Author's note: Again, thanks! One small warning. I will post two chapters together. Just... read them both. Please.
If that thing dies, Hiro dies with it.
I have to do something.
I ran over to the control monitor. A bunch of coding was displayed across the screen. Also in the top right-hand corner was a timer that said, System going down in: 0:50.
So 50 seconds.
It's not that hard, it's just coding. All you have to do is hack the machine to make it work again. It's not that hard.
The only problem is, if I mess up… Hiro dies.
"I wish you could help me with this, Hiro…" I muttered. "Here goes nothing."
I started hacking into it.
Hacking into that machine took a lot more work that it should have… It didn't help that the system was crashing. Oh right, and the time… Which was now-
System going down in 0:37.
Great.
I love having a time limit on my friend's life.
I got back to work on the coding.
0:20.
All you have to do is make it work.
0:15.
I kept typing at it. This was a lot harder than normal, seeing as A, I had a time limit, and B, this machine was really complex…
0:10.
When did there get to be only ten seconds left…
I kept going.
0:09.
0;08.
I finished the coding.
0:07.
0:06.
I checked over the code, making sure it wouldn't crash the thing.
0:05.
I sent the code.
0:04.
0:03.
Still nothing from the machine.
0:02.
Why isn't it working?!
0:01.
0:00.
Out of time.
The entire machine shuddered-
And flickered back on.
I let out a sob of relief. I did it…
"That was absolutely terrifying…" I muttered. I dropped back into the chair next to the bed. "That was…" I glanced over at Hiro. "I just saved your life, genius. I hope you're happy."
Still no answer from him.
Not that I expected one.
Hiro let out a soft gasp.
I turned towards him, almost falling. He was still coma-like, but that was the first reaction or anything he'd shown since he'd first been in the coma.
Which meant he was recovering.
The machine let out an incredibly loud beeping noise. Like a warning beep.
At the same time, Hiro's life readings went flat.
"Hiro!" I jumped to my feet.
They stayed flat. No motion.
But that couldn't be right.
Because that would mean that he was-
I can't accept it.
He can't just be dead all of a sudden.
A minute later, the room was full of doctors, and I had to leave. I waited for what seemed like forever. Of course, today I had to be the only one here…
Finally, one of the doctors came out of his hospital room.
"So?!" I demanded, jumping up. "Is he-" I couldn't finish the sentence, but the doctor knew what I was asking.
Slowly, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, we couldn't do anything for him."
"What?!"
"I'm sorry," she said again.
All the doctors filed out of Hiro's room. All of them looked solemn. None of them looked at me.
As soon as they were gone, I ran back in, and collapsed next to the bed, sobbing.