Stitches and Burns

Chapter 24: May 31, 1999

The whole world went silent. I heard as Thena and Chase made their way out and escaped, but that didn't matter to me.

I made my way down to the lowest floor, and approached Clair's body, and picked her up.

Clair: Hey.

Harlan: Hey.

Clair: How are you?

Harlan: Been worse. You?

Clair: I feel like shit man.

Clair tried to laugh but she groaned in pain.

Harlan: Hey hey don't move. I'm gonna get some help. HEY! MEDIC! ANYONE!

I tried to get up but Clair pulled me back.

Clair: No. Please... don't. Stay with me.

I looked at Clair's eyes as tears started to trickle down her sad scared eyes.

Clair: Please.

It was there that I realized, it wasn't death Clair was afraid of. It was her dying alone.

I sat back down and held Clair.

Clair: Harlan, I'm sorry.

Harlan: Don't...-

Clair: Harlan, please. There's no saving me now. There's nothing you can do. It shouldn't have been this way... but this is the way it is.

Harlan: I don't want it to be this way.

Clair chuckled.

Clair: This was never going to work out.

Harlan: Why not?

Clair: Because of who we are.

Harlan: Don't say that.

Clair: You are supposed to arrest me, I am supposed to kill you. Things were never going to work out between us.

Harlan: I don't care. I never did.

Clair: Harlan, the things I did-...

Harlan: Don't-...

Clair: I killed people... innocent people. My life is just layers and layers of stitches and burns.

Harlan: We all have our stitches and burns... but overtime, they heal. We heal.

Clair started to cry.

Clair: I'm sorry... I'm sorry that this one won't... for you.

Clair held my hand, and I understood what she meant.

Clair: You really shouldn't have come.

Harlan: You shouldn't have talked to me.

Clair laughed.

Clair: Talking to you... has been the best mistake in my life. You, Harlan Brandle... you were the best mistake I ever made.

Clair put her hand on my cheek. She wiped a tear from my eye, and after locking eyes, she pulled herself up to give me a kiss.

I felt her soft tender lips pressed against mine, and I kissed her back, passionately. I could feel as she kissed me back and I felt as she suddenly stopped. I pulled my lips away from hers and I looked as her eyes blankly stared in the blank space above us.

I heard as the door opened. May walked in with agents of T.H.E.P.A., Forster included. Both of them took one look at me, and didn't say a word. May slowly sat down beside me, closed Clair's eyes, and gave me a hug as I put my head on her shoulder, and cried.