Chapter 1

"Arthur…Please don't do this to me!" Alfred desperately clung to his lover's hand as he lay on the hospital bed, his breathing shallow and ragged. "Please don't die!"

The man on the bed looked over at him. He smiled weakly.

"Come on now, Alfred…Is that…any way to act?" He winced as a fresh spasm of pain struck him. "It's just a bullet…The great…Arthur Kirkland…won't die from something…as trivial as this…"

"But the doctors said…"

"I don't care what the bloody doctors said!" Arthur looked at him fiercely. "I love you, Alfred F. Jones, and I am not leaving you like this! I-" Suddenly, his face went slack, and he began jerking uncontrollably. Alfred panicked.

"Arthur? Arthur, come on!" He dashed out into the hallway, crying for help. "Someone, please! Artie's dying!" A nurse hurried over. Arthur was still seizing up, coughing up blood. The nurse hurriedly pressed the emergency call button on the wall. She began setting up an IV, probably to give him another blood transfusion. Alfred rushed back to his lover's side. Arthur had stopped coughing, which was good, but he was now limp and unresponsive. Alfred began panicking. "Oh my god! Arthur, say something!" Unconsciously, he began crying. "I can't lose you, Artie…" He began crying in earnest. Then, he felt a hand begin patting him gently. He looked up to see Arthur. His eyes were distant, which frightened Alfred.

"Alfred…I'm so sorry…" He started coughing again, then focused upon Alfred once more. "If I don't make it…just know I truly love you…and I'm sorry we didn't have more time…" He fell back onto the pillow, as if speaking was an effort. His eyelids began to flutter closed. He chuckled.

"Come on, Alfred…Smile for me…I always love it when you smile. It's like the sun, shining on me. I'd like to see it…one more time." Alfred was close to a complete breakdown, but he weakly smiled back, feeling like it took all his efforts. Arthur smiled as well. He looked peaceful at last.

"There we go..." He closed his eyes. "Good-bye, Alfred…and thank you for a lovely time…"

The pillow seemed to sink a little, and for a moment, Alfred thought he heard a soft breeze. Then the heart monitor began beeping frantically. He hadn't noticed it, but the room had filled with doctors during this scene. The first nurse immediately ran forwards with a defibrillator, pushing Alfred aside. "Clear!" she shouted, and Arthur's body jolted with electricity. For one instant, Alfred felt a wild, unreasonable hope that Arthur would live. Then the beep grew continuous. A doctor shook his head sadly.

"Time of death: 11:03 PM."

The doctors and nurses filed respectfully out of the room. Alfred stood there for a minute in shock. Then he fell to his knees, howling with grief, clasping the hand that had once belonged to Arthur Kirkland.