Title: Life Preserver
Summary: She felt as if a life preserver was being snatched away from her. He couldn't leave. Peter Petrelli was the only person she knew who truly understood what she was going through. Spoilers for "Tabula Rasa"
"There's something wrong with my ability, or whatever you call it."
"There's nothing…wrong. It's confusing at first, I know. It's difficult for everyone in the beginning, and I want to talk about it with you, but I can't. Right now, I have to leave."
"Leave?" Emma repeated in alarm.
She felt as if a life preserver was being snatched away from her. He couldn't leave. Peter Petrelli was the only person she knew who truly understood what she was going through. She hadn't even been able to tell him about her ability causing a huge crack in her apartment wall.
As she stared at him, he looked sympathetic, but his lips moved surely as he spoke. "My friend. He's dying, and it can't wait." His eyes moved from her toward his friend, and he smiled a little, getting an idea. "You know what?" he asked, guiding her to his friend's room. "You have questions about abilities? You should talk to him. He knows everything there is to know about abilities."
She looked at the Asian man lying in the hospital bed, reading a comic book. She glanced back at Peter, unsure of his suggestion.
"His name is Hiro. Talk to him," he urged, laying a hand on her upper arm. "And I'll be back soon."
"Where are you going?" she couldn't help asking. If she knew where he was, maybe that would help ease her mind a little.
Peter looked away as he spoke, signaling Emma that he wasn't being completely open with her. "To save his life." His eyes met hers again, his expression serious, and she knew that even though his answer was evasive, he meant it.
She looked back at Hiro, wondering if she should do what Peter had said. But when she turned to ask him more questions, the paramedic was already gone.
Confused and frustrated, Emma walked away from Hiro's room to look for Peter again. He couldn't have gone far. She could at least tell him goodbye. But after a fruitless search of the hospital grounds, she had to admit he was nowhere to be found and had to head to her office.
She doubted she would get much work done today, but those files weren't going to organize themselves. Besides, she needed time to think about just what she would say to this "Hiro" when she talked to him.