Perpetual Guilt
"I have indeed no abhorrence of danger, except in its absolute effect - in terror"
-Edgar Allan Poe
There was no denying that I had craved a life surrounded by the macabre, that I had longed for the euphoric rush of sudden endangerment.
This however, was another matter. If only I could have anticipated his lack of acute awareness; perhaps this could have been prevented, but no, my perpetual longing to be in his constant company had done nothing but land him in a hospital bed, unaware of my presence.
It had been a devious ploy, leaving my revolver behind, allowing it to be left out in the open to be easily seen. I had no doubt in my mind that he would follow behind me shortly, ensuring my safe keeping.
And now I regretted doing so.
With every fiber of my being.
I watched as the one person I could thoroughly rely on lied unconscious, blood seeping out of the wounds on his shoulder blade. The guilt that had built up inside of me was overwhelming.
Although I knew he would undoubtedly recover from this incident in time, it was I that had caused him an immense amount of pain.
Both physically as well as mentally.
I would solve this case; it was now a matter of necessity. I would clear his good name as a doctor and I would continue on with my cases alone, whether I liked it or not. I was losing my partner to the evil bonds of matrimony, but I refused to lose my one and only true friend. No matter what I had to give up in doing so.