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Raven was walking down the sidewalk to the nearest gas station just to grab a drink and a snack when she saw a car suddenly strike a boy about her age riding his bike.
The bike went flying, as did the teenager, and the car sped away quickly. It was a hit-and-run, and she was the only witness on this deserted road. She caught the license plate and quickly jotted it into her phone notes, then ran to the boy.
His bike was destroyed and he was lying on the ground, clutching his side. Blood was pooling all around him, seemingly from his rib area, and he was painfully coughing up blood and wheezing. He seemed scared, so she swallowed her own fear about the potential fate of this stranger and held his hand as she called emergency services.
Once services were alerted, she turned her attention fully back to him. His consciousness seemed to be wavering and he was bleeding out a lot.
"Eyes open" she instructed him. "Ambulance is almost here, you need to stay awake. It's gonna be okay"
Just then, the adrenaline seemed to wear off and he screamed out in pain. She let him squeeze her hand as hard as he needed to and, soon enough, an ambulance arrived, pulled him up onto a stretcher, let her know which hospital he was being taken to, and took off.
She wasn't sure why she was so attached- After all, she'd never met the boy before- But she found herself walking all the way to the hospital and patiently waiting a few hours until she was eventually allowed to visit him.
She learned his name to be Garfield and, now that he was stable and under medical monitoring, she could better see what he looked like.
He was a tan boy with a streak of green dye in his hair. He was a bit shorter than she'd realized but still seemed to keep fit, which she could've inferred from the fact he was biking anyway.
A small cut on his head from the accident had been stitched up and there was a large amount of bandaging around his side, which she could just barely see under the hospital gown.
He was asleep, but the heart monitor showed he was stable, and he had an IV in to keep him hydrated, fed, and medicated.
She wasn't sure how much time passed before his eyes fluttered open- She'd spent most of it filing a police report because there was no way she was gonna let that fucker just get away with what they did- But he eventually woke and looked at her curiously.
"Who are you?" he asked, sounding a bit scared. "Where am I?"
"You're in the hospital" she informed him. "You were a victim of a hit and run while you were biking. I happened to be walking past and saw the whole thing" she explained. "I think you have a few broken ribs. I sent in a police report on the person who did this"
"Thank you" he breathed. His breathing was still raspy but he didn't seem to be in too much pain, likely due to whatever meds he was being pumped with, and it seemed the doctors already treated