(A/N:) I don't know how police or hospitals work so bear with me
When I first met him, I thought he was the biggest prick in the world. He was cocky and arrogant and I had no idea why the force had accepted him. So, naturally, when he became my partner, I thought the universe was out to get me. That I must've done something terribly wrong and he was my punishment. Looking back, it all seems so stupid. I was so melodramatic and close-minded for no reason whatsoever. But if I was honest, it was because I was jealous. I envied his good looks and charm and the quickness in which he rose in the ranks when it took me so long to get where I was. Things just seemed to come so naturally to him. And I wished I was like that. But I later realized that wasn't actually the case. I got to know him, his flaws, his weaknesses, things that made him tick. And I found that all of the charisma and apparent narcissism was a pretense. A cover-up for the troubled soul that lied within. And then I realized the universe wasn't out to get me. It was doing me a favor.
It was showing me that I needed something. I needed him. We became fast friends after that and learned things from each other. I taught him how to overcome his past and strive for a better future and he taught me how to let go and live a little. To enjoy my moments before they were my last. But then he was hurt. And the irony didn't hit me.
We had been working a case on a seeming abduction, and were chasing down a lead about a robbery gone wrong. We were sitting in a bar, observing the suspect over the rims of our glasses. "You think he's here alone?" he had asked me, being the one to ask questions. I shrugged. "Who knows. But keep an eye out, wouldn't want any of his friends to be onto us."
I remember he had smiled and I had looked over. Despite the seriousness of the situation, I found myself smiling smally to myself. That just seemed to happen. His smile was contagious.
"He's on the move." he had alerted me and when I looked, I saw the man leaving the bar, glancing around as if he was up to something. "Let's go," I said and together we followed suit, making sure to keep a safe distance. "I'll keep after him, you go get the squad." he said and I almost stopped walking. "Are you insane? I can't let you go after this guy alone."
"Trust me, I'll be fine." he had said. "Just go get the car. I'll call you and keep you updated."
I hadn't been able to say anything else and he gave me a reassuring smile though it didn't do much to reassure me. I had an uneasy feeling in my gut and I didn't like the thought of him being out there alone. But he didn't seem like he would listen to me, so I figured I'd go to the car and do what I could. When I shut the driver's side door, I immediately reached for my phone, dialing his number. He picked up. "Where are you?"
"I'm at the corner of Rose and Sina. He's heading towards some sort of underpass."
"Keep on him. I'm getting backup. Don't hang up, okay?"
I heard some sort of response and picked up my radio. "This is 1-Lincoln-13 requesting code 8 at Rose and Sina. Suspect on foot, we are in pursuit. Please stand by."
I couldn't settle the twisting of my heart or the overwhelming sense of panic I was feeling. Why was I so worried? I drove towards the direction of their location, thankful we hadn't taken one of the cruisers. We were using an undercover car, so the suspect wouldn't know I was in the force even if I pulled up behind him. "Eren, you still there?" I asked over the phone. He didn't answer right away. "Eren?" I asked more frantically. "Yeah . . . sorry."
He sounded out of breath. "Look I can't talk right now. He's got company."
"Eren? Eren, where are you?"
"I'm heading towards the river. There's too many of them, I gotta go."
"Eren, wait, don't —"
He hung up. I bit my lip and grabbed the radio. "This is 1-Lincoln-13 to dispatch, do you copy?"
"1-Lincoln-13 we read you loud and clear."
"Code 20. I repeat, code 20. Situation unknown, officer Jaeger may be in danger."
"Copy that, Lincoln-13, we're on our way."
I reached for my phone and dialed his number again, pulling over and getting out of the car. I jogged through the underpass and looked around, seeing no sign of anyone. The phone went to voicemail. I then saw a young man leaned against the wall with what appeared to be blood on his shirt. My heart sunk. "Hey, you!" I called and when he looked up, his eyes widened. "That better be your blood." I said, my voice wavering. I was suddenly burning with anger. "Look, it wasn't my fault, I —"
"Where is he?" I interjected. He just stared at me. My frustration took over and I shoved him back against the wall. "Where the hell is he?!"
"I — I don't know, h-he was stabbed over there somewhere."
My chest tightened. "Stabbed?"
"Y-Yeah. I swear it wasn't me."
