Hope of the Dying World

CHAPTER 48 - THE BRIDGE

"What a failure..."

He wanted to shout but no voice came out of his mouth. He almost tweaked himself until a little pair of shoes stopped in front of him and when he looked at it... It was a little boy giving him a phone covered with fresh blood. The boy holds the phone without disgust.

"The lady on the stretcher dropped this earlier. Is this hers?" The child asked, looking at his grieving face.

"No... It's mine. Thanks." He took it and smiled sadly at the boy.

"You should change your clothes, mister." He said as he saw Ferran's clothes full of blood.

"I will... Maybe later."

"Did she survive?" The boy asked out of curiosity.

"Uhm... No. She didn't."

"Ah..." The boy looked down. "Condolence, mister." Ferran just nodded. "By the way, is she your wife, sister, fiancee, girlfriend---"

"No. She's just a friend of mine."

"Oh." His lips formed a thin line. "Don't be sad, mister. I know what you feel. You know what? I lost my mom during the epidemic..."

Ferran froze a bit and cursed inside his mind. A child lost his mother because of that damn virus, and pain was visible in his eyes. At that young age, he already experienced the misery in this world.

"We both got infected and I am the only one who survived. I... I missed her. Maybe she's sad because we're not together anymore..." His tears fell but immediately wiped it and tried to be strong.

"Kiddo, your mom is very proud of you wherever she is." Ferran tapped the boy's shoulder using his hand covered with dry blood.

"You think?"

"Yes. You survived. She'll be happy to know that." Ferran realized that the kid in front of him was the first survivor of the virus. "Even me, I'm so proud of you. Keep going, and be strong."

"Dylan! Finally, I found you!" A doctor walked toward the kid. "Where did you go, huh? You made me worry and," Dr. Gabalfin creased his forehead.

"What happened to your hands? Why is it full of... Blood!? Is this yours? Are you hurt?" Dr. Gabalfin checked the body of his adopted son.

"Calm down, dad." The child said to the doctor as if he was a grown man and didn't cry earlier. "I just handed the phone to this man 'coz his friend dropped it earlier." Dr. Gabalfin sighed in relief and faced Ferran.

"You're a police officer, right?" The doctor asked.

"Yeah." He nodded to the doctor and his gaze shifted to the boy.

"You're a policeman?" Dylan asked as if he couldn't believe that a policeman was in front of him. "I want to be a policeman too and a doctor someday!"

"And why is that? Are you not scared?" Ferran asked.

"Nope. I'm not." The child confidently answered. "I want to help other people too." That made Ferran smile.

"Well, good for you."

"I'm sorry for my talkative son," Dr. Gabalfin apologized.

"No. It's fine."

"Uhm... Do you mind if I ask why your clothes are full of blood?"

"My friend got shot and she died a while ago."

"Oh. Sorry to hear that," Dr. Gabalfin apologized but Ferran didn't say anything. "Well, we will leave you here." The doctor lifted his son and started walking away from him.