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And Gilmore is so caught up in the moment, he almost doesn't hear it-
BANG!
"DAD!" He expects to feel that white hot pain of a bullet in him, and is confused when he doesn't.
Khonjin's eyes are wide and afraid. There's blood dripping, pooling out of his throat, he's trying to talk, call for help, but his words are gargled and from where his mouth should be is nothing but trickling blood.
Khonjin has been shot in the throat.
His son has been shot in the throat.
He races forward, tries to look at it, to fix it, but he hears the minute click of the gun, and brings Khonjin down in a tackle before it goes off. They hit the ground with a hard thud and Gilmore can't explain how Khonjin's choked sound is going to haunt him.
He has no time to check, he gets up, runs to the attacker and meets him with a swift punch to the throat. He hears the man choke and thinks that that pain is not good enough. The gun is soon knocked out of the attackers hand, and out comes a knife instead. Gilmore tries to punch, feels the knife cut his arm and he grunts in pain. Keeps going.
They get more in on him, and he feels himself stagger. His whole arm is starting to feel like white hot static. He can see the blood flowing down his arm and forces the sight out of mind.
He hits hard on the attackers nose, and when they stagger back, he wrenches the knife out of their grip. Grabs their outstretched arm and yanks them toward him. He stabs into their throat, pulls it out with a twist. They cough and choke in his arms, and Gilmore decides the noise annoys him so he takes their head between his arms and-
ccrraACCKK!
Snaps their neck.
He doesn't deal with the body, he pockets the knife and tosses the body in the alleyway, he'll have it dealt with later.
He runs back to Khonjin, who looks so pale and tired and Gilmore hefts him up in his arm and runs. His boots slam against the ground and his eyes dart around and he's trying to find help or a hospital or something but how do you explain this and-
The pizzeria. He sees Gino out front, at the door and screams. "UNLOCK IT, UNLOCK IT, LET ME IN!" Gino's form startles, messes with the door and manages to pull it open just in time for Gilmore to rush in.
Gilmore's moves are panicked, shaky. He's horrified, Khonjin fell asleep. He thinks he's asleep, he hasn't had time to check for a pulse and he's so goddamn scared he feels like he can't breathe. "DO SOMETHING!" He screeches at Gino, who races to get the first aid kit.
Gilmore is sat on the floor, holding Khonjin close, as close as he can, whispering to him and crying and he's so fucking scared he can't lose his son too.
Gino races back in, nearly has to pry Khonjin out of Gilmore's arms to get a good look at him. He's horrified himself, Khonjin is a mess and his throat is slick and raw with blood. He has something akin to tweezers in hand and wastes no time-
He plunges them in the gaping hole in Khonjin's throat, grips the bullet would as quickly as he can and pulls it out. He doesn't bother laying it somewhere safe, and Gilmore doesn't give him time. He holds him close, rocking and crying and the tears landing on Khonjin's bloody throat cause it to trickle down quickly.
He presses his ear to his chest, please, god, let there be a heartbeat. Let there be a heartbeat. Let there be a heartbeat-
Th-thump... Th-thump...
It's weak- it's such a weak beat, but it's there. It's there and Gilmore wants to shake him awake and everything be fine, it's all a joke, a horrible joke. He holds him so close, he's whispering, pleading to a god he's not even sure exists, to let him keep his son, let him keep the only thing good he has left in this world...
A shift, a slick sound, Gilmore's eyes dart around trying to find the source.
Khonjin makes a gurgling sound, the blood bubbling from the air being forced out for it. Gilmore is trying to wipe it away with his shirt and he's not sure if he's making it better or worse bit he's hoping so badly it's the former. Khonjin leans into his father, he feels so cold and Gilmore is still praying, listening to the gurgling and slick sounds. And slowly, so agonizingly slowly, the sounds fade, and Gilmore sobs, holding Khonjin close like of he didn't, he'd disappear.
A weak push on his chest, slow like molasses.
"Dad....?" Khonjin asks, voice barely even a whisper.
Gilmore looks at his son, his son who's alive and Khonjin is weakly rubbing at the spot where the bullet was.
It's gone... Like it was never there.
"I-I can fix this ki-kinda stuff.. I'm.. I'm me, dad.." Gilmore looks at him, mouth agape and he's holding back more tears only barely.
"You.. You fixed it?" He asks. Khonjin nods, and breaks into a coughing fit. The whole room seems to tense, terrified at what may happen next.
When it ends, "ther-there's blood in.. In my lungs.. I can feel it."
"What do I do, how do I fix it-"
"You don't."
"I-! I don't! Khonjin you-! You could die, you're dying now and-and-!"
"I'm not dying, I'm... I'm healing. It'll, uh, it'll be fine by now tomorrow dad, it's-it's okay, I'm not leaving yet.."
Gilmore hugs him tight, "You're not leaving ever.." He whispers, voice raw and edging between terrified and relieved.
Khonjin hugs back, "never ever.." He replies.
And the room finally relaxes with relief.