"I don't care who it was!" I shouted, seeing him visibly flinch. I took a deep breath. "I just need to know where he is. Show me."
He nodded and took off down a path to the right and I followed after, my heart beating painfully. He had been stabbed. The thought of him bleeding out, on the brink of death crossed my mind. I imagined the tan of his skin fading away along with his life, the glimmer and glow in his eyes disappear. I imagined him giving me one last one of those lopsided smiles before going limp in my arms. I shook my head and shut my eyes, trying to rid those thoughts from my mind. But when we arrived on the scene, it was hard not to think of the unthinkable.
"Eren!" I had cried, falling to my knees beside him, ignoring the river of blood flowing from his side. He appeared to have two stab wounds to either side. I lifted his shirt to expose the lacerations and turned to the young man standing behind me. "Give me your jacket." I demanded and he did as told, handing it to me quickly. I pressed it to his wound hurriedly, my hands shaking as I looked at him. "Eren, stay with me." I begged, seeing him already struggling to breathe. I didn't know how long he had been there, but from the looks of it, he had already lost a lot of blood. I applied pressure to his wound and looked over my shoulder at the man. "Call an ambulance. Hurry!"
He reached for his phone and I turned back to look into emerald eyes. Their light was fading too fast for my liking. "Eren. Eren, don't you dare die on me. Come on, stay with me!"
He turned to face me and gave me a weak smile. "A . . . Armin . . ." he rasped and I shook my head. "Don't speak, just lay still, the paramedics will be here soon. Just hang in there."
I could feel tears beginning to run down my cheeks and held back a sob as the stain on the young man's jacket grew larger. The minutes I had to wait for the ambulance seemed like an eternity. But then they were there and had Eren on a stretcher and then we were on our way to the hospital. I followed behind them in the car, feeling myself tremble as we went. When we got to the ER, I rushed after them as they turned through various hallways, asking all sorts of questions that none of them needed to deal with. "Will he be okay?"
"Too early to say. We need to get him into urgent care as soon as possible."
I gave up, deciding I shouldn't waste their time and prevent them from treating him before it was too late. So I returned to the waiting room, ignoring the looks I received from some bystanders. I sat there for hours, tapping my foot, my mind and heart racing. I tried reading a magazine to calm my nerves, but I couldn't manage to read it. All I could focus on was Eren.
What seemed like years passed until one of the doctors came out asking for me. I hurried up to her, overwhelmed with worry. "What's going on, is Eren alright?"
She raised a hand as if to stop my rambling. "He's fine."
I let out a sigh of relief, feeling as if the weight of the world had just been lifted off my shoulders. "Oh thank god." I mumbled. "He's unconscious, but stable. We still need to do a few tests, but he'll be fine. I'll keep you posted . . ."
"Armin. Armin Arlert."
"Mr. Arlert." she said with a smile and a nod. She turned to leave, but I found my mouth moving. "Wait."
She looked back at me. "Can I see him?"
With a gentle smile, I could already tell the answer. "Not yet. He's still undergoing care. I'm sorry. I'll let you know as soon as you can."
I gave an appreciative smile and let her go through the doors to check on him. I sat back down in the seat I had claimed and let out a sigh. The suspect had probably gotten away, but it didn't matter. Eren was okay. He was going to be okay. That was all I needed. The world could survive with one more criminal, but it couldn't survive without Eren. Without the brilliant light he gave off, the entire world would be dark and meaningless. It would have lost something truly amazing.
I waited for hours, watching each second tick painfully by until finally she returned and I stood up the moment she entered the room. "Alright, you can see him now."
She led me down the halway and to a room labeled 845. She pushed the door open and I stepped inside. "Thank you," I said. I looked down at her coat. "Dr. Ackerman."
She smiled before shutting the door behind me. I turned to look at Eren, taking a deep breath. I looked at his electrocardiogram and saw his heart was beating at a steady rhythm. I approached his bedside, observing the wires and IV's connected to him. They had him on a breathing machine. I sat in the chair beside him, feeling myself tear up. He was alive. I reached out with trembling fingers and gingerly took his hand. It felt cold to the touch. I ran my thumb over the back of his hand. "You're gonna be okay, Eren." I found myself saying. "Everything's gonna be fine."
