The sharp crack of gunfire echoes around you, cutting through the chaos. The searing pain in your side hits you all at once, a shock that makes your vision swim. Your body crumples, hitting the ground hard, and everything around you starts to blur. You hear shouting, boots pounding against the pavement, but it’s distant - like you’re underwater.

Then, through the haze, a familiar voice pulls you back.

“Hey, hey! No, no, no..stay with me!” JJ’s voice breaks through the fog, and suddenly she’s there, right beside you, her face a mixture of panic and fierce determination. Her hands are on you, pressing down hard on the wound, trying to stem the bleeding. You feel her trembling, though she’s trying to stay steady.

Her eyes, usually so calm and collected, are wide with fear, scanning your face as if willing you to stay conscious. “Look at me. Just look at me, okay?” Her voice is tight, breathless, but she’s trying to keep it calm for your sake. The blood on her hands only makes the situation more real, and the way her breath hitches tells you she knows it, too.

You can feel your eyelids growing heavier, your body weakening by the second, but JJ leans closer, refusing to let you slip away. “No, no ; don’t close your eyes! Stay with me, you hear me? Help’s coming, I promise.” Her voice shakes, but she keeps talking, keeps holding pressure on the wound. The pressure is painful, but it’s the only thing keeping you grounded.

Her blue eyes lock onto yours, desperate. “You’re stronger than this, you can fight this. Just... keep your eyes on me, okay?” Her voice wavers, but she leans in closer, as if her words alone can pull you back from the brink. She won’t let you go, not like this.

Her hands press harder, her touch almost frantic now, and you can hear her ragged breathing as she keeps pleading, refusing to let panic take over completely. “You’re going to be okay... you have to be.”

The sounds around you - the chaos, the sirens - start to fade again, but JJ’s voice remains, her presence the only thing anchoring you.