His face was almost unrecognizable, the swelling causing his features to distort grotesquely. Tears sprang to her eyes, someone had taken pleasure in beating him.
Rushing to him she knelt and felt for a pulse. It was there but weak, she didn’t need a medical degree to know that he was too damaged to survive, they’d gotten there too late, something inside of him was broken. “Red. Red, it’ s Sidney, wake up.” The tears were coursing down her face, Demon came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, and she was thankful for the comfort his touch brought. Instead of electricity surging between them, she felt a warmth seeping through her, giving her strength.
Red’s eyes opened into slits, it was probably the most he could manage with the damage done to his face. He picked his head up, looking first at her then at the hand on her shoulder before his gaze travelled up to Demon.
“Hey,” he said, as if he weren’t sitting there broken.
“Hey,” Sidney wiped the tears off her cheek. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
Red gave a little shake of his head, “I’m dying.”
“No,” Sidney cried, “I won’t let you.”
Red looked up at Demon, ignoring Sidney’s words. “Hey man. Take care of Morgan. Make sure she knows I loved her, even though I was a shitty ass father.”
“You got it, brother,” Demon’s face was grim as he agreed.
Sidney looked between the two of them. She’d thought that when Demon called Red brother it was because they were in the club together, but now she could see it, the bond between them, however shaky, was one of family. And Demon was just going to let Red go.
“No,” she said again. She wasn’t giving up that easy. She took Red’s hands in hers and closed her eyes. Whatever she’d done outside she could do again, and this time instead of taking lives, she’d save one. She tried to focus, to call all of her need and love into a palpable form but nothing happened. She concentrated harder, determined not to fail, but this time when the blinding light came, instead of encompassing her and holding her in its warmth, it seemed to attack. Her brain exploded into shards of pain and she fell back, letting go of Red’s hands.
“Sidney, stop it. You’re going to hurt yourself,” Demon helped her off the floor. “You’re spent from what you did outside, there’s nothing you can do.”
“I’m not going to let him die! I just need to try harder! I have to try.”
She stood in front of Red and put her hands on either side of his head and closed her eyes again, willing the power to come, trying desperately to turn her fear into something other than a sick feeling at the back of her throat. The light came and she braced for impact, hoping to find the safe place of comfort and not the sharp edges of pain. The light surrounded her and stole her breath, it ripped and tore at her from the inside out. She crumpled to her knees, sobbing.
“Stop doing this to yourself, you’ve got to let him go,” Demon watched as she climbed painfully back to her feet. “Say your goodbye and I’ll put an end to his suffering.”
“No, you can’t! I’ve got to try again, this has to work,” she was near the edge of hysteria, she couldn’t understand why she could use her power before to cause so much destruction but now that she needed it to save a life it wouldn’t work for her. Still on her knees in front of Red, she clasped his hands, prepared to do whatever she needed to save him.
“Fuck. Move out of the way,” Demon grabbed her shoulders and moved her aside as if she didn’t weigh anything, and took her place in front of Red. He looked back at her and sighed, his eyes full of doubt, “You’re going to have to keep your mouth shut about this.”
He placed one hand on Red’s forehead and the other on his chest. Red winced at the contact but Demon ignored it. The air around them began to pulse, Sidney could feel the movement of energy between them, and Demon
Rushing to him she knelt and felt for a pulse. It was there but weak, she didn’t need a medical degree to know that he was too damaged to survive, they’d gotten there too late, something inside of him was broken. “Red. Red, it’ s Sidney, wake up.” The tears were coursing down her face, Demon came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, and she was thankful for the comfort his touch brought. Instead of electricity surging between them, she felt a warmth seeping through her, giving her strength.
Red’s eyes opened into slits, it was probably the most he could manage with the damage done to his face. He picked his head up, looking first at her then at the hand on her shoulder before his gaze travelled up to Demon.
“Hey,” he said, as if he weren’t sitting there broken.
“Hey,” Sidney wiped the tears off her cheek. “We’re going to get you out of here.”
Red gave a little shake of his head, “I’m dying.”
“No,” Sidney cried, “I won’t let you.”
Red looked up at Demon, ignoring Sidney’s words. “Hey man. Take care of Morgan. Make sure she knows I loved her, even though I was a shitty ass father.”
“You got it, brother,” Demon’s face was grim as he agreed.
Sidney looked between the two of them. She’d thought that when Demon called Red brother it was because they were in the club together, but now she could see it, the bond between them, however shaky, was one of family. And Demon was just going to let Red go.
“No,” she said again. She wasn’t giving up that easy. She took Red’s hands in hers and closed her eyes. Whatever she’d done outside she could do again, and this time instead of taking lives, she’d save one. She tried to focus, to call all of her need and love into a palpable form but nothing happened. She concentrated harder, determined not to fail, but this time when the blinding light came, instead of encompassing her and holding her in its warmth, it seemed to attack. Her brain exploded into shards of pain and she fell back, letting go of Red’s hands.
“Sidney, stop it. You’re going to hurt yourself,” Demon helped her off the floor. “You’re spent from what you did outside, there’s nothing you can do.”
“I’m not going to let him die! I just need to try harder! I have to try.”
She stood in front of Red and put her hands on either side of his head and closed her eyes again, willing the power to come, trying desperately to turn her fear into something other than a sick feeling at the back of her throat. The light came and she braced for impact, hoping to find the safe place of comfort and not the sharp edges of pain. The light surrounded her and stole her breath, it ripped and tore at her from the inside out. She crumpled to her knees, sobbing.
“Stop doing this to yourself, you’ve got to let him go,” Demon watched as she climbed painfully back to her feet. “Say your goodbye and I’ll put an end to his suffering.”
“No, you can’t! I’ve got to try again, this has to work,” she was near the edge of hysteria, she couldn’t understand why she could use her power before to cause so much destruction but now that she needed it to save a life it wouldn’t work for her. Still on her knees in front of Red, she clasped his hands, prepared to do whatever she needed to save him.
“Fuck. Move out of the way,” Demon grabbed her shoulders and moved her aside as if she didn’t weigh anything, and took her place in front of Red. He looked back at her and sighed, his eyes full of doubt, “You’re going to have to keep your mouth shut about this.”
He placed one hand on Red’s forehead and the other on his chest. Red winced at the contact but Demon ignored it. The air around them began to pulse, Sidney could feel the movement of energy between them, and Demon
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