Luke remained in his seat through sheer willpower. His chin shifted from one clenched hand to the other multiple times. His heel was annoying the neighbors downstairs. He flipped through the television channels without acknowledging the 'Has this ever happened to you?' commercials that flew by. After settling on watching the news, he picked at the brown hairs on his arm. Whenever his energy threatened to overflow, a vision of his sister's wrath helped him ignore the temptation.

He could have sworn he heard something. He turned his head to the side and searched for the silhouetted movement of his roommates.

"You in here?" he said before the silence reminded him they would be home late. He sighed. The noise must have come from the television. It starred a nonchalant anchorman warning his audience about someone who was "armed and dangerous" and "still at large". Luke missed what the person looked like or did, but that sort of stuff happened all the time. He didn't give it a second thought.

What was that? Luke stood up this time while turning down the TV's volume. He waited for the sound again.

...CRASH! went what must have been dinnerware. Someone was in the house with him. Luke rushed to the kitchen, wondering who would be brave or stupid enough to break into someone's home while the owner was inside.

Luke turned the light on. He saw a pistol buried in the stranger's pants rim before the man turned around. He was wearing all black and a matching balaclava, which contrasted with the jewels around his neck. After the initial shock of getting caught, the thief tried to balance the armfuls of silverware in one arm. He pulled the gun out but Luke was close enough to grab his wrist. There was a struggle and a few shots were fired. Luke flinched and his ears started ringing. He was disoriented for a few moments, moments that the robber used to finish his work. He yanked the emptied drawer out of the counter and scooped up as many utensils as he could. He was seconds away from freedom, but Luke had other plans. He used his own weight to knock the stranger down. The silverware glittered as it rained onto the floor. There was a knife that clanked onto its handle. Its sharpness came short of hitting the robber's eye. Luke saw the robber place a hand on his cheek before his quickened breaths relaxed. Only the exposed skin between his eye and mask was cut, but the gun was no longer in his possession. While Luke tried to reach it first, the robber scampered to it like a dog to a bone. Another tackle. More forced breaths escaped from the stranger. His opponent was lanky but strong.

Luke saw bullet holes and shattered porcelain on the floor. He new that his sister would pin this on him somehow. He decided to unleash his frustration on the robber, who managed to wriggle his way out of his grasp. The man attempted to make a break for it without the valuables. Luke landed some punches on him. The robber held up his arms to defend himself.

"Gahdamn, this mothafucka lost his mahnd..." the man hissed, inching his way to the weapon. Luke followed his line of sight. The moment the robber bent over Luke side-kicked him, knocking him down. The man yelped. Luke lunched after the gun but it was pushed away. It skidded across the floor. As they scrambled to it the thief grabbed Luke's right leg but was kicked in the face with his left. Pop-pop-pop! Dull prongs pierced Luke's skin and muscle. The robber used a fork to stab his calf. The sensation was released as a barrage of curses and temporary stillness. He barely had time to turn the upper half of his body and pull the fork out before he saw the robber grab the handgun, tower over him, and shoot.

Luke's right side flung back. It took a few seconds after the bone shattered for the truth to sink in. He looked down. It felt as if his shirt was absorbing the warmth from his body, some of which dripped onto the floor in a crimson pool. A glistening blur caught his eye. It was inching further and further away into a sea of darkness. Luke wanted to chase it but his body wouldn't allow it. He placed a hand on his shoulder. It was a strange feeling, like a combination of a twisting knife and numbness. He, being alone in the increasingly darker house, had to ask himself...had he just been shot? Had he just been shot? Had he...

It hurt. Everything started to hurt. The gunshot was a virus spreading. Breathing became tedious and short. Instead of oxygen he never thought he'd hold dear, he tasted iron. Just as he tried to spit it out, the darkness changed.

Luke knew that his sister was bullied in elementary school. She was shy but people mistook it as arrogance. When she came home in tears one day, he knew that he had to do something. He trained, fought, took beatings for her. Despite being in different classes, he became her self-appointed bodyguard.

It became gray...

When she grew older, she started to attract boys, boys that Luke spent years protecting her from. Luke thought she was being ungrateful for responding to their advances. They clearly had ulterior motives. What was she thinking, falling for their lies?

Then white...

There was one boy in particular that never said or did anything, but posed a threat nonetheless. He was...off. Creepy. And Luke wasn't sure how to get rid of him.

