*Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, they are the property of someone whom is a far greater writer then myself. I do not claim any hold on them; however, I wish I did.

A second.

A single moment in time.

A moment is defined as an infinitesimal measure of time and space with no true start or conclusion. Which is why when something catastrophic happens, that moment can feel like an entire lifetime. The world appears to stand still as the tragedy takes over. At least to the person witnessing that tragedy. You see, time has this funny way of working in reverse for some people, while moving at lightning speed for others. It's the reason children feel that it takes forever to grow up, while adults wish they would just slow down.

In life, this is a common occurrence. Drivers in accidents often report everything running in slow motion just before the impact of the crash hits, sending time flying forward by minutes, hours, days, weeks. Sometimes even years. Sometimes, those moments in between are lost and can't be returned. A small toll to be paid in order to come out alright on the other side.

To a person in a coma, time passes by like the sands of an hourglass, returning slowly to normal from the moment they re-open their eyes. For the person watching from the outside, it feels like an eternity has passed. Waiting for the conclusion of a nightmare you can sometimes never come out of. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here.

So many things can happen in that moment. Planes can crash, bridges may burn, bombs could explode, and guns will go off.

In fact, statistics show that gun violence changes a life roughly every 25.3 seconds and that only includes the United States, let alone the statistics of near misses and recreational use. Needless to say, in a single moment, everything can change.

So imagine, if you will, the person on the inside, looking out into the coming storm. Not knowing what to expect, but seeing its' arrival none the less.

First, there's a sense of denial. You continue as though nothing is wrong.

Donna.

Then, the calm before the storm and the deafening roar that signals a chain reaction.

Josh was hit

Your brain shuts down.

Hit with what?

You can't think.

He was shot. In the chest.

People might talking around you, to you, but you're oblivious.

He's in surgery now.

But you can't grasp at the words they're saying.

I don't understand.

You try to focus.

I don't understand. Is, is it serious?

And then, silence. The kind of silence that builds a fear in every pore of your body.

Your lungs scream for oxygen. Breath. Just Breath.

Yes, it's critical. The bullet collapsed his lung and caused damage to a major artery.

And time stops.

If only for a moment.

What do you do?

As the panic fills your veins. As the bile rises from the pits of your stomach into your mouth. As your lungs ache. As your body threatens to shut down. You have a decision to make.

Fight or Flight.

What do you do?