15 – This Gift, This Curse

 

 

"It's snowing."

 

"Yeah, and? It's winter," Mick replied sleepily, trying to burrow deeper into the ratty sleeping bag.

 

Then Will saw comprehension hit him.

 

"How bad?" he asked, crawling out to join Will at the broken window overlooking the area behind the building.

 

Will pointed to the snow which was rapidly accumulating on the barren dirt. "That bad," he said disconsolately. "We're too late and it's my fault."

 

"The hell it is! You did the best you could but you didn't have enough to work with. Besides which, maybe it won't happen tonight. Like I said, it is winter, there's going to be lots of times when it snows. We can still find him."

 

Will turned to glare at him. "It'll happen tonight if we don't do something to stop it." He started toward the door.

 

Mick went after him, grabbing his arm. "Just how are we going to do that? Go back to all the buildings you thought might be his and pray one of them is and that we're not too late?"

 

Will's shoulders slumped in defeat. "You're right, damn it. Why the hell…? Why have this gift, this curse, if I can't save someone who needs help?"

 

"You have, or so you said. You've saved lots of people. Right?"

 

"I… Yes, I guess." Will sank down to the floor, leaning against the wall by the door. "But when I can't…" He buried his face in his hands.

 

Mick knelt beside him, saying softly, "Think of it like being a… a doctor or an EMT. You do your best but sometimes you can't beat the odds."

 

Will looked at him and sighed. "You're wise beyond your years. And you're right, but damn it!"

 

"Think positively, if that's possible. You just saw him being attacked. You'd don't know that they killed him. Just that they were beating him up. Hell, I've survived that, so have you, probably. He'll show up at school in a few days looking like death and all the pretty girls will fawn over him and offer to take care of him and… and…"

 

Will managed a small chuckle. "Ever the optimist."

 

"Well, one of us has to be. Now let's get some sleep so we can hit the streets tomorrow and make some cash from the people who feel sorry for us because we're stuck outdoors in knee-deep snow with nowhere to go."

 

"Or shake their heads and walk past us, thinking we're too dumb to get out of the weather."

 

"Pessimist," Mick grumbled, going back to his sleeping bag.

 

"Optimist," Will muttered, crossing the room to his bed of blankets. He got under them, pulling them tightly around his still-clothed body. At least we were smart enough to have found a place to stay. Now, if I'd only been smart enough to have found that kid before it was too late. He shifted restlessly, trying to push that thought from his mind.

 

"Will," Mick said, "stop thinking about it. You did what you could. Next time tell your damned ESP or whatever it is to give you more details."

 

"Believe me, I wish that was possible."

 

"Just do it! I mean come on, who's the boss? You or it?"

 

"It, but still—yeah maybe next time I'll try to stay with the vision until I get all the answers. Not saying it'll happen, but who knows. Maybe it's time for me to be less passive."

 

"Bingo."