TRIGGERS: VIOLENCE AND BLOOD

SAD ALFRED

Not real people used
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Alfred was in New York City, his hands in his pockets as he walked around Central Park. He saw many people wearing black and overheard a fair amount of mourning.

"I lost my daughter Kimmy, she was in the South Tower"
"My nephew Bruce was in the North,"
"My sister-in-law worked as a secretary,"
"My aunt was a cleaning lady,"

"My husband was a firefighter,"

That last one stung Alfred so hard, it caused him to wince. He looked to the woman who said it, immediately recognizing her. Her name was Ellen Hughs and her husband had died right besides him.

He was fresh to the team and had worked only a few weeks before it happened.

"Hey Al, it's a mighty nice day," Alfred poured himself a second mug of coffee, smiling.

"I know Felix, makes me feel a little bad that we're cooped in the fire station for another hour,"

"I wasn't really expecting so much boring stuff. All I've been tasked with is cleaning! I wanna get outta here and save some people!"

Alfred chuckled and sipped his coffee, contemplating what to do.

"How bout I treat you and Ellen to lunch today, name a place,"

"Wha?"

"Ya never got a welcome party, I normally throw one for every newcomer. But the boss wanted to wait since you and some other guy were up for the position,"

"Damn Alfred, thanks!"

The two laughed until Alfred felt his stomach twist and his head pound. The sound of whizzing came over them quickly and then the ground shook.

Alfred gasped in sudden pain and grasped his head, snatching his hair. He fell to his knees and dropped his coffee mug to the ground.

"Fuck!" he screamed as he looked out the window.

"Alfred!" Felix ran up to him, only to see the gaping hole in the North Tower.

The chief suddenly came in.

"Hughs, Jones, suit up!!!" he ordered as he rushed to put on a jacket.

"Sir, I think Jones should-"

"I'm ok, let's do this," Alfred interrupted and ran towards his assigned spot. Felix worriedly looked at him, but began to dress himself.

Alfred finally got to the memorial, grazing it's cold walls softly. His head began to slightly pound as the memories came back.

"Let's go! We rescued only twenty people so far!" Alfred screamed as he handed off ten bodies to paramedics. Felix was only carrying three.

"Lord Jones, you can lift a lot!" Alfred smirked at the compliment, but it didn't last long. Another plane crashed above them, causing everybody to scream.

Alfred screeched in agony as his head began to pulse. Tears of blood began to drip from his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away.

"Come on Felix, let's get people from the South Tower!" the two ran in and began to ascend the stairwell.

They only got to the fiftieth floor when Alfred collapsed. Felix had been ahead of him, so he quickly ran back down the small steps.

"Alfred? You good?"

Alfred didn't respond, instead, blood filled his mouth and spilled from his lips. He began to cough severely, despite the breathing tubes and equipment. Blood came out like water and his chest began to char itself.

Felix stood back, mortified at the scene. He tried his best to get Alfred to relax, but after five minutes of throwing up blood and debris, Alfred began to climb the stairs.

"I'm fine, dude. Let's keep going," the two got to the eightieth floor and began to search for survivors, but they hardly found whole people. Limbs and innards were scattered everywhere and the suffocating smoke did not help.

They were about to give up when they heard a cry.

"Help me! Please!" it had been an small kid, a little girl. Felix ran towards the noise, throwing anything in his way. He finally got to the child, lifting her up.

"Cover your nose, sweetheart," Felix instructed, and she obeyed. He looked around a few more times before Alfred felt his heart clench.

He knew the building was coming down.

"Felix!!! You idiot hurry up!!!"

"I'm tryin' Al! I'm only doing one final check!"

They felt the building rock a small bit, causing Alfred to run to them. He enveloped the two in his arms as the flooring fell from beneath him.

Alfred was trying so hard not to cry as he stared at the memorial. He tried to not let the tears slip out. But he failed, and quiet sobs began to come from his mouth.

"Felix, you alive?" he asked as he covered them. The weight of the rubble was pushing on his back, but he didn't care.

They were in a tiny air pocket that allowed them to breath without using their oxygen. So, they turned off their oxygen equipment. Alfred turned on the flashlight he had on his helmet, allowing him to see the other two.

"Ya, the little girl too," Felix chuckled as the girl made began coughing.

"Are we gonna die?" She asked.

"Not if I have anything to do about it," Alfred stated proudly.

"What's your name, honey?" Felix asked as he kept holding the little girl.

"Jessie,"

"Well, Jessie, everything will-" Felix didn't finish before his shoulder exploded, causing Alfred to grit his teeth. Pennsylvania had just been attacked.

He couldn't scream, not in front of the little girl. Alfred saw the girl's cheek and Felix's face splatter with blood.

They were under the rubble for what felt like forever before the other building came down. Their tiny pocket of air began to swell with debris. Felix scrambled to turn on his oxygen and Alfred placed his mask on Jessie.

"It'll be ok, Jessie, so long as you wear my mask," he smiled softly and brushed her hair. He began to cough as the debris filled his lungs, his world becoming blurry.

"Alfred, you need oxygen more than I do," Felix went to grab his mask, but Alfred stopped him.

"No, it's ok, I'm ok," Alfred coughed more.

"Alfred, you need it!"

Felix's voice began to fade as his world cut.

When he opened his eyes once again, he felt the rubble above him move. He shifted his head a little, finding a weight upon his face. He gently touched it and his eyes widened.

"Felix!" He shot up, the girl fast asleep. She was clearly breathing as she laid on Felix's chest.

But, Felix's chest wasn't moving.

"Felix! Open your eyes! Come on Felix! Felix!!! FELIX!!!" Alfred shouted as the rubble above them shifted, allowing the sun to shine in.

"We found him!!! Bring more gurneys!!!" He knew that voice, looking up he saw his brother Canada, "it's gonna be ok, we'll get you out Alfie!"

Alfred doesn't remember how he got to the hospital, all that he remembers is the little girl crying as paramedics sealed Felix's body bag, other paramedics rolling him away.

"I figured you would be here," Ellen smiled softly as she approached him. She reached into her pocket and handed him a handkerchief, "wipe your tears, hun. Felix always loved the way you smiled,"

Alfred continued to cry, but smiled as he wiped his face. She patted his back as she placed a white rose on the marble. That's when Alfred noticed Ellen's swollen belly.

"Ellen,"

"I finally found the number of his sperm bank, they kept his speed frozen per his request. He told them in case he could never give me a child for any reason, we could bare a child like this," Alfred began to tear up as he knelt down.

"Do you know anything?!" he asked excitedly. Ellen nodded and chuckled.

"It's a boy," she looked down and smiled, "his name is Felix Alfred Hughs, after his father and my hero,"

Alfred began to tear up again as he put his forehead on her bump.

"I'll take care of you, little Felix. I'll make sure you live a good life,"

"Thank you, Alfred," she helped him up and kissed his cheek, walking away. He felt the wind pick up as he turned back to the memorial.

"I'll try to be his hero, just as you are to me. I'll see you next year, newbie,"

As Alfred walked away, he swore he heard Felix's laughter in the wind as the rose blew away.