SATELLITE [STEVE HARRINGTON]

eddie the hero

TEARS CLOUDED GINNY'S VISION. She used what was left of her spear and strength to hit away the bats tearing at Eddie's body.

Bat surrounded Ginny within seconds. They tore into her skin, too, into her legs and shoulders, into her hair, their claws raking across her face. She fought desperately, trying to get away, trying to help Eddie.

But in an instant— it all stopped.

The bats around them flapped helplessly to the ground, one by one, hitting the dirt and lying there, motionless.

Ginny knocked the carcasses off of her, jolting against the ground and sitting up. Her heart pounded, seeing Eddie's limp figure a few feet away.

She crawled towards him, ignoring the searing pain in her knees, in her shoulders and face. "E-Eddie..."

Dustin limped towards them as fast as he could go, tears running down his face already. "Eddie!" He called. "Eddie!"

They reached Eddie at the same time, both collapsing next to him.

It wasn't good, anyone could see that. But Ginny, who knew how long it took to bleed out, who knew how long you had left after having your throat nearly torn out— she knew it was really not good.

"Oh, god, Eddie..." Ginny's voice was wet, her tears falling in fat drop from her eyes down onto his bloodied t-shirt. He had jumped in front of her. "Why did you do that? Why'd you fucking do that?"

He coughed and grimaced, blood splattering across his face. "B-bad, huh?"

Ginny glanced at Dustin, her tears falling faster, heavier. She couldn't lie to him, couldn't force the words from her mouth.

Dustin sobbed, shaking his head. "No, no, no, no, you're gonna be fine— we just gotta get you to a hospital, okay?"

Eddie nodded numbly. "O-okay."

Dustin started to pull him up, and Ginny helped— though she was slowly realizing it would not make a difference. He was going to die. He was dying already.

"All right, o-okay, okay..." Dustin gritted his teeth, as he and Ginny tried to help Eddie to his feet— but his legs were worse than his arms and chest, which were bad as it was. "Come on..."

"I think— I think I just need a s-second..." Eddie said weakly, and they laid him down carefully. Ginny held his head in her lap, Dustin clutching his hand desperately.

She surveyed the damage again, not believing her eyes. His neck was a mangled mess, his Hellfire Club t-shirt barely recognizable, shredded and dripping with his blood.

Her tears splashed in the dirt next to his head. She ran a hand over his hair, fingers shaking. "Eds..."

He tried to smile. "I-I didn't run away this time, right?" Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes.

Someone was punching Ginny in the chest, over and over again. She pressed her lips together, but they trembled against her teeth, as she tried to hold back her sobs. She shook her head alongside Dustin, who told him, "No, no, no.. You didn't run..."

Eddie's dark eyes flickered to Ginny. He sucked in a wet breath, and from the sound, she knew it was likely his lungs— probably punctured, his own blood drowning him.

"H-Harrington... Harrington's a l-lucky guy," he choked out, blood running down his chin.

Ginny blinked more tears from her eyes, shaking her head firmly. "Eddie... don't— don't say goodbye."

He smiled faintly. "Nah, no, this is..." He sucked in a shaky breath. "S'not goodbye. I-I'm just... g-glad... Glad I re-met you."

A sob broke past Ginny's lips. She ran her hand over his hair again, shakily, nodding. "Me too. Me too, Eds."