Goodbye, Mr. Regret

He barely had time to react before the wooden beam crashed down, striking him squarely on the head.

He crumpled to the ground, blood welling from his forehead—at first a trickle, then a steady stream, as if a spring had burst open.

Jessica's vision blurred, everything tinted crimson.

In that split second, Herbert understood why Timothy had swerved his bike into theirs.

He'd done it to save them.

Herbert scrambled to his feet and pulled Jessica up, quickly moving toward Timothy.

But Timothy, struggling, turned his head to look at Jessica.

His eyelids drooped, heavy with the effort, but he forced them open, refusing to

look away.

"Timothy, are you alright? I'm calling an ambulance right now."

Herbert crouched beside him, worry etched across his face as he fumbled for his phone and dialed emergency services.

Suddenly, Timothy's chest heaved, his whole body trembling. He pressed his lips together, but blood still seeped from the corner of his mouth.

his mouth filling with blood until he had to let

hold back any longer. She staggered to him, her

"Warmth "

move. All he could do was stretch out his hand,

eyelids fluttered shut and his head

"Timothy, Timothy..."

fall asleep, do you hear me? Don't

Don't think you can

"Timothy..."

clung to his hand, gently

again, but he

falling, Herbert could see the panic and fear etched

He felt it too.

Timothy and everything he'd done to Jessica, Herbert couldn't just stand by, not after witnessing Timothy throw himself into harm's way to

worry. She'll be okay," Herbert said

shook as she pulled off her scarf and pressed

scarf soaked through almost instantly, no match for the blood

already lost so much

heart pounded in

knew he'd been

his wounds hadn't evemet everything else. She was

this,