Your Time

Chapter 40

{March 2030}

Carrie wasn't mentally prepared for today. Even if someone would've warned her, she wouldn't of believed it.

She was running errands when she got the call from his mom. Something happened to Harrison on the way to pick up Ben from school. Carrie didn't know what happened, but it was enough to put him in intensive care in the hospital.

On the way to the hospital, Carrie called her mom. "Mom!"

"Carrie!? Carrie what's wrong!?"

She knew Debbie could hear the strain in her voice, as she tried to speak clearly with tears running down her cheeks. "I need you to take care of the kids. Something..." Carrie stopped to wipe more tears away. "Something happened to Harrison mom," she sobbed. "He's in ICU."

"Oh Carrie. Do you want me to come to the hospital?"

"Take care of the kids mom," she pleaded. "Please."

"I will Carrie. Keep me updated."

"I will mom. He better be okay."

With that, she hung up and put her focus towards driving. Carrie was almost there. Going as fast as she was, she would be there very soon.

Carrie couldn't stop thinking of all the potential scenarios that awaited her. He was seriously hurt, she knew that. But what would he be like when she saw him. Would he be okay? Would he be in a coma? She forced herself to concentrate on the road, but she couldn't help but wonder, is he dead?

She took another turn rather quickly. The hospital was now in view. Harry I'm coming... hang on.

•••

Harrison gently closed his truck door and made his way towards the school. Ben wasn't feeling well today, so Carrie had sent him to pick his son up while she was out doing some shopping.

As he walked towards the main entrance to the elementary school, he couldn't help but wonder why all the lights in the main office were turned off. That was very odd. There was always someone in there. He shook his head, and continued towards the door. They were probably at an assembly or something.

The main entrance to the school consisted of a series of doors, and small area in between another set of doors. Once he got to the door that was always open and was right next to the office window, he tried to open it. But it wouldn't budge.

"What the hell?" He muttered to himself. After that, Harrison tried every other door, all to no avail. They were all locked.

So he decided to try another entrance. Walking around the school, he tried the other doors, all of which were locked. Was there a field trip today or something? Harrison wondered. But then again, why would the entire school be locked up? There would be somebody here.

He then took his phone out from his pocket, and was in the process of calling Carrie to see what the hell was going on, when he saw someone move from the corner of his eye.

Already being suspicious, Harrison turned around, thinking it was another parent here for the same reason. But as the person made their way down the sidewalk, he could tell it definitely was not a parent coming to pick up their kid.

The person sounded a warning bell to him. The figure wore all black clothes. What made Harrison even more suspicious was that the person was wearing a heavy coat with long sleeves. Today it was at least 95 degrees.

He stepped away from the door to watch the person continue down the sidewalk. As the walked, it occurred to him that they were hiding something. When the person pulled up their left sleeve, Harrison could see a black glove around the handle of a gun.

Immediately, he ducked back behind the wall of the school and the door so he couldn't be seen. Now it all made sense to him. The school was in a lockdown. And there was a gunman just outside.

Harrison took a deep breath, leaning his head against the cool brick wall. What should he do?

Peeking around the wall to check on the gunman's position, he called the police. Even with the call out to the police, it would take them too long to get here. It didn't help the man was moving towards the school.

Taking another deep breath, he decided he had to act. It would be too long before the police got here. Inside the school was not only his son, but 300 other students and teachers.

Getting himself together, he once again looked for the gunman. Just as his head peeked out around the wall, the gunman rounded the corner of the school.

Being as quiet as possible, Harrison slowly made his way along the bush line in front of the school. The entire time, he was having doubts. He had a family. A wife and four kids. But those kids and teachers inside the school had their own families as well.

Harrison stopped when he got to the corner. Slowly peeking around, he saw the man, not 10 feet away from him. He took a deep breath to attempt to calm himself. Now was his chance.

As he ran around the corner and grabbed the man around the waist, he couldn't stop thinking about Carrie and the kids.

Harrison's hands locked together as he picked up the man and slammed him to the ground. The gun clattered away. He tried to pin the man down, but was kicked away as both men separated. As the both got to their feet, Harrison charged the man.

Harrison planted his foot just in front of the man. He brought his fist up for an uppercut as he heard the gunshot, and felt the searing pain coming from his stomach. His fist connected with the man's jaw, and both men fell to the ground.

Landing next to the man, Harrison could see he was unconscious. He smiled the smallest smile, he'd done it.

As he rolled onto his side, Harrison cried out in pain, pressing his hand against his wound. But it did him no good. When he pulled his hand away, his began to feel nauseous seeing the blood covering his hands.

The pain increased until it took over his entire body. He laid his head back on the grass, looking up at the sky. The world felt like it was spinning as he slowly lost consciousness.

Harrison thought of his four kids, Adam, Emma, Billie, and Ben. They would all grow up to have bright futures, he just knew it. He then thought of Carrie. Her beautiful smile, her big brown eyes, and the feeling of her gentle lips pressed against his. He would miss that. He would miss her, the love of his life.

His eyes stayed open long enough to shed a single tear before everything spiraled into darkness.