Then nothing.

~~~

<sub>...and before he recovers he'll have to cut back on any strenuous activities for the time being.

Shit, um...well, thanks. I...</sub>I don't know what would've happened if you guys didn't...

You deserve some of the credit. He may have been in trouble without your quick thinking. Your friend is a very lucky man. Would you like a few minutes?

Y-Yeah...

A door opened. Flashing cameras and requests for rumors' confirmations were waiting just outside. After some difficulty, the door was closed again.

...Guess it's a given, but there're gonna be some complications when he comes back home, so... Kat, will you stop that? He didn't die.

Luke groaned. His visitors made no attempt to lower their voices in the hospital. When they finally quieted, annoying yet necessary beeping took their place. During his struggle to sit up he used his bad leg as support. With a spasm, he fell on his bed harder than anticipated. The unfamiliarity of the bed he was on was the first to be noticed. It was stiff with its head lifted slightly. The material, which could make any fluid slide off easily, was poorly disguised by lumpy padding. Next was the room. It was cramped, the bed being the dominating piece of furniture. The atmosphere was bland, a grayish white, and Luke's only company was the life sustaining machines and the goddamn beeping. The bandage on his shoulder and sharp pain on his back sparked some memories. The fight, the moment he saw the robber's eyes before he was shot... He thought the man was glaring at him, but there was something peculiar about it. He just couldn't point out what it was.

"Stop being a baby!" his second roommate, Tyler, interrupted his train of thought. He was so intent on chastising Luke's sister Kathrynn that he just realized his friend was conscious. "Great, now he couldn't wake up to smiling faces 'cause of your wuss ass."

"Hey, screw you!" Kat said between sobs. Her tears began to glue her brown hair to her cheeks. When she wiped them away, traces of mascara followed. Tyler flashed a glare at her before refocusing on Luke.

"Man, you should see what's going on out there," he said, pointing at the door behind him. "It's a freaking madhouse. ...So how are you feeling?"

"...I nearly died, but besides that, just peachy," Luke said.

"I know you won't die on me," Tyler said, trying to lighten up the mood. "You're not cruel enough to leave me with that sister of yours. ...Oh, I'm sorry. You're still in the room, aren't you?"

Kathrynn puckered her lips at him. Luke laughed and asked what happened after he was shot.

"I guess the guy bolted," said Tyler. "You were bleedin' like crazy, just completely out of it. Saying gibberish and...You really don't remember any of that?"

"It was kinda hard to with a piece of metal lodged in my shoulder."

"Hey, my bad, my bad..."

Luke watched as Tyler blocked Kat's only means of escape. After a brief staring contest, Kathrynn sighed and eased her way back to Luke's bed. As soon as she saw his bandages she didn't avert her gaze. Kat gasped and covered her mouth with both hands. Her pained expression and the fact that he caused it broke Luke's heart. He hated that look. He hated his predicament. He hated himself because it took a near-death experience for him to remember his reason for fighting.

"You..." she muttered, her voice trembling. "The next time you have to choose between saving a few forks and yourself, make the more obvious choice!"

With that, she punched Luke's arm. He felt nothing.

~~~

Luke was confined to a hospital bed for the next few weeks. With limited channels on the television and movement requiring more effort than usual, he spent his time alone thinking. According to the doctor, if the bullet exited a few inches to the left, his arm would have been the least of his worries. He considered what he would have missed and who would miss him if it reached its target. His sister's wedding, his best friend's graduation, the robber's eventual arrest...

The robber...Luke was so consumed by the adrenaline rush that he never paid attention to the stranger's details. He only knew for certain that an African American male invaded his home. His train of thought was interrupted by Kathrynn's announcement: her boyfriend wanted to meet him.

"I told you about him several times, Lucas," Kat said. "Don't act like I didn't."

"Really?" Luke said.

"Ugh, I swear you have a one-track mind! Anything that doesn't involve that stupid hobby of yours just goes right over your head..." she said. She sat on the foot of her brother's bed, staring at his injury before adding "Look, I understand, I do...but I've grown up. I don't need your help anymore, so please..."

"Fine, fine," Luke lied. "Come on, tell me again. I'm all ears."

"...Okay. Remember Devon from high school?"

"Yeah?"

Kat patted her thighs and looked away, giving Luke a few seconds to get the message.

"No. No way, him?" he scoffed. "That weird guy you swore you'd 'never date in a million years'?"

