Aquiver (Original)

Blackout

Sitting in the back of the theater, Becker had an uneasy feeling in his gut. He held Isabella's hand and shared popcorn with her with his other hand. Watching the movie, he noticed one figure in the darkened theater kept pacing along the sides of the room.

He gently nudged Isabella. "Hey, I think we should leave," he whispered.

Isabella had a mouthful of popcorn and she looked at him. "Hmm?" she mumbled quietly. She finished her bites and looked around. "Why?" she whispered quietly.

"Something feels off," he whispered. "We need to go now..."

The figure on the side of the theater lifted their arm as if aiming something. A gunshot pierced the air and Becker's militaristic instincts kicked in. He got up quickly and ran over to the shooter, tackling him. Another gunshot pierced the air.

Pain ripped through Becker's abdomen and he tried to stay strong. He had the shooter pinned and suddenly the lights were turned on in the theater. Becker was losing blood fairly quickly, but he was determined to keep the shooter at bay.

Security ran into the room and detained the shooter. Someone had already called 911 and Becker held his lower abdomen. His breathing became labored and he looked at the blood on his hands. Suddenly, everything went black for him.

Isabella gasped and ran over to Becker. "Becker, Becker, sweetheart wake up," she whimpered. "Becker, wake up! Please!"

Paramedics ran over to Becker and the individual that had gotten shot. The person that had gotten shot was fatally injured. Being hoisted up, Becker was completely unconscious. Isabella held his limp hand and she followed the paramedics to the ambulance before being forced to let go. She ran back into the theater, got her purse and Becker's wallet, and then ran to the car. She got in and raced after the ambulance.

****

Pacing the lobby back and forth, Isabella was worried to death about Becker. 4 hours had passed and she had heard nothing about him at all. Becker was in emergency surgery to get the bullet out of his intestines. He had a 50/50 chance of living but was willing to take that risk.

A surgeon came out of the room and looked around. "Isabella Johnson?" he said. Isabella looked up from her phone and got up quickly. "Is Becker okay?" she asked. The surgeon smiled and nodded. "Yes," he said. "He should be fine. He had a 50/50 chance of living...and he survived."

Isabella breathed a sigh of relief and she had a hand on her chest. "Oh thank goodness. May I see him?" she asked.

The surgeon nodded. "He's still unconscious right now, but he should wake up later tonight," he said. "Have a good day, miss Johnson." He gave her Becker's room number and then left.

Isabella searched for the room. Once she found it, she went into the room and looked at Becker, who was now fast asleep.

She gently held his face in her hands and she kissed his forehead. "You're so strong, Becker," she whispered. "You're so strong..." She gently pressed her forehead against his and she closed her eyes, listening to the heart monitor in the room. Maybe everything was going to be okay after all.