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.

hold back any longer. She staggered to him, her legs unsteady, collapsing at his

"Warmth "

was too weak to move. All he could do was stretch

touched, his eyelids fluttered shut and his head

"Timothy, Timothy..."

up! Don't fall asleep, do

sick. Don't think you can use this as an excuse to leave him with

"Timothy..."

to his

again, but he just couldn't

the panic and fear etched

He felt it too.

and everything he'd done to Jessica, Herbert couldn't just stand by, not after witnessing Timothy throw himself into harm's way to

don't worry. She'll be okay," Herbert

as she pulled off her scarf

soaked through almost instantly, no match for the blood pouring

lost so

heart pounded in

he'd been

hadn't evemet everything else. She was