There James was. Pacing and ranting and begging for the time. Insisting that he was late. That he was late and something very bad would happen because of it.

There Blair was. On her knees, hands in the air, unable to help him through his strife because something bad had already happened.

“I said to put your hands UP,” the officer yelled at James, not caring that James was not able to recognize the urgency or reason behind the demand.

Blair begged him, trying to keep her voice as even as she could. “Please, officer, please let me calm him down, please don’t shoot him. He doesn’t understand! He needs my help!”

The cop ignored her, unable to see James as anything but a threat to public safety. If only the cops hadn’t been called, Blair could have handled it. She knew James well, enough to know that he wasn’t sober, that he was confused and scared. All he needed was Blair to talk him through it calmly, as she always had, and he would have been okay again. Neighbors had called the cops on James before, he often liked to use outside, but this time was different. This time a new cop that didn’t know James came. This time a gun was drawn. Blair wasn’t able to step in for her client in time. Even if she had, at this point, on her knees, hands up, she didn’t think anything would have changed.

James let out a horrible wail as Blair saw his figure bolt out from behind her in the corner of her eye.

The safety clicked back.

Blair’s heart jumped as something other than blood filled it.

Faster than she could think, Blair threw herself in front of James.

A bang.

Whatever had filled Blair’s heart was poured out onto the ground.