Mirror Man

Crash!

Sounds of terror ripped Danny from his bed, swearing as the rib destroying spring caught his chest as he flung himself from the confines of his duvet, the sound of an engine throbbing and a commotion outside his window causing him to throw the curtains wide apart.

The scene outside filled him with horror, the mangled motorcycle laying in the road still chugged, spitting fumes and flames from its petrol tank, fragments of the once noble machine littering the road outside his humble abode, a car, billowing steam, the huge dent in the front testament to what had occurred.

Bright blue lights illuminated the street, flashing, dancing, almost matching the racing beat of Dannys frantic heart.

The car driver slinging open the door, swearing and swaying like a madman, obviously a lot more than three sheets to the wind, being slammed up against his car by two very angry traffic officers, and the motorcycle rider, still, prone, flat on his back on the side of the road several yards away.

Caring not one bit that he was in pyjamas, snatching up his phone and keys Danny sprinted for the door, through it and up the steps into the street, the warm night air beginning to chill slightly caught his face, looking around at the assembling crowd catching sight of the driver, restrained by the two policemen attempting to swing his fists and kick out at anyone that came close, he could almost smell the alcohol from the other side of the road.

"NO, NO, DON'T...........", Danny raced, tripping and stumbling towards the rider, just as one well meaning onlooker shouted, "take his helmet off he's choking", the man in the road gurgled and rasped, unable to breathe as the chin strap dug into his neck.

"NO, DON'T REMOVE HIS HELMET", Danny fell on his knees beside the man on the floor, "but he's choking" the onlooker gasped, hands already set on the helmet, tugging at it, tightening the strap even more, Danny slapped his hands away.

"No..... No don't, his neck or head could be injured, if you take it off and move something he could be paralysed", his voice trembled as he gently flicked up the visor revealing terrified grey eyes that pleaded with him, imploring him to help.

"Hey, I'm Danny", the gentle voice that left his mouth belied the terror and fear inside, this was no time to be scared, this man needed him, and he was going to do whatever he could to help.

"I'm just going to undo your chin strap okay?!" Danny breathed heavily as the eyes signalled that the man understood, "it'll help clear your airway, it's been pulled tight, I'll try to be really careful okay?", the eyes again signalled that the man understood.

With a deft flick of his fingers, the clasp released, "ooooh god, please work, please work" Danny muttered as the horrifying gurgling, choking sounds gave way to desperate gulps, pulling in air frantically, looking back up into the pained grey eyes he saw gratitude as a brush against his fingers made him look down.

"You're okay, you're okay, I can hear sirens, the ambulance is on its way, you'll be okay" he whispered as a bloody thumb stroked his hand, the eyes smiled momentarily then closed.

"Oh..... Oh no, no no, don't go to sleep, no no stay awake, please please" Danny panicked as the eyelids fluttered and opened again, a single tear rolling from the corner of one pained grey eye.

Chatting nonsensically just to keep the man awake, gripping the hand that the thumb stroking him was attached to Danny looked deep into the grey eyes, thinking that he saw a brief flicker of something, recognition?, knowing?, he didn't know but the grey eyes sparked something in him

Seeing the mans lips move he struggled to hear what the grey eyed rider was trying to say, leaning in closer, closer still, finally, finally he heard it.

"D-a-n-n-y".

A whisper among the noise and flashing lights seemed to echo in his head, a voice so soft and gentle, a little rough too but warm, and somehow...... unforgettable, as the grey eyes once more closed he clung to the injured hand.

****

Falling into bed finally at 4am, the smell of fuel and burning still hung in the air, the street outside now eerily silent, the only clues as to what had occurred, a petrol stain on the cold road surface and a pool of barely concealed blood, the sand used to soak up the spilled fluids and the remnants of foam sprayed to quell the flames, whipped into mini gritty snowy tornados as a sharp, chill, early morning breeze swirled around the empty street.

Danny had finally let himself go, let out all the fear and panic inside as he'd watched the rider lifted into the ambulance on a spinal board, the same thumb that had gently caressed his hand now still, the hand twisted and bleeding, little rivulets of drying blood tracing the lines of the prominent veins.

Collapsing in the road he'd cried so hard, so so hard, for someone he didn't even know, for the innocent on that bike, for the victim of the selfishness of a drunk driver.

For the man with the haunting grey eyes, the man who had whispered his name as if he knew him, as if he knew Danny would be there.

Being praised by the paramedics for stopping the onlooker from removing the helmet, he hoped against all hope that his small action of unhooking the chin strap and leaving the helmet on had made the difference between life and death for that rider.

All the pain and heartache of his life poured out, the shame, the rejection, the hurt, every little held in emotion spilled forth, but was he really crying for himself or was he crying for the pain in those grey eyes, the fear he'd seen so clearly, the light that flickered as those eyes closed?, what was he really crying for?.

Falling into a fitful sleep on the sofa, the eyes of the man on the road haunted him, yet somehow were warm and tender drawing a gentle tired smile to his lips, he made a wish, there were no shooting stars, no pretty fountain to toss a coin into, but somewhere out there he hoped that whatever entity was listening, his wish would be granted.

The wish that the man with the painful eyes would be okay.

****

The shrieking of the deafening ringtone of his once again discarded phone drilled into Dannys brain, pulling him from slumber, awkwardly shifting to reach to the floor, blindly tapping around for the offending technology he winced, "aaaaaah bloody hell", the sharp pain in his ribs reminding him of the mad dash from his bed the night before and that damn broken spring.

"Oooww jeeeesus that hurts", the sudden stab took his breath, breathing heavily with the pain he finally made contact with his old Samsung and tapped the icon.

"H-hello?" he groaned as another sharp dig bought forth a gasp.

"Hey Danny, not interrupting something am I?", the smirking voice of his best friend came down the line as he groaned again and forced himself up to sitting.

"Hina, now is not the time" he coughed, "ooow shit" clasping his free hand to his side he groaned loudly.

"Danny?, what's up?" the tone changed upon realising that Danny wasn't in the throes of passion, he was actually in pain.

"H-hurt my ribs......pain" the blonde puffed out as another jolt seared through.

"I'm coming over, you need to go to the hospital".

"Hina, no no it's, f-fine" he spluttered as the line went dead.

"Uuuhhhh" Danny groaned again as he dropped the phone onto the cushion, hiking up his sleep shirt revealing an angry red stripe across his ribs he cautiously touched the raised bright red skin.

"AH", the mere touch of his fingertips sent shock waves through his chest, nausea swirled as the full realisation of how much damage he'd done settled in his brain.

The adrenaline of the previous nights events had been enough to wipe the pain clear from his mind, but now the torrent of agony seeping through was becoming just too much to bear.

Dragging himself up and struggling through to the bedroom, cautiously pulling on clothes he couldn't face a shower and slowly shuffled back through to his tiny sitting room and flopped onto the sofa cushions, resigning himself to ruining his best friends weekend yet again, dragging her away from her family to once again help him through another shitty mistake.