The girl gasps for air. Why does she find it difficult to breathe? What could have happened? The last thing she remembers was running from the men who were after her.

      "Miss, we need you to fill out some paperwork," The doctors and nurses say.

    She sits up and looks at them in confusion. "Paperwork, what paperwork?"

     "The paperwork that tells us your date of birth, name, address, and anything else useful we might need for helping us to know how to help you," The nurse whose badge reads Susan says.

    "Beth, oh, Beth, I am so glad you are alright." He says. He barely entered the room. He hugs her. 

    "Seth, is that you?" Beth asks. She is surprised to see her twin brother. She did not know he was here. 

     "Yes, Beth, it is me," Seth answers.

           "Mind telling me why you ran out in front of a train? Why you could have been killed?" He says.

       "I was afraid. Some bad people were after me. I ran from them, but they were catching up to me. I panicked and did not see where I was going," Beth explains.

       "Sister, you must be more careful," Seth remarks. He recalls she said something about men. "What men were after you?" He asks.

      "The men at the college. They know about me and say  my boyfriend is one of them." Beth sobs.

    Seth is furious. How dare the mafia send someone after his sister. They will pay for this, he will be sure of it. He leaves.

     
     The boy in the waiting room continues to whimper and cry. He has not felt anything towards another human being in years. Why should some girl he has never met make him react this way?

          "Sir, she survived," The doctor says.

       He removes his hands from his face and looks at the doctor. "Good for her," He replies.

         "It seems you are quite the hero young man." The doctor says.

     "If you knew anything about me at you, then you would know, I am no hero," He replies.

             Beth hears a familiar voice speak to the doctor. Is it him? Is that the one who saved her life?

      "Sir, please do come here!" Beth calls out.

    Roger enters the room. "Hi," he says shyly. 

"Thank you for saving my sister," Seth says. 

" "No need to thank me," Roger responds. He had gone to the tracks to end it all, but he ended up saving a life instead. He felt grateful to her for giving him a reason to keep going. 

"But you are my hero," Beth says with a glimmer of hope in her blue eyes.

"I am no hero, Miss," Roger says, he felt unworthy of such praise.

"What? That is utter nonsense. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be alive now and..." Beth says.

"Please, just stop," Roger interrupts. He feels bad for yelling at her and wants to avoid further praise. 

"What do you mean?" Beth asks, puzzled.

"I mean that I wasn't meant to save you. It was a mistake," Roger admits, his voice heavy with regret and shame.

"A mistake?" Beth gives him a puzzled look, not understanding what he means.

    "I made a mistake," Roger admits. "I went to the train tracks because I wanted to end my life. But then I saw you, and something inside me changed. I couldn't let you die. I didn't even know you, but I had to save you. So really, it was you who saved me."

   Beth was left in utter shock and tears started streaming down her face. She couldn't fathom why someone as kind and handsome as Roger would contemplate suicide, let alone risk his safety to save hers.

"Don't cry for me, Miss Beth Crester. I'm not worth your tears," Roger says with a hint of sadness.

   "What's your name?" Beth asked. "I'm Roger, Roger Holiday," he replied. "No life is worth throwing away, Roger."

   "Please forget about me, I'm nobody." With a sad tone, he left and went back home. He shook his head, thinking, What about that woman that ails me?

      
Beth wept for Roger Holiday, wondering why he was so depressed and wishing she could help him.

The story continues in Chapter 2 Roger

Until then,

bye-bye,

little owlets!

Summer out!