered the room, she had her hospital scrubs on.

"Oh good you're awake" she said closing the door "so Caleb on a scale of one to ten how much pain are you in"