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.

could barely breathe, his mouth filling with blood until he had to let it spill out.

to him,

"Warmth "

too weak to move. All he

his eyelids fluttered shut and

"Timothy, Timothy..."

asleep, do you hear me? Don't

can use this as an excuse to leave him with me, Timothy,

"Timothy..."

his hand, gently shaking

flickered again and again, but he just couldn't open

without tears falling, Herbert could see the panic and fear etched

He felt it too.

not after witnessing Timothy throw himself into harm's way to

Mute, don't worry. She'll be

pulled off her scarf and pressed

instantly, no match for the

already lost so much

heart pounded in

he'd been

hadn't evemet everything else. She

this,