Disclaimer: I do not own Person of Interest
I knew this is how it would end. We both did. I listened to him scream in my ear as the bullet pierced through me. I was too slow. I felt my body fall to the ground. I felt the warm wet feeling of blood as my side began spilling out my insides. Missed my heart. Might have nicked my lung. I coughed and felt the blood come up. Very small nick in my lung. Oh great. I get to drown slowly in my own blood. I see my attacker out of the corner of my eye as he flees and I'm left waiting for...for what? Death? Help? But then there he is. The one I've loved for years. My savior and my killer. He is the reason I was alive today and the reason I will die today. Harold limped to my side before tripping and smashing to the ground. He finished his race to me at a crawl; his hands are scraped and bloody. His glasses are cracked and he has a scratch on his cheek. I want to tell him I love him. I want to stop his tears and I want to make him go away. But if I try to talk I just cough up more blood.
"You are not dying Mr. Reese." Harold declares as he takes me into his arms. That must have helped drain some blood out of the nick in the bottom of my left lung because I can manage to talk now. My voice sounds hoarse and ragged.
"Go Harold." I mumble.
"I'm not leaving you Mr. Reese. Help is on the way." Finch replied tartly.
"Don't cry. We knew this is how it would end." I murmur.
"No!" Harold snapped at me. "You are not dying. You are going to be okay." He is trying to reassure me but I can tell it's more for himself. I start to hear sirens in the distance. Police and then ambulance. I start to see flashing lights before I have to shut my eyes.
"I am happy to have met you Harold. Thank you for teaching me how to love again." I manage to choke out as I feel myself start to cry. I'm scared. I don't want to die. I feel Finch's hand slip into mine and I stop myself from crying. It would only kill me faster. "Stay with me?" I ask urgently as I force my eyes open. I force myself to look at his broken face as he clutches my bleeding body against his chest. "Till the end? I'm scared Harold. I don't want to die."
"Don't say things like that John! You are not dying. I won't let you." Harold snapped. "I love you too and I never got to tell you. I love you John. Don't die. You can't die. Let me love you. Please. Just let me love you." Harold sobbed as he held me tighter. The medics were just starting to crowd around me and the police were shouting but over all that I could hear Harold. Crying and saying he loved me. Over and over again like a mantra. Like it would keep me from dying. We knew it would end like this. We both knew. Always. I just wish we'd had a little more time...