Fan Fiction |
by Jenny Tran
Erin had her hands over her ears as she continued to cry. When the shots finally stopped, she pushed herself up and looked into the window. She found it empty, only Brad’s lifeless body in a pool of blood. Even when she thought her tears were emptied, they came quick and bolted out from sob after sob “Brad!!” she groaned painfully. She was desperately trying to get to him but it was useless, the door was locked. She pushed herself over the balcony when the ambulance finally arrived, she saw Matt being put on the stretcher. He was lying on his stomach. She waved frantically to her team but they could not see her.
She looked down on the ground and picked up the tools again. Erin put on her patient mode as she tried to pick the lock again. She paused every so often to wipe her tears that continued to stream out but she worked diligently on the lock. It wasn’t her specialty, it was Brad’s. He could do it in a few seconds. But the thought only reminded her more of Brad. She bit her lip and reminded herself it was for Brad, she had to do it. After five minutes, she finally got it to open “Brad!” she cried and reached out to cradle his head in her hands. His eyes were closed and his heart rate was too low “You’ll be okay…just hang on, Brad.” She whispered.
It took her a while but she managed to drag his body outside the door, but by then she was completely out of breath. Tears of frustration hit her “You can’t die.” She said calmly “Brad!! Stop sleeping!!” and she began sobbing again. Yet she refused to believe he was gone “Please…don’t leave me.” Erin rested her head on his face as her hand moved around his head to his temple and that’s when she felt the bullet wound. Her hands shaky as she turned him to the side and indeed there was a hole inserted by a bullet in his left temple “No…no…” she said over and over. Her hands covered her quivering lips as she cried painfully.
She rocked his body in her arms while the tears continued to flow. She no longer cared if the team eventually found her. Nothing mattered at that very moment she realized he was not waking up. This was not some nightmare. It was real. Too real. Rebecca was the first to discover them as she raced up the stairs. Doug saw two people dress in black escaping the building and he assumed it was Brad and Erin. Anyways, Matt was shot while saving Darren, they had to get him to a hospital.
Rebecca’s breathing quickened with each step she took. Her heart nearly stopped in its track when she saw Erin holding onto Brad’s body for dear life. He was drenched in blood and was not moving. She broke out into a cold sweat as she leaned over the balcony and belted out “DOUG!!!!”
He was talking to a few cops when he heard her calling for him. Doug looked up and saw Rebecca waving at him “Shit!” he muttered, instinct told him it was not good “Get the ambulance back!” he yelled while Darren quickly followed up the stairs.
The three stood their dumbfounded, not sure what to do. Erin seemed so calm yet completely dazed out. Her eyes were glossy and her face was smeared with red blood stains. She continued to hug him tight until the emergency people came and pulled his body from her arms. Rebecca was crying as she walked over to her friend “Are you okay?” it was a ridiculous question but she didn’t know what else to say.
Erin looked up at her blankly as a tear silently fell from her eye. She opened her mouth but not a single sound came out. Her eyes blinked slowly and then she felt her knees weakened. The place she was in became blackened.
At the hospital, the emergency doors flew opened and entered Mia, Shelly and Ryan. Shelly was in tears when Rebecca called her with the bad news “Ga Jei? Where is she?”
Mia’s eyes were red from tears too “Is he really…” she couldn’t even bring herself to say it. Darren nodded which told her that Brad was indeed gone. She took a few steps back and he was quickly on his feet to support her.
“Are you okay?” his voice was shaky too but he tried to tell himself that breaking down will not help anyone.
She nodded with her hands over her mouth. Although she didn’t remember Brad entirely, he has been nothing but patient with her. Mia remembered the short talks they had, he told her about all the pranks that she used to play on him. And for some reason it was always Brad that she tricked. Maybe he was gullible or maybe he was trying to humor her, she would never know “How’s Erin?” she managed to choke out.
“She fainted.” Rebecca answered “They’re looking over her right now.”
Ryan looked up at them “How about Dai Lou? What happened to him?”
Darren turned to Ryan apologetically “He was shot in the lower back, saving me. We fell for their trick thinking the gagged person was the Mayor but he wasn’t. Shots were fired and Matt took two bullets for me.” He was too choked up “I can’t believe it…”
“I didn’t know what happened.” Doug explained more “I saw two black figures running down the stairs, I thought it was Erin and Brad escaping. And then I saw Darren supporting Matt down and I rushed over to help. That’s when Rebecca retrieved everyone. I should have known something was not right when they didn’t answer her call!!” he punched the wall he was leaning on.
Rebecca patted him on the shoulder “It’s not your fault…it might have been to late even if we got there.”
The double doors opened again and Ted came running in “I came as soon as I got the news. How is she?”
“Still unconscious.” Mia replied.
“Can I see his body?” Ted asked solemnly.
“Can I go too?” Mia asked quickly.
Darren turned to her strangely “You’re so afraid of corpses though?”
“I am?” Mia questioned “But I really want to see him.”
Darren nodded “I’ll take you to the cold room.” He led Mia and Ted there while Shelly refused to see his lifeless body. It would be too much for her and Ryan wanted to wait for Matt’s review first.
His body was untouched, only washed the blood off. A sheet covered up over his body where Mia pulled down his face. It was blue and ice cold when she touched it, he seemed so peaceful like he was only sleeping. She gulped back the tears and bit her lip “Brad…” her voice was barely audible. She turned to the two guys who had their fists over their mouths “It’s okay if you cry.” She said gently.
“We’re not crying.” Darren’s voice quivered while he answered.
