I Don't Even Know His Name...

Have you ever had a moment when you think time all together has stopped? I didn’t believe that to be true till tonight. Blinking furiously in a desperate attempt to clear the white clouding over my eyes I made a silent prayer that everything was okay. Thankfully the pulsating in my eardrums soon settled as well as my vision gradually became clear. Strange enough I was lying on the floor I looked up and saw the guy with the gun. His eyes were the size of saucers even he was shaking. Before I could process what just happened he dropped the gun immediately sprinting in the opposite direction.

Don’t ask how but I was having a total mind blank I was thinking what the hell is going on here? Slowly I managed to pull myself up off the cold ground before I looked at my hands. Oh fuck. Blood, blood was on my hands, that’s when it hit me. Alex. I need to find him, now. Frantically I called out for him as loud as I could but nothing, I couldn’t find him. Oh god where is he? Please say he’s okay. I froze, a small whimper pulled me out of my frenzied thoughts, it came from the far right. Without hesitation I ran over in the direction of the noise knowing deep down it had to be him. Sure enough there he was.

I wanted to be sick, his trembling body was contorted on the ground surrounded by his blood. Near the back of his head his hair was matted, streaked with red. Something inside me snapped, that BASTARD shot him. My knees gave out, I fell by his side pulling him onto my lap. Clearly the wound was evident on his chest near his throat; his t-shirt almost completely tainted with a dark scarlet.

“Alex!! Oh god this isn’t happening,” I cried. Carefully holding him his wounded sobs filled the silence. Those pained brown eyes looked up at me through his coffee coloured hair.

“Jack, am I going to die?” My heart broke from the fear clear in his voice my tears fell harder

“No you’re going to be fine just hold on okay?” I managed to choke out before grabbing my phone immediately hitting redial.

“Hello? Please help me my friend he’s been shot, I don’t know how much longer he can survive I need help please!” A young sounding woman tried her best to understand my hysterical beg for help.

“Okay sir I need you to calm down and tell me where you are” How the fuck was I meant to calm down? My best friend is dying.

“21 Brooklyn Street, right by the warehouse”

Ending the call I slipped the phone back into my back pocket. Practically hyperventilating I could feel Alex grip my shirt screaming in agony. Thinking on my feet I tore off the bottom of my shirt.

“Hold on this will hurt,” I whispered, slowly pulling his shirt down over the wound I pressed the rag against it to try and stop the blood. God I hated hearing him scream like this. The rag was practically drenched I sighed tossing it to my side.

“He had the gun pointed at me, why didn’t he shoot at me?” I thought aloud my voice laced in guilt.

“He did” Those two words made my eyes shoot open in surprise.

“What?” How was that possible? Alex looked up.

“I saw that he was going to shoot at you, so before he had a chance I pushed you out of the way, as hard as I could and I-I,” he stammered fresh tears preventing him to speak any further. My heart sank.

“You took the bullet,” I finished bleakly. Alex saved me.

It wouldn’t sink in that he did something so extreme, risking his life to save mine. I didn’t deserve it and I can’t bear to see him in such pain.

“Why did you do that Alex?!” I yelled, it coming out slightly more angry than intended. Whimpering his grip became weaker. He looked up, in the distance the faint sirens were beckoning closer.

“B-because I-I love you J-Jack” Those words rang in my head, he probably means it in no more than just us being friends, right?. Looking deeply into his eyes I knew he couldn’t last much longer, his face was pale and his lips trembling.

“I l-love you too Lex, don’t ever forget that” His head rested on my shoulder whilst his body shook from crying.

“I won’t I p-promise” with that his body fell limp in my hands.