Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Erin and Doug burst through the stair floors as they raced outside. Brad was pacing the floors while Mia and Darren snuggled together. Matt turned his head up when the sirens were wailing in the distance until they grew louder. A group of policemen ran out of the cars. Ted quickly nodded at the team and then back at his own team “You guys split into three groups and check for hurt people and be careful, there are three people with guns there.”
“Yes sir!” they rushed into the building.
Ted quickly caught his eye on Erin’s petite body trying to support Doug. He rushed over to help at the same time Brad and Darren did “Erin! Are you okay?” Brad asked “We lost contact of you three.” Suddenly his brows furrowed “Where’s Jessie?”
Erin wiped the sweat off her forehead as she looked to the ground. At the sound of Jessie’s name, it was like give life back to Doug’s distant eyes. He looked up “Jessie!!” He cried while racing back towards the building.
“Stop him!” Matt ordered.
Brad and Ted were the closest as they held him down while Doug struggled to break free. Suddenly he whipped them to the side “YOU!” He pointed at Erin threateningly “Why?” he asked while his eyes turned red with fury and tears began to erupt “You let her die?”
The team, including Ted turned to Erin in shock “What happened?” Mia muttered “Where’s Jessie?” she grabbed a hold of Erin’s shoulder “Erin?!”
“I always thought you were the most loyal of us all….I was wrong!” Doug snarled harshly at Erin, who continued to look at the ground.
“Just let her explain.” Ted raised a hand to silence the group.
Erin let the silent tears roll down her face as she whipped her head up and wiped it harshly. Brad stepped over to her “Is that true?”
Her eyes turned to him hurtfully “You think it’s my fault….” It wasn’t even a question. She could see the blame in his eyes.
“I don’t know what to think. You’re not saying anything.” Brad said logically.
“I’ll tell you right now.” Doug continued “She watched her teammate being brutally shot to death while she tried to pull me away. I could have saved her!” His teary eyes glared at Erin with a vengeance she’s never seen before.
Suddenly, the glass doors to the building pulled out and stretchers of the victims shot were wheeled out. Doug raced over as he opened one blanket after another. The last one was Jessie. He fell to his knees while the group rushed over “Jessie…” Mia whispered as she turned away from the gruesome body. Darren hugged her naturally while she cried.
Erin stood away from them, she didn’t know how to explain it. How could she? Doug only considered her an enemy at this point “I’m sorry…” she whispered to Jessie.
“It’s okay…I’m here now.” Doug whispered into Jessie’s ear. Her body was getting cold already. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the engagement ring he was going to propose after that mission. Silently, he gulped back the tears and placed the ring over her bloody finger. Mia’s sobs were getting louder as she witnessed the scene. Erin covered her mouth to keep the cries from escaping.
Doug yanked the blanket from her body harshly as he reached his arms under her neck and knees and picked her up with ease. He walked slowly away and some of the cops tried to stop him but Ted quickly shook his head and they backed away. Doug walked by Erin and paused, his eyes never leaving Jessie’s face “I’ll remember this day.” He muttered.
He walked away as Erin turned to face him. She wanted to explain so bad but she knew he was not in the mood to listen to reason. Suddenly she felt a hand touch her shoulder and then whipped her around “Why didn’t you help her?” Brad asked. His eyes too were wet from crying “We’re a team. We’re not suppose to leave each other, we’re suppose to help each other.”
Mia pulled herself away from Darren as she walked over and pushed at Brad “Leave her alone! Don’t you think she’s got enough trauma for one night?”
Darren rushed over as he pulled at Mia’s arm “Stay out of it.” He said wisely.
She turned to him with her tear stained face “No! None of us were present. We don’t know what happened. You can’t blame Erin for everything.”
“I’m not blaming her.” Brad argued as he turned his body to Mia “I just think that if we were there, this wouldn’t have happened.”
“Really? So you would have magically dodged the bullets?” Mia asked sarcastically “Or if it hit Jessie, you would magically heal the holes in her body?!”
“Mia…” Darren began “I’m sure Brad didn’t mean it that way. I don’t think we are being very reasonable. If we switched places with Erin, maybe things wouldn’t have ended up like this.”
“So you’re saying Erin’s plan’s a bomb and we girls should have listened to you guys?” Mia argued. She shook her head with a snicker “I can’t believe you guys.”
Ted walked over when he noticed Erin had turned and run away “Stop arguing.” He instructed “Erin’s gone.”
Brad spun around as he chased down the street to find her. But she was no where in sight. Matt walked over to them “Why don’t you guys go home and clean up. Meet me at the hospital. We need to pick up Doug.” He said solemnly.
“But Erin…” Brad turned to the remainder of the team.
Matt shook his head “Give her some time alone. We’ll call her later.”
Ted lingered behind as he stepped towards where Erin had headed off to. Suddenly, he thought about where she could be. He turned to his team “I’ll meet you guys at the station in an hour!” they nodded as he rushed off to his car.
Erin sat on the beach listening to the waves crash. But no matter how soothing the sound of the waves were, she could not get the image of Jessie being shot out of her head. She closed her eyes and leaned her head onto her knees. Her sobs grew louder as she thought more about how she could have saved Jessie. If she would have taken that bullet instead.
