The Time We Have Left

Chapter 7: A Gift

(Previous Chapter: "Drop the knife." A cop from behind up said. Was this one of the cops who went after the other gunman? The man didn't move an inch, still restraining me.

In one moment, I felt a cold metal thrust through my stomach and I head a gunshot and Hope scream. I heard Matthew yell my name, and I heard the girl I had saved scream. I heard several cops radio in that they needed an ambulance.

I felt dizzy and fell to my knees.

My time had run out, finally.

And I blacked out.)

Chapter 7: A Gift

"Someone I loved once gave me a box of darkness. It took me years to understand that this too, was a gift..."    ~Mary Oliver

I woke in a hospital bed with a bright light over my head. I moved the light from over me, and saw Hope and Matthew in the room, they were both sleeping.

I looked down at my appearance as I lie in bed. My shirt was torn off my body and I had bandages along my stomach and around my waist. I had survived getting stabbed, but the experience taught me a much bigger lesson.

I had come to a conclusion that I couldn't do this anymore. There was another familiar face in the hospital room, but I didn't remember who she was. It touched a part of me that they all had visited me... but I needed to break off. I had put Hope in danger, and I couldn't live with myself this way.

"Aidan...?" I heard a voice say. I turned my head, my neck was stiff. Hope was to the side of me and she had tears in her eyes. She hugged me tightly and began crying. I put my arm around her but couldn't say anything. I felt a lump in my throat, but I couldn't understand why I had felt this way. She was hysterical, and it woke Matthew and the other girl.

I couldn't meet any of their faces, but I could tell they were all happy and relieved. I didn't like all of this emotion, just for me...

Hope took a breath and lied at my side, but didn't say anything more. She only clung to my arm. 

"Do you remember me, Aidan?" The girl asked. I thought back. It couldn't be the girl I met at the garage because I never told her my name, and  the only other females I knew other than Hope were from school, which I never really associated myself with.

"Vaguely." I admitted. I only recognized her face, but I couldn't put a name to it. "My name is Ava, we hadn't actually spoke much but we met at the playground... you told me I had 3 days to live, and I told you I'd see you in 3 days." She reminded. Had it been 3 days already...? I only remembered 2 days passing since then.

"You were asleep for a long time, Aidan." Matthew said. His voice was scratchy. I felt Hope hug my arm tighter, "You really scared us." She said. I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say. Should I apologize? But this only happened because I saved their lives, so I shouldn't actually apologize.

"Yeah, so... you're a real life saver, huh? Your friends told me about, um.. everything. And it turns out you were right about that girl I was supposed to meet... actually, it's a boy." Ava said. "Oh." I said, but I wasn't entirely paying attention. Should I tell them what I've been thinking?

"Are you okay, Aidan? I mean... dumb question. How do you-"

"I need to talk to you all." I said, interrupting Matthew. I felt them all stare at me, waiting for me to say something but I couldn't pull myself to look at any of them. The room became deathly silent.

"I don't think I can do this anymore..." I said. But I felt like I hadn't entirely explained because everyone was still quiet. "I mean, hang out with you guys..." I said. I felt like I sounded a lot more cold than I thought or intended to.

"What?" Hope said, sitting up. "Are you saying you don't want anything to do with us anymore?" She asked. She seemed hurt, and I felt really bad for some reason. But this was because I cared about them, I told myself. I was scared of anything happening to them... I was scared of anything happening to Hope.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." I said, still avoiding to look at them. I heard Hope scoff and get off the bed. I could see her start to leave from the corner of my eye and then stop in the doorway. "You... are so selfish." She said, her voice shaky. I heard the door slam shut behind her, but Matthew and Ava stayed.

"Do you hate me too, Matthew?" I found myself asking. I turned to him and he shook his head no. "Aidan, Hope doesn't hate you either. Actually I'd say... well, anyways. I think I know why you're coming to this decision." he said.

I stayed quiet, awaiting his explanation. "You're afraid of losing those you care about." Ava said. "So you think by not associating yourself with us, you're somehow protecting us." Matthew finished. It didn't seem such of an odd plan until he said it that way, but anytime they were with me, something bad always seemed to happen.

"Would you like me to tell you why you're stupid?" He asked, smiling. I sighed, "Yes."

His smile widened and then disappeared as he became serious, "Aidan, the reason why our mother is alive is because of you. We would have never known she would have died if she went on that trip. And guess what? The ship she was supposed to go on crashed yesterday, although the captain survived, many people on the cruise died... she would have been one of them, but you saved her." Matthew said.

"And I would have met that girl but I listened to you, and well... I'm here today." Ava added. "And your foster mother..." Matthew said, "and, me... Aidan, you saved my life. And if you weren't with us when Hope wanted us to go to the garage, who's to say she wouldn't have just gone on her own? I certainly wouldn't have gone. Being with you is like having protection, but you think otherwise, which is what makes you stupid." Matthew concluded. Ava nodded in agreement. 

"So, be our friend!" Ava demanded. I sighed heavily... but I did feel a lot better. "I have a strict no-unnecessary-socialization poli-..." I stopped mid-sentence, "you aren't going to give me a choice, are you?" I asked. Ava and Matthew nodded, smiling.

"But... Hope seems really mad, so... She's probably gonna take a while to calm down." Matthew said, "but remember... this is a gift you have, Aidan.  Not a curse." He said.

I nodded, slowly. This is a gift, I told myself again. A gift...then why couldn't I save my own parents...?