Tom lay motionless on the floor. His body still slightly hunched. His vision blurred and distorted. He hadn’t moved. Hadn’t been able to. He could still feel the intense searing pain in his chest. His chest hurt. His mouth was filled with the bitter taste of blood. The same blood that was sticky and warm against his skin.
He should’ve taken the stairs or at least he should’ve run back to the conference room.The conference room. Oh god Hadley. Was she dead? Had the gunman found her? Had she managed to escape to somewhere safe? He should’ve been there to protect her. Make sure she was safe. But instead he was laying on the ground in a pool of his own blood.
He felt completely and utterly helpless and weak. He hated feeling weak. He should have been helping. If only he stayed just a few minutes more and this wouldn’t have happened. The gunman wouldn’t have shot him and he still would have been in that room. He hoped to god that the gunman hadn’t walked down the hallway. Hadn’t seen Hadley and the others who hadn’t left the room. He hoped he hadn’t led the gunman to Hadley. He hoped that he hadn’t been the reason if she of anyone else was in danger. If he hadn’t been the one to press the button, the elevator may never have stopped on the sa
In the distance, he heard footsteps. At first they were faint and distant, but then quickened and came closer and closer with a sense of sudden urgency. If It was the gunman, he knew that he would most likely he dead in a matter of minutes. His only hope was that if he died, it would be to save Hadley. He was willing to die, if he knew that she could live. It was a sacrifice. But she had Eddie and life worth living. A life he didn’t want ripped away from her.
He wanted to tell her that he was sorry and that she was truly like the sister that he’d never had. But unless the sound of footsteps, belonged to her or anyone else who wasn’t the gunman. He doubted that he’d get the chance. His time was almost up. He’d lost too much blood. There was no way he’d survive this if he didn’t get out of the building. By then it would be too late.
Chloe immediately ran to Tom’s side the moment she noticed him from across the hallway. She had never seen anything quite like the image of his laying, although motionless, on the cold, hard floor. The only thoughts running through her head were that, of course, she needed to help him. But it wasn’t like the intern could do that out in the open without risking both their lives. “A-alright, I’m going to help you, okay. Or try. I promise you’ll be okay,” she whispered, hoping that he actually heard her and felt some sense of relief.
She wouldn’t let him die if she could do anything about it. Glancing to her side, Chloe wondered if it was possible to get out of the building altogether and get them both to safety. “Uh, maybe if I apply pressure to the wound,” she mumbled to herself, turning back to her fellow co-worker and knelt down next him, holding both her hands over his wound, hoping to stop the blood that was flowing out. She didn’t know much about him, just that he had a family. One he was going to get back to and love after this whole thing was over. She wouldn’t allow herself to say /if/ it was over. “You’re going to be just fine, alright.” It was becoming harder and harder for her to remain calm. “Just stay with me, Tom. Please."
