Come on, Peter! Squeeze my hand if you can hear me!'

'MOM!'

'Peter, wake up!'

It had been a few hours since the explosion. MJ was sitting beside Peter's bed. Aunt May had come as soon as the ambulances arrived. Both girls had red eyes from crying.

MJ had almost fallen asleep when she heard Peter stir.

"What the- ow!" He said groggily, waking MJ up completely.

"Peter! Oh my god, thank god! Lay back down." exclaimed MJ, making him lay down. He winced when she put a hand on one of his wounds.

"What happened?" he asked after a minute of silence.

"Well, we were at the ceremony…"

'It is my privilege to present Officer Jefferson Davis with the Department Medal of Honour…'

"…And you moved away from the crowd, looking, well, scared? No, no… It was troubled…"

'Pete?'

"…Then, the explosion happened. You protected me, pushed me down so you took the hit."

'Get down!'

"Next thing I know, I'm on my back, next to you, and you're unconscious. Someone dragged you out the chaos and I followed."

"It was your voice I heard?"

"You could hear me?"

"I could hear but I couldn't move."

'No, no, no, no….'

'Stay with me… I'm right here… just stay with me.'

"Miles moved to try find his mom who went to find his dad but I wasn't paying much attention. I was solely concentrated on you."

"How is his dad?"

"He's dead."

"Oh… tell Miles I say sorry next time you see him…"

"Don't worry, I will."

"What happened after I passed out?"

"Well, Ambulances came about 20 minutes after you passed out. May was waiting at the hospital, she was so worried, you should have seen…"

'Oh my god… I lost Ben, I can't lose Peter…'

"Is May okay?"

"Yeah, unless you count 'out of her mind worried'."

"Okay, good, good… Wait, are you okay?"

"Small bruise on my back since you pushed me on the ground, but nothing serious. Nothing as serious as you, anyways."
"How am I?"

"Two broken bones, a lot of bruise on your side and a lot of cuts. You have stitches now."

"At least I can call them battle scars."

They both laughed, even though Peter ached, he laughed.

"Yeah, yeah. May's outside right now, should I go call her?" asked MJ after a while.

"Please. Thank you."
"No problem. I owe you one… or maybe 100."

Peter smiled to himself as he heard May's anxious voice down the hall.

MJ was always saying she hated being the damsel in distress, but she seemed grateful for once.

I hope we get more times like this.