“It’s not a time to be macho.” Mia reminded him. He nodded and then reached out suddenly and hugged her. She patted him on the shoulder while he cried it out.
Ted’s eyes were concentrating on Brad’s face. His silent tears fell but he didn’t let an utter escape his lips. He was saying his last prayers “May God be with you.” He whispered and then reached up to wipe the tears from his eyes.
“He’s just sleeping.” A female voice said from the doorway. It was Erin, she was out of her unconscious stage. She walked over with a small smile on her face “Don’t bother him, he’s really tired.” She explained quietly.
“Erin…” Mia couldn’t hold it in as she reached out and hugged her friend dearly.
“Why are you crying?” Erin asked innocently.
Ted shook his head at her “You’re scaring us, Erin.”
“Really? I’m sorry.” Erin said sincerely.
“Don’t do this…” Ted said with concern “He’s dead, Erin. You need to face that reality.”
She shook her head at him with wide eyes “I told you, he’s still sleeping.” she insisted.
“Erin?” Rebecca’s voice disrupted the four. Also with her was Doug, who was frowning at Erin. They heard what she was saying, it was a natural case of denial. She walked over to her friend cautiously, not wanting to disturb the girl “Honey, you need to face the truth. Brad is dead.”
“No…" her denials came slow and then she was screaming "NO! Why are you all saying this??” Erin cried suddenly as she backed away from them.
“Erin, it’s the truth. Look at him…he’s gone. As much as we want to believe he’s alive, he’s not.” Mia chose her words carefully but not matter how careful she was, Erin snapped.
“What the hell is wrong with you people?? He’s obviously sleeping!!” Erin continued to argue vehemently.
Darren couldn’t hold it as he approached her and took her arms in his hands “Erin, listen to me! Brad is gone…he’s never returning. Don’t do this to yourself, he would be really hurt to see you like this!! Remember when Mia was in the coma and you stood by me the whole time? Well guess what, it'll be the day hell freezes over when I let you do this to yourself!”
She broke away from his tight grip and shook her head slowly “No…I don’t believe you. You’re lying to me!! No!” she spun on her heels and ran out the door.
“Erin!” Mia and Rebecca said in unison.
“Wait!” Ted stopped the girls “Give her some space.” The two exchanged glances and nodded at him.
*********
Erin returned to her apartment and began cleaning uncontrollably, a sure sign she was upset. It was a distraction for her. She cleaned the drapes to the tile ground to every room in the apartment. But she purposely ignored her and Brad’s room together. She refused to go inside and kept her mind busy when she cleaned out the fridge. She was pulling out all the food when her hand ran across one of Brad’s beers. She reached for one and a gush of memory came back to her. She cried softly at first holding onto the beer as if it had life.
Mia returned home and found Erin sitting in the kitchen. Darren was parking the car, he wanted to visit Erin too. They weren’t sure if she would be home but there she was sobbing to herself again. “Erin?” Mia said softly. She walked over and knelt down in front of the girl.
“I…I didn’t want to believe it. I kept hoping and praying that he would open his eyes and scare me. I would hit him playfully and say ‘Don’t ever scare me like that again!’ But… it’s not...it's not going to happen, is it?” Her lips curled down as she stifled a cry.
“I’m so sorry, sweetie. I wish I could take the pain away…but I can’t.” Mia opened her arms “Come here…” Erin fell into her shoulders as the girls sobbed together. Mia’s hand smoothed against her hair as her body convulsed with each cry that escaped her lips.
Darren walked in and he saw Mia shaking her head. He nodded understandingly and left the girls alone. Instead, he took a long walk. Brad was a good person, he didn’t deserve to die, he thought over and over again. The shock came too quick for them to digest and Matt was in a coma. How would they ever pull the team back together, but that was the least of their problems. They lost a captain and the lieutenant was lying in a hospital bed with tubes stuck all over his body.
He didn’t know how he got there, but he looked up at the endless ocean waves. It was like a hand beckoning for him to come hither “Peaceful, isn’t it?” Ted’s voice broke into his thoughts.
“Ted?” Darren asked with surprise as his head turned to the direction of the voice “What are you doing here?”
“I took the rest of the day off. I thought I would find Erin here, she liked to come here when she’s unhappy.” Ted said sadly.
“She went back to the apartment. Mia is with her now.” Darren advised. He looked at Ted carefully “You’re in love with her aren’t you?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Ted snickered “I fell for her since the minute I saw her.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell her?” Darren asked. He liked the guy, he always knew what to do in a tough situation.
“Because she doesn’t love me.” Ted smiled with his head facing the sand “It would be wrong to tell her now.” Darren nodded in agreement “Brad called me the other night.”
Darren looked up with curiosity “He did?”
“Yeah, he told me that if anything happened to him. He wanted ME to take care of Erin because I was the only one that loved her more than he did.” Ted snickered as he wiped a tear from his cheek “I laughed and said don’t be absurd. She’ll never love anyone more than you.” He shook his head sadly “You know what he said?” Darren was more in shock that Brad saw it coming “He said I’d rather lose to you.” Ted took a step towards the ocean as he picked up the rock and hailed it into the waters “I don’t want to win like this!!!!” his chest heaved up and down. Ted leaned his hand on his thighs.
“I’m sorry, man.” Darren patted him on the shoulder “But what’s most important is to help Erin get through this. God knows what’s going through her mind. She might even do something drastic.” Ted looked up with transparent eyes, he knew it was true. Brad would never forgive him if anything happened to Erin.