The Fire Within

STAY AWAY FROM ME!

Patrick's pov

His eyes closed and I couldn't hold it in. I sobbed int his shoulder.

"What have I done?" I heard Laslo behind me.

Pete shuffled toward him, "Nothing. You didn't do anything,"

"Stay away from me!" Laslo screamed, "I don't want to hurt you!"

"You wouldn't hurt me, and even if you could, it wouldn't be that bad,"

Laslo shifted uncomfortably away from his father. Pete watched his son pull a hood over his head and break into sobs, "I've hurt two people, Dad! They could die!"

"You know, every firefly, breather, stone, and rain has hurt someone at some point,"

"Does it matter? I haven't just hurt them! For all we know, Erika is dead and Declan..... Just look at him!"

My heart clawed its way to my throat. Declan did look dead. The only sign of life was the rise and fall of his chest in shallow, irregular breaths.

I turned to Laslo, "Las, it was just a premature wheeze,"

He looked me in the eye, "But I'm not supposed to get them this early,"

I glanced at him. "This only means that you're a powerful breather,"

He stared at me in dismay, "Patrick, you're the most powerful firefly I've heard of. How old were you when you had your first burn?"

I was shocked by his question, "I-I was eleven,"

He looked distraught, "But I'm eleven!"

"It only means you're very powerful," Pete sighed.

"I don't want to be powerful if I have the capability to do this!"

I shot him a sympathetic smile, "I've been trough this. I can help you control it. As well as your father."

Just then Andy walked in, "The paramedics are here.

I picked up bloody Declan and headed downstairs.

I handed his motionless body to a paramedic, "Help him," I sobbed.

"What happened," she asked, inspecting him. Erika was already on a stretcher.

"He fell into a mirror and it shattered," That was all I could think of.

"He needs stitches.... Now." she called, "We can deal with the blood loss after we are sure he isn't going to lose any more,"

A few men and women came cleanly stitched his wounds. They got him into a stretcher as well and loaded him into the back of the ambulance.

Pete and I got in with them and Joe and Andy got the kids in their cars.

"I hope Las knows it wasn't his fault," I muttered to Pete.

"I think he does," Pete replied.

I heard a loud, long beep. I looked up. my heart dropped into my stomach as I saw Erikas monitor flat line.