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Being a lifeguard started out as a summer job in high school and then it became the only life plan that Dallon had. He wasn’t mad about it. The kids were cute, his coworkers said that the girls were hot. Dallon never noticed them but he didn’t let the others know that. He spent more time looking at the guys. The job paid well enough that it put him through school. He was still struggling to find out where his life was headed. He took the basic classes but they were dwindling in number, English and math and science would finish that term and he was expected to start towards a major. He still didn’t know what major he wanted to chase.
He had stopped by Home Depot on the way home from work to get some nails. He had finally gotten up the motivation to hang things on the walls of his apartment after promising it to himself at least a year ago. Dallon started walking, not sure where to go, not like he had to be anywhere anytime soon.
Dallon saw a man who worked there. His back was turned to Dallon but the orange string of the apron was an easy tell-tale. Dallon started towards him, stopping in his tracks when the man turned around. Dallon had seen attractive people before but this guy, smiling and waving at customers and Dallon felt like he was melting into the floor. He felt dumb for standing there and staring, he knew the guy would catch him and either be confused or creeped out. Dallon tried to will his legs to move but they didn’t. He was almost glad he didn’t move.
The smile dropped from his face and he blinked a few times. His hand went to his chest and his eyebrows furrowed. Dallon’s legs finally started to work when the man collapsed. He was used to having to jump into action, usually water, but action nonetheless. He dropped to his knees beside the guy, hurriedly talking to him.
“Can you hear me? What’s your name?” He asked, people walking over when they heard Dallon. He couldn’t hear himself over the blood rushing, adrenaline taking over. He grabbed the mans wrist, trying to find a pulse, moving to his neck when it was either too faint or non-existent. Dallon couldn’t find anything there either.
His hands went to the man's chest, trying to remember the counts and the songs he’d learned in all the classes he’d had to take. It was the first time he’d done it on a real person and as he pushed against this mans chest, he hoped he’d never have to do it again.
Dallon was yelling at the people standing around him for someone to call an ambulance. He didn’t look up long enough to know if anyone actually did.
It wasn’t long before there was a hand on his shoulder and someone kneeling in front of him. The hands were a bright blue, placed over Dallon’s matching his rhythm before Dallon was pulled away. He fell back on his ass, staring at the EMT working on the man's chest, the others with an oxygen bag. He watched until they took him away on a stretcher.
He felt like he couldn’t move, staring at the spot where the man had been until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see one of the EMT’s staring down at him.
“You did a good job, young man. Thank you for stepping up, we’ll do everything we can.”
Dallon wasn’t sure why they had said that to him.
It wasn’t until weeks later that they realized. He was scouring google, searching every keyword he could find at a man in home depot that collapsed. He found an article eventually. The name listed him as Brendon Urie, a man that had collapsed and an unnamed samaritan had been key in making sure he survived. The EMT thanked him, encouraged him in the face of what if’s of the man, Brendon, not surviving. The worry he hadn’t realized was there eased up and he relaxed, a small smile on his face. He had saved someone.
It took Dallon a couple of days until he realized what he wanted to do as a job. He went to his college the next day and signed up for any medical class he could. He wanted to save more people. It wasn’t some ego thing, he didn’t want to be a hero, he didn’t need the recognition. He saw in the articles, searching Brendon by name, he wanted to thank Dallon but he didn’t know who he was. Dallon didn’t need the thanks, he just needed to know that he was useful for more than pulling kids out of water when they went too deep.
He decided on doctor, applying for medical school and getting in. He felt a sense of relief. It didn’t last too long.
Halfway through, the workload was taking a toll on him. He struggled in classes, getting himself down as he saw the other students excel and he felt average.
It was Christmas break and he was home to visit his family. He was driving back, the familiar roads making him somehow feel worse. He didn’t want to come back to people we’re proud of him when he felt like he was letting them down.
The road took him by Home Depot and Dallon turned into it. He felt like it was on autopilot, not sure what he expected. Maybe that the guy would still be there. But what then? Walk in two years later and remind him of the day he technically died. Tell him that he’s the man who’d avoided him for the last two years, had seen every FaceBook post and article that had been asking for a face to thank. He had no reason to not receive those thanks. But it wasn’t about thanks, not to him.
Brendon was what set him on this career path, what inspired him to help others, to become a doctor. It had all been because of Brendon. Dallon believed that if he hadn’t been there, he’d have been stuck in a dead-end job for his whole life, that he’d have never amounted to anything no matter what his family said to him, about his potential. He felt like he was failing and he wanted to see Brendon. He didn’t need to talk, didn’t need to hear a thank you, just to see him. A reminder of what he had done, of a real human, a real life that was still alive and well because of his efforts years ago. He didn’t know if Brendon would be there or if any of the workers could tell where he was or how he was.
Dallon walked inside though, doubts still in his mind. He wandered around, looking for a familiar face and a familiar smile. He remembered that day so easily.
He didn’t recognize anyone, the feeling of failure rising up in his throat. He wanted to cry.
Dallon felt stupid for even going in, felt even more stupid for not knowing if he should leave or pretend like he might buy something. There was a small idea in the back of his head that maybe if a worker approached he could find a way to ask. He wandered into a random aisle, staring at the shelves but not really registering what he was looking at. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there before someone spoke up.
“Anything I can help you find?” He asked and Dallon turned around, mouth open and ready to say no on instinct but he choked on the word. It was a face that was impossible to forget.
Brendon was smiling, staring at Dallon and Dallon had no idea how to talk, how to tell him why he was really there.
“I, uh, needed a new handle thing for my toilet,” he said, looking back at the shelves. Everything was metal.
“In the lighting section?” Brendon asked, raising his eyebrows. Dallon looked up on the shelves to see chandeliers and light fixtures hanging and he realized why this aisle was brighter than the rest of them.
“I, sorry,” Dallon said, feeling like he couldn’t meet Brendon’s eyes.
“You didn’t come here for any hardware, what’s your deal? And have we met before? I swear I’ve seen you,” he said and Dallon looked to the shelves, anywhere but Brendon.
“No, I don’t think so,” and he chanced a look at Brendon. He was smirking at Dallon, crossing his arms over his chest.
“You know, I’ve been asking all over town for the last two years. Some random man came over and saved my life. My coworkers have told me he was tall and had dark hair. Most of them said he was attractive and ‘just my type,’” Brendon said, his smirk growing when he saw Dallon blush at the compliments of his coworkers, “Was it you?”
Dallon stopped for a second before he nodded.
“Yeah, it was me. I came in to buy something and I saw you and you had such a nice smile. Why did I say that?” He asked himself, running a hand through his hair. Brendon laughed but it wasn’t at him in a negative way.
“Why now? It’s been two years and you never came in,” he said and Dallon sighed.
“You inspired me to become a doctor. I’ve been struggling in class and it’s winter break. I was driving by the store and I wanted to see you. I didn’t expect to talk to you. I just needed a reminder of why I started this. Encouragement, I guess, to push through this feeling of me failing,” he explained and Brendon nodded.
“Well, I’ve got about thirty more minutes left on my shift. How about you let me take you out to dinner so I can properly show you how thankful I am,” he offered and Dallon smiled, meeting Brendon’s eyes.
“That sounds nice.”