The girl lay in his arms, heaving labored, troubled breaths, staring at him wide eyed.
I love you.
And in that moment he knew there was no getting out of this one.
No magic potion, no mystery cure, nothing. She was dying, she would die, and she would never come back.
She would never graduate high school or move into her first apartment. She would never get married or have children or get her first gray hair. She would never call Scott again and he would never hear her voice or see the way her eyebrows quirked when she looked at him or see the way her eyes glittered when she smiled.
In a second everything was gone.
Death had frozen her at 17. Forever 17 with a bow and arrow at her side. Her eyes open and glossy and mouth half open, death silencing her before she could finish her thoughts.
No.
Scott's face twisted into an ugly mask and the tears flowed freely now. He cradled her now, a broken china doll he couldn't save. He was supposed to be the hero, he was supposed to save the day and make everything okay.
Except it was too late.
Nothing was going to be okay.
Just like that everything was gone.