Chapter Six: The First Shots:

Those bastards attacked her the next day in the city. I was with her. The day started off simple enough. I ended up staying at the Campbell apartment all morning. I slept on the floor of course. (Hey, I am a gentleman after all! She’s only seventeen!) We woke up when we heard footsteps coming down the hall. The door opened wide.

“Cassie!” a boy’s voice yelled. “Time to get up!” I opened my eyes and saw Blake standing over us. Cassie looked at him in worry. I suspected that he would be angry. But to our surprise, the boy looked pretty happy to see me with her.

“Oh!” he said aloud. “I’ll leave you two alone then!” He hurried back down the hall laughing. Cassie’s face became bright red.

“BLAKE!!!!” she cried. I just laughed at her. The poor girl whipped around to me. Her face still looked just as red.

“DOCTOR!!!” Cassie screamed. I laughed even louder at her. She’s certainly not her mother! Elizabeth would have been much cheekier. Oh well, innocence is a nice change, I guess. I’ve seen enough tarts in my life already.

Blake made us breakfast. That young man is such a good cook. He should consider a good in the culinary world. I told him so boldly. Blake just lightly shook it off.

“Nah!” he said. “I’m just happy to cook for my sister.” I smiled at him in a warm way.

“Aw, that’s so sweet!” I said complimented. Blake rubbed the back of his head.

“It’s nothing!” he said. The boy sat down with Cassie and I and we all ate breakfast. I never thought that Shepherd’s Pie would taste so good in the morning. Almost made me miss home. Almost…

“Tell me something Blake,” I spoke up. He turned to me from his plate.

“Hm?” he asked.

“How did you get so good at your cooking?” I asked. The boy shrugged at me casually.

“Years of practice, I guess,” he replied.

“I see,” I said. Cassie smiled at us warmly.

“He is so good!” he said. “I keep saying that he should start a restaurant.”

“Cassie!” Blake yelped. I laughed a little bit. They are so amazing, these two. They both remind me of Elizabeth and myself in our youth. Such good days…

I persuaded Cassie to go on a walk with me. She seemed reluctant at first. But after I talked her through it some, we were out the door in seconds. Cassie looked more alive in the heavy summer air. Her skin looked really aglow in the morning. It was a pity she had on jean shorts and a cute little pink and white t-shirt today. I would have loved to see her in a flowing summer dress on a day like this. I watched her with a smile on my face. It was just like looking at Elizabeth all over again. My angel still won’t die after all of these years.

“Dr. Stonem,” a girl’s voice spoke up. I returned to earth from my memories. Cassie stood before me looking at me with those sweet green doe eyes of hers. She seemed to have something on her mind. I wondered what she was thinking right now.

“What is it, Cassie?” I asked. She didn’t speak at first.

“It’s just…” my reincarnated angel finally spoke up. “Why are you so interested in me?”

“What do you mean?” I asked. Cassie shrugged a little bit as she shook her head.

“Why me?” she asked. “What’s so special about me that you followed me back to my apartment, hung out with my brother and I until late last night, return back to me before decent hours, have breakfast with Blake and me, and walk with me tonight?” I didn’t know how to put my answer into words. I just held her to my chest again. I rested my chin on the top of her head.

“You just remind me of your mother so much!” I pushed out of my mouth. Cassie looked up at me surprised on my words.

“I remind you of my mother?” she asked. I nodded at her once. We stayed close to each other for a brief moment. Then suddenly, I froze up right away. I jerked around behind me.

“Dr. Stonem!” Cassie murmured. “What’s the matter?” I didn’t answer her at first.

“Get down!” I said in a rush.

“Huh?” my angel asked. There was no time for questions. I grabbed the girl and leapt straight to the ground. Two shots were fired into the summer day. I felt the second one hit my ankle. I bit my lip to keep from yelling out. One thought raced through my mind then. “Those bastards are going to kill Cassie after all!” my mind screamed out over and over again. Cassie screamed startled.

“What’s going on?!?” she cried. I couldn’t give her an answer. I winced in pain. Cassie looked down at our feet.

“Oh my god!!!” she yelled. “You’re bleeding!” I ripped my eyes open right away and looked down. My angel was right. Those bastards got me when I pushed Cassie out of their line of fire.

“What’s going on?!?” she demanded again. “Who’s shooting at us and why?!?” I looked up at my angel again.

“Never mind that now!” I snapped. “Listen to me, Cassie! You have to get out of here! Run away as far as you can!”

“But what about you?” she questioned. “Where should I go?”

“Never mind that!!!” I yelled. “Just go!!!” She nodded at me. I shoved my angel away as fast as I could. Cassie got up and started to run away. However, that plan proved to be a big mistake. No sooner had she got ten paces away from me, three bullets hit her in the side. I watched on in terror as my young Elizabeth fell in the cold pavement below. “No!” I thought. “I can’t lose Lizzie again!” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cell phone. I dialed for emergency.

“Tokyo Emergency,” the operator answered.

“Please send rescue!” I pleaded. “A young lady and I have been shot near Tokyo Tower. Please send rescue! I don’t know how much time the young lady has left.”

“Okay, how bad is it, sir?” the operator asked.

“Really bad!” I almost yelled. “Please send rescue!”

“Okay, they’re on the way sir,” she said.

“Thanks, ma’am!” I said in relief. We both hung up at the same time. I looked ahead at my bleeding angel. I only hoped that they would get there in time.