First Punch ➟ Kellic

T H I R T Y F I V E

I come to my senses slowly, my body aching and a loud, rhythmic beeping filling the room. I feel a hand clutching my own, their thumb delicately brushing over mine. I smile, rolling my head toward it and hearing a gasp. I squint my eyes open, my vision clearing up to Jake's worried face as he sits at my side.

"Oh thank God," he mumbles, lifting my hand to his lips as I get a grasp on things. "You're awake, thank God."

I look around the room, realizing I'm in a hospital bed, my left arm and shoulder bandaged. I got shot. Those fucking bastards shot me. But I'm okay, I'm alive.

I look down at our hands, smiling because I just care about him so much. That's when I notice something. Around my ring finger lay a silver band, a beautiful diamond protruding from the centre. Jake has a similar one on his finger, little diamonds coating the entire thing.

"How are you feeling?" Jake asks, his voice rough. I look up at him, noticing his tearstained, pink cheeks and tired eyes.

"Fuzzy." My horribly groggy voice tries to laugh, but all I can manage is a smile. "I'm okay though," I try to assure him.

"Good," he exhales, smiling back at me.

"What happened?" I wonder, remembering everything but needing someone else to confirm it.

"Um..." Jake trails off, his gaze straying from my face.

{Jake's POV, flashback}
I stand there, completely frozen as blood floods down Cooper's shirt, quickly pooling around his feet. He looks down and his face goes pale, making me jump into action as his muscles give out.

"Cooper! No, no, no, no, Cooper, please, no." Tears stream down my face as I catch him, my mind going blank. He's gonna die on me. Everyone always dies on me. "Shit," I say, closing my eyes and trying to think. All my mind can come up with is my grandfather's face. I completely lose it as I hear a faint voice that I know can't be real, even if it sounds so, so, real. It's faint, familiar, soothing. It's my grandfather.

"J-Jacob. The phone," it says, bringing me back to the night we lost him. I try not to cry, missing him with every particle of my being every single day. But right here, now, in this moment, I don't miss him. He's not here for me to grieve. He's here to help me. To help Cooper.

"Hospital. Hospital. You need to go to the hospital," I say, thinking out loud.

The next few minutes are a total blur. All I remember is holding onto Cooper like my life depends on it as he teaches me how to steal a car.

"Jake..." Cooper's weak voice tries to say and it scares me even more. His breathing goes heavy, loud, and my heart stops as I realize I might lose him. I might actually lose him.

"I..." he trails off, his light grip on my hand disappearing as it slips from mine.

"Cooper!" I desperately yell, driving completely blind because my vision blurs from the tears. I need him to survive this. He has to survive this. "Coop," I repeat, taking his hand and squeezing it as I pray for a sign of life. Any sign of life.

"Please," I cry, shaking him in the hopes it would help. He still doesn't move and I almost lose it. I need him. I don't think he knows how much I need him. He means more to me than anyone ever has, and in this moment I become so blatantly aware of the fact that I won't be okay if he dies.