"Yes, him," Kat said. She rolled her eyes before smiling. "He has some quirks I don't particularly care about, but he's a real gentleman."

"He stalked you for three years, woman!"

"But, but, in his defense...he's not like any of my douchebag ex-boyfriends. It's refreshing."

"And creepy."

"Hey, no one asked for your opinion. He hasn't done anything wrong...If anything, his worst quality is his anxiousness! The first time he came over yesterday-"

"He what?"

"Wait, wait, shut up for a minute! He was so concerned about rushing things that he refused to go inside the apartment. Stock-still at the stairs, I swear to God!"

"That's...That's not normal, Kat," Luke said before giving up. "So you said he wants to meet me?"

"Yeah, but...Good luck finding more about him than what I could drag out."

"Oh, hell, if I find out he did something I don't approve of-"

"You'll do nothing because you're not exactly a catch yourself."

"Aaand there goes my pride."

~~~

A week after Luke's imprisonment, Devon was begrudgingly allowed into his room. He and Kathrynn had to fight their way through a news crew. The couple locked themselves in.

"Hey, this ain-...isn't some exhibit, you know. Get lost!" Devon said once they were safe. Luke caught the blunder. He remembered how the gun shook in the robber's hand. And the mark under his eye...

"They've been like this forever now," Kat's whining put a stop to that.

"I heard that the robberies have subsided since your brother's encounter," said Devon. "I wouldn't be surprised if that piqued their curiosity."

"You hear that, Lucas? What your violent nature did to that poor man?"

"Thanks for that. Really," Luke said. "And this must be Devon."

Devon was well groomed with a haircut and a navy blue suit covering his dark skin. The glasses and awkward speech pattern only added to his timid appearance. Despite this, Luke didn't like him. Devon was a man who had impure thoughts about his sister, and that was reason enough. After interrogating him, Luke only knew that the couple met "by chance", that their relationship "might be" serious, and that his pastimes were "not important". Kathrynn sat quietly in the corner.

Luke didn't understand what Kat saw in him. Devon was meek, despondent, fidgety, nothing like her past lovers. She claimed that was what she wanted, but in a fight he'd be in trouble. So why?

"I only have Kathrynn's best interests in mind, Luke," Devon said. "I hope that you'll warm up to me someday."

"Hm."

At least he was polite.

"I have to say, your resilience impresses me. I doubt you're eating or moving nearly enough here, but you look like you're in peak condition," Devon said.

"Not for long," Luke groaned. "I'll have to take it easy once I get out of here."

"You need a break from all that fighting anyway," said Kathrynn.  "Just be glad that this is the only thing that came out of it."

"Oh yeah, because I was totally prepared for this, Kat."

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that you feel so trapped," said Devon, leaning toward Luke and extending his hand, "and I pray for your speedy recovery."

"Thanks," Luke said. He didn't budge. Devon recoiled and shoved his hand into his pocket.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow...?" Devon said but Luke's glare didn't falter. "Or Friday...?" Still no response. "...How about when you're released?"

"Can't wait," Luke smiled. Devon took note of the hostility in that smile. He fished out his keys with the rejected hand.

"So did he pass your little test?" Kathrynn sneered, standing up.

"I never said that."

"Is that a stick up your butt? You should probably get that checked out."

"Sorry, I'm still recovering from Tyler's last visit."

"...You're disgusting, Lucas," Kathrynn took the keys from Devon and marched out, pushing through the news team. Devon paid the banter no mind.

"Anyway...I meant what I said. I intend to treat Kat with utmost kindness and to be your friend," while speaking, Devon noticed some specks on his glasses. He removed them, took a handkerchief out of his coat pocket, and wiped the lenses. He raised the spectacles toward the lone fluorescent light and observed them. Luke remembered the robber.

He wasn't glaring at him. He was squinting.

It would mean the world to me if I had your blessing," said Devon. The glasses returned to his nose and magnified his scar. "And...that's all I wanted to say so...get well and I hope to see you in a more optimistic environment."

Devon hurried toward the door and for a moment, just a moment, he grimaced and reached for his side. He gathered enough composure to stop himself, but Luke saw. He knew. And he wasn't going to get away. Devon opened the door and was welcomed by the dozen reporters who decided to stay put.

"If you treat my sister the way you treated me, you're a dead man," Luke said, feeding Devon to the eavesdropping sharks.