“Look away,” I tell him. He turns his head and bites his lip knowing more pain is coming. I staple the wound over and over. Each time the pain ripping into his heart. Each time I pray he doesn’t die because of me. What was I thinking? I have no control over my demons.
“One more,” I say as the last staple goes in.
I press the gauze back, and the bleeding has reduced greatly.
I exhale deeply. He’s going to be okay. He needs a hospital, but he’s going to survive.
“I’m so sorry,” I say.
I look at him, but he doesn’t respond.
“Caspian?”
Nothing.
I lower my head over his chest. He isn’t breathing.
Shit.
I blow into his mouth and start doing compressions.
“Please, Caspian!”
I keep compressing over his heart, praying his staples don’t pop open and the bleeding doesn’t start all over again.
“Don’t you dare die, Caspian!”
More compressions, but he’s not breathing.
“You are going to be an uncle. You hear me! You can’t die!”
More compressions.
“I need your help to kill Dante. Clara can’t be avenged without your help.”
Two breaths.
“I love you. Please don’t leave me.”
More compressions.
Then, coughing.
“Caspian!” He’s alive.
I ease off him, letting him get some good breaths in.
“Thank god, you’re alive,” I cry. Tears are streaming down my face. “I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
“Liar,” Caspian teases.
More tears. “I can’t believe you let me do that. What were you thinking? I could have killed you! You should have stopped me.”
“I couldn’t exactly stop you with
the cuffs. And I would have deserved it.”
“No! You don’t deserve to die.”