Ticking Time Bomb

There is no decision harder to make than deciding whether to leave someone you love behind. When we want certain things, we are often blind for what is the best choice to make.

I felt guilty for not staying behind for Raiden, even though I had a job to do. It killed me to know that Raiden thought I abandoned him for the club. Being part of the Sinners was something I wanted to do for a very long time. They were becoming my family each passing day, but Raiden was my life.

He was the only person, who understood, who I really was. He was the only one worth fighting for. Deciding to leave everything behind for Raiden was worth it.

The weeks leading to Raiden not speaking to me were painful. I missed him. Hearing from his own mouth that he loved me was the last straw for me to ignore these feelings. I couldn’t. I didn’t want to either.

Riding behind Lukas and David, and alongside Mike, I observed the trees that surrounded the South Boston Highway. The sense of peacefulness that I always carried while riding alongside my newfound brothers was gone, because my mind was on my beautiful Raiden.

David directed with a gesture that we were going to get out in the next exit. As soon as we made it to the gas station, I parked my bike and filled it.

Checking my phone I realized that I had no signal. Cursing, I punch the seat of my bike, knowing that I wouldn’t hear from Micah, until I got my signal back.

Taking the opportunity, I walked over to the VP of the Sinners MC.
“David, there is something I need to speak to you about, man,” I acknowledged, making him nod his head. He walked closer to me and I told him everything that was happening in my life, including my worriedness about Raiden.

“Club comes first, Chris. You know this. But, I understand where you are coming from. I have a wife back home, and I do know what it is to put our love ones as a number one priority. You have been good to us. Jonas cares about you like if you were one of us already. I am going to vouch for you. This time, this Raiden person needs you more than the club does. We are after all a brotherhood first. I’ll speak with Jonas. We have some Sinners from the New York charter meeting us in South Boston anyways. We won’t be short hand, so you can take care of your own,” David expressed, taking a huge weight out of my shoulders.

“Thanks, man. I owe you a huge one,” I replied, extending my hand for him to shake. Instead, David gave me a brotherly hug, which I gladly accepted.

After I told Mike the summary of what happened, I rode away back to Maine. The vibration of the phone made me realized that I had my signal back. Stopping for a moment to check the messages, I eagerly waited for a text from either Micah or Raiden.
The moment I finished listening to Micah’s voicemail, my body became furious with anger and worriedness that Raiden was hurt. Andy had almost killed him and it gave me the urge to kill him back, but now it wasn’t the time. Raiden needed me.



As soon as I arrived at the hospital, I became like a paranoid spouse looking for Raiden. Scaring nurses and doctors, and demanding answers, I managed to get a hold of where he was. The first person I saw outside the ICU was Micah.

“Chris!” Dammit. I am so glad you are here. They haven’t said anything because I am not family. It has been hours since I brought him in,” Micah expressed, with worriedness in his movements. “That’s the doctor that came out asking for his family! Micah exclaimed, pointing towards an old, chubby man with grey hair.
“I am with Raiden Johnson. Please tell me how he is and if I can see him,” I demanded with authority. At first, it seemed like the doctor wanted to know more about my relation to Raiden, but once he saw the jacket I wore, he hesitated. Instead, he gave me the whole information, concerning Raiden’s status.

“Mr. Johnson suffered a Hematoma rupture caused by the abdominal trauma inflicted. Not only has he lost a lot of blood, but he also severs internal bleeding. Because it was a large amount, we had to induce him in a slight coma to get his breathing going. We were able to stop the internal bleeding, but he is going to need a transfusion. As soon as he gets the blood that he needs, we will get him out of the coma. The hours after that are crucial, but we will do everything we can.”

After the doctor spoke, I wanted to punch a wall. “This is my fucking fault for leaving. I should have broken a damn window. I should have taken him with me no matter what!” I exclaimed, feeling my heart race in an abnormal rhythm. “Calm down! Raiden needs you. He needs you to be calm and not angry like this. It wasn’t your fault man. It was that asshole’s fault,” Micah said, trying to calm me down.

“I am going to kill him!” I yelled, getting the attention of nurses and doctors walking the hallway of the ICU floor. “This is not the time or place to speak about this,” Micah responded to my outburst.

“The cops were asking me questions, but I answered what I could. I told the truth. Apparently, they went to check Andy’s place but it looked like he had fled. They have a APB on his arrest, but I don’t know what good that’s going to do for now,” Micah explained.

After a couple, more hours waiting and donating blood for Raiden, I could see him. Even though, I wasn’t allowed to be inside the ICU room he was in for more than thirty minutes, I made sure the nurses and doctors got the message that I wasn’t leaving Raiden’s side. I needed to stay by him through this whole process. Even if it took days for him to wake up, I wanted to be the first person he saw when his beautiful eyes opened.