Hero
:Chapter One:
Everyone needs a hero. Someone they can trust with their life. Someone who makes life all worth while. It's funny how we love to acknowledge the fictional heroes in movies and comic books, but forget to reward the heroes in our lives. Your son or daughter. Your mom or dad. Your husband. Boyfriend. Best friend.
Maybe these people don't have the ability to fly or hang from buildings. Who needs special powers like that when you can make your sister smile and laugh off the worst day? Or make your dad feel like the proudest guy on the earth? It's true about what they say. There's a hero in all of us.
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Ryan stared at the disheveled body before him. This person looked nothing like Marissa. Instead of her glowing skin he saw a pale face. Black and blue bruises were painted onto her arms and legs. A deep gash on her forehead had been stitched up and covered with a bandage. There were all sorts of tubes hooked up to her.
This couldn't be happening. Maybe it was all a dream. Ryan closed his eyes, then opened them again. She was still there. Laying, lifeless in front of him. Marissa wasn't technically lifeless. Although to Ryan it seemed that way. Marissa was in a coma. The doctor said that all they could do was wait and see if she woke up.
Wait and see. Great. Just great. That's exactly what Ryan wanted to do. Wait and see. After rescuing her time and time again, after always being there for her, Ryan was now no use. He couldn't do anything to make Marissa wake up.
This is what scared him the most. Not being able to help in any way. Not knowing what would happen. Ryan and Marissa weren't even dating, but he couldn't help but to feel as if he were her boyfriend. Sitting by her side, holding her hand.
"Ryan?" Julie Cooper stood beside him, "You go get something to eat. I'll stay with Marissa."
"I want to be here when she wakes up."
"You will be." Julie nodded, "And she will wake up." A tear rolled down her cheek, but she abruptly wiped it away. "You need to eat. Seth and Summer are going down to the cafeteria. Go with them."
"But---"
"I'll call you if anything changes. I promise."
He nodded, took one last look at Marissa, then left the room. He made his way to the waiting room where he found Sandy, Kirsten, Seth, Summer, Mr. Roberts, and Kaitlin sitting in chairs. They had all rotated in seeing Marissa.
"Hey, man. You hungry? I here they have pudding in the cafeteria." Seth tried to use his rye sense of humor to lighten the situation, but even he knew his attempt had failed.
"Yeah, okay." Maybe something to eat would make him feel better. Yeah, right. All that would make him feel better was if Marissa woke up.
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After getting some gross cafeteria food the group fell silent as they picked at their plates. Why did this have to happen? All of the sudden Ryan was filled with rage. He was going to kill Volchok for potentially ruining his life. For hurting the one person who made it all make sense to him.
Even though Marissa couldn't move an arm, open her mouth, give him that reassuring look, Ryan realized that Marissa was his hero. She had loved him even when everyone else had looked away in shame. She respected him. Understood him. Made him seem important. Now what was Ryan going to do? Who was going to be his hero?
Ryan felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, he immediately answered it. "Ryan. I promised I'd call."
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A/N: I know it was short and probably not all that good, but please review anyway. I would love to hear what you have to say. Hopefully you'll want to read more? Thanks.
