Jacob held his hand up, examining the bright red color more closely.
That’s a lot of blood. Bullets will do that, though, I suppose.
He wasn’t feeling quite as bad as when it had happened, though. In fact, he was beginning to think that it might not even be a fatal wound. Maybe he could get fixed up? If he could just get out of there…
The bomb was going to be a problem, though. He knew the blast radius, and he knew how long he’d have to set it for to be clear of it. The thing was, he’d kind of promised to make sure it went off.
In person.
Sure, right now that seemed like a stupid thing to promise, but he’d just been shot, and it seemed like the noble thing to do. He’d never been shot before, and he had been fairly certain that his life was shortly coming to an end.
I do feel better, though. I’m going to try and stand. Yes, stand. Let’s start there.
His arms and legs moved in tandem to lift his body, and his body complained in the only way it knew how. Groaning through the waves of pain, Jacob collapsed back down onto the floor.
Well, shit.
He looked around. Everything looked just a little bit off... was it the blood loss? The spinning alarm lights that accompanied the warbling klaxon seemed to move in slow motion. He’d never noticed that it wasn’t the light that was spinning, but the mirror around it. How clever.
Ok, let’s try again, shall we?
Ready for it, this time, he grunted against the fiery ache in his gut and managed to heave himself to his feet. Leaning against a wall, he contemplated his situation further. Firstly, the bomb needed to go off. That much was obvious; it’s what they’d come here for. Secondly, he didn’t want to die. Now that living had presented itself as an option, he was intensely invested in it.
Adrianna looked so proud of me, though. She gave me a kiss!
How could he not stay, after that? He’d gotten shot, then shot his attacker, and then bravely volunteered to complete the mission in his last living moments. Adrianna looked so beautiful, and she rewarded his bravery with the pressing of her lips and a tearful, “I’ll never forget you.”
Nathan had looked less impressed, but Jacob hated Nathan anyway. Such a tall, good-looking man of action… always being swooned over by Adrianna. He was an asshole. A skillful, daring asshole.
After all that, it’d be awfully embarrassing to show up alive.
And why wouldn’t it? He was sure that had it been Nathan, he would accept death without blinking an eye, vaporizing himself and the base in a blaze of glory and machismo. Jacob was not Nathan, however, and the thought of a bright, explosive death appealed to him slightly less.
What about Adrianna, though? She’d be so disappointed. She had blessed him with the purest of kisses and deigned to file his sacrifice away in a part of her memory that would surely never be forgotten. She'd remember him forever.
He slumped to the ground, his impulse to live thoroughly subverted by his other impulses.
I wonder if it’ll hurt? It shouldn’t. It’ll be fast. Painless.
A flurry of footsteps sounded louder and louder in the hallway next to him. They’d be upon him any second.
It’ll be fast.
The detonator felt incredibly heavy in his hand, for some reason.
It’ll be fast.
