The day was snowy, iced and frozen. The low temperature had left the river across the street frozen and looking solid as ever. Many had been on the ice for hours that morning and all had gone well enough until a speeding driver lost control of her mini and wound up six feet beneath the no-longer-so-solid floor that now had a humongous hole where once there was ice. Not many people had been on the ice when the car had hit it coming from the bridge that lay overhead. On it had only been a young boy who had been crawling towards his mother at snail-pace. He was far too young and fearful to stand on those perfectly functional feet of his, let alone notice that a large mechanical contraption was flying in his general direction.

  Liji had seen the poor kid's head get squashed by a spinning tire as it rode him right through the thin glass that was the only thing separating him from death. The poor kid didn't die though, in fact, he lived to breathe another seven breaths before finally letting the shocking liquid devour his lungs.

That's how she had seen it happen in her dream. He'd died and his poor mother had cried endless tears, but now, as she stared at the computer screen whilst trying to ignore the screams that chorused the verse each squealing tire sang whilst breaking the barrier between life and death, Liji felt like the worst person in the world.

She had 40 seconds to save the boy at least. If she didn't then she would really be the worst person alive. 35 seconds saw her put her coat on and leave her table. 30 seconds saw her at the door. 25 seconds and she was just about across the street. 20 saw her hit the cold surface of the freezing cold icy winter water and 15 found her halfway to the drowning boy. Perhaps her mere presence had given the boy hope enough to fight on because 3, 2, 1 and she was still submerged in feet of water beyond her own ability to count at that moment, yet he was alive. The boy’s eyes were closed shut from unconsciousness but she could feel his heart still beating from the drumming that rapidly hit the arm that clasped tightly to his chest. 

  He must have been merely five or six years in age, she thought whilst making her way up. Her mind was already made up that he would die. She could tell by his slowing heartbeat that she was quickly losing him, and so close to the surface too. So damn close...

"Grab her hand!" she heard coming from above, the voice of her saviour, and reached out to him. Many hands grabbed her at once, their warmth uncomfortable in contrast to her frozen and shivering skin. The cold breeze that drifted by nearly knocked her out of her wits as she landed on solid ground, body still bundled in her arms, still as a mournful picture.

  "I tried my best!" she shivered out with cackling teeth, her body was strewn protectively over the boy's, she wanted to do more- hell, she already did this much so why waste her efforts- but she couldn't. She was frozen and couldn't move. Though technically, she could, because she just barely felt her numb self being rolled over to make way for somebody else to move in.

  "I'll give him CPR." a hushed whisper reached her. She just barely registered the long brown hair that fell over lean shoulders before all that was bright turned dark and her world turned quiet.

I tried my best...

*

Waking up in a hospital bed was never fun. Waking up in a hospital room full of unwanted gifts a