I Guess I'm a Hero

Heartbeats

I stood in the dimly lit white corridor. A small hand was clinging hard to mine. I looked down at Peg. I don't think I had ever seen her so worried. It seemed to age her. Up and down the hallway,people were going about normal business – well, normal for a hospital, I guess. People were moving about their lives not knowing that one of my friends was fighting for hers.

"Bill,are you sure?" Peg asked again.

"Yes,Peg. It was a set-up." I looked towards the closed door, beyond which lay Jess. "It had to be. If the boys didn't get her, then the shooter would have. It was classic. Just like the other hits. Another means in place in case a hero showed up."

"But I saw..." She looked away distastefully, unable to finish her thought.

"Well,I imagine what you saw was the boys having a little fun before they finished their job." I could hear the tightness in my voice.

"So,if it was a set-up, that means the one that you let go..."

"Yep,"I finished. "The one I let go knows who I am. Or what I am. And soon, the ones who hired him will know who you are."

Theodor opened and the doctor walked out, his face unreadable.

"Your friend is in there with her, and he said you two can come in." We started to push past him. "But," he continued, "It's going to be close. She lost a lot of blood and the bullet had collapsed her lung on its way through. And the way things are...well, there isn't always enough blood for transfusions."

"So,what...she's not going to make it?" Peg exclaimed.

"I didn't say that. I said it's going to be close. I just don't know for sure right now. All we can do now is wait – and pray, if you're into that sort of thing." The doctor looked at me like he was going to say something else, or ask a question. Then he just shook his head and kept walking.

I watched him leave for a second and then put my arm around Peg's shoulder and guided her through the door. The room was quiet. I heard Peg sob as she rushed to the bedside and gently grabbed Jess's hand. I saw Timmy sitting in a chair on the other side of the bed,holding on to her other hand.

I stepped behind him and looked at the readouts on the monitor. The blood pressure was very low. Her pulse was very slow. Jess looked really pale.

I put my hand on Timmy's shoulder. "Tim," I started. "Tim,I...." But there was nothing to say.

Tim looked up at me. I saw a little worry on his face. But what scared me was his eyes. There was a fire in them. A fire like he would take apart the world, one piece at a time, to get at the people who had done this. I actually almost took a step back.

Meanwhile,the monitor attached to Jess continued its droning beep. Keeping time. Like the ticking of a clock that was winding down.