He watched her from a distance and slowly walked over behind her “My mother once told me that a person who’s about to die always know that they are going to die.”
She stopped her sobs abruptly and wiped her eyes “Wise words.” She muttered.
Ted nodded with a smile “Indeed they were. I think Jessie knew her time was coming. I didn’t get a chance to get to know her, but if I were in her shoes, I’d do the same thing. Why pull everyone with me if it means sacrificing just myself?”
Erin turned slowly, her eyes swollen from all the crying “I’m glad someone thinks that way.”
“He was just very shocked by the news.” Ted stood up for Brad “It’s a natural reaction from anyone.”
“Anyone…yes. But my boyfriend? No.” Erin stood up “I know he thinks its my fault. Without even listening to my end.”
Ted shook his head as he walked over and placed his hands on her shoulders “Erin, put yourself in his shoes. If it was Brad that pulled Doug away. Would you have felt he was at fault?”
Erin turned her head away “Maybe so, but I would listen to his reasoning before concluding anything. He might as well pin me to a cross and crucify me.” She said harshly.
“What did happen?” Ted asked carefully.
Suddenly, she began to cry again “I could have saved her….Ted….I watched her being shot over and over….But I wasn’t strong enough to carry her. Her legs were bleeding so much.” The tears dripped from her pale face as she explained the situation. “She pushed me out of the way…taking another bullet. WHY?!” Erin cried “I could have saved her…” she moaned while lowering her head. Ted automatically pulled her into his chest as she cried openly.
**************Hospital****************
Her body was put on a new stretcher and put into the cold room. Doug was there with her the whole time. His hands were entwined into Jessie’s lifeless and cold hands. The tears were long gone now, but his heart was still mourning. He looked at every feature on her face, etching it into his soul.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps from the doorway but he refused to look up “She told me to prepare you for this day.” Erin’s soft voice broke into his concentration.
Doug didn’t look up “Get out.” He calmly said.
Erin refused, she had to settle it once and for all “She said you were her only family left, she had to watch out for you.”
“I said GET OUT!!!!” he cried while snapping his head up and glaring at her in the eye.
She ignored the hatred from his eyes. Ted was right, if she didn’t tell him then, he would never forgive her “Doug…listen to me.” Erin started “A few days ago, Jessie approached me and she-”
“SHUT UP!!” he pulled out his pager and hailed it across the room at Erin. She stood still expecting the impact of the device to hit her but it crashed into the wall behind her. She turned back to him and he muttered “Bad aim.”
Erin walked over to him, she would not give up “Jessie said, just in case she were to die during a mission, for me to save you. I don’t know why me…and I don’t know why and how she knew this day was coming. Maybe miracles happen in special ways. Whatever it is I can’t explain it. But you have to listen to me…I would switch my life if it meant saving Jessie’s.” her tears were falling from her face again.
He turned his eyes up at her with a dark emptiness “I don’t care what you say…” he said slowly.
Suddenly, she remembered the letter. She wiped her tears and pulled it out “Jessie gave this to me when we had that talk.” She pulled it out and handed him the heart shape folded note. He didn’t take one look as he hit her hand away and it dropped on the floor.
His eyes moved over to Jessie’s face again and a smile came on his face despite the tears streaming from them now. “Don’t…not now…” Doug said between gulps.
Erin shook her head as she reached down and picked it up “These are her last words to you. How could you not want to hear them?” she sniffed back the tears and opened the note to begin reading it “Doug…my one and only love. How strange God is, to give you life and then take it back unexpectedly. If you are reading this letter, I would have left this world. My world was full of love because of you…there are so many times I wanted to thank you for just being yourself. But then again, I figured you already understood from my smiles or my kiss.” Erin paused to take control of her emotions and after a moment, she continued “But I still wanted you to know how much you mean to me and having you love me all these years? It is the greatest, most priceless gift anyone can ever give me. I know it will be hard, but trust me…time will heal all pain. I’m not asking you to forget me because the Doug I know and love will not forget that easily. I do hope that you will learn to forgive and forget. A life is as short as a sad moment but if you live it happily, the memories will last forever. Eternally, Jessie.” Erin let the letter fall from her hands as she began sobbing again, her hands covering her face painfully.
Doug’s heart lightened at the sound of Jessie’s words. He slowly let go of her hand and walked over to Erin. At that second, he knew she was not to blame, it was Jessie’s last request that she not be saved. Maybe she really saw it coming? Reality returned as he looked down at Erin, her sobs grew when he wrapped his arms around her and began rocking her back and forth.
The team stood there by the door, listening to every word that Erin said when she read the letter. Mia had tears in her eyes as she looked from Darren to Matt and then to Brad. He looked down at the ground shamefully. How could he blame Erin for Jessie’s death? He knew he was guilty of it because he truly believed that Erin would rather save herself and Doug then risk her life to get Jessie out of there.
Mia turned to Brad as she nodded and pushed him inside. He walked over slowly to Erin and Doug. He looked up and saw Brad smiling through glazed eyes. He let go of Erin and slowly turned her over to Brad as he embraced her warmly while her cries slowed down. Doug reached on the ground, picked up the letter and folded it into his pocket.