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.

He could barely breathe, his mouth filling with blood until he had to let it spill out. His body kept convulsing, but his gaze never wavered from Jessica.

longer. She staggered to him, her legs unsteady, collapsing

"Warmth "

for her, but he was too weak to move. All he could do was stretch out his hand, fingers trembling, and

eyelids fluttered shut and

"Timothy, Timothy..."

trembling. "Timothy, wake up! Don't fall asleep, do

can't get hurt. Your son is still sick. Don't think you can use this as

"Timothy..."

to his hand, gently shaking

eyelids flickered again and again, but he

Herbert could see the panic and fear etched deep on Jessica's

He felt it too.

everything he'd done to Jessica, Herbert couldn't just stand by, not after witnessing Timothy throw himself into harm's way to save them. He couldn't ignore the blood, the injuries,

She'll be okay,"

her scarf and pressed it

through almost instantly, no match for the blood

already lost so

heart pounded

knew he'd

hadn't evemet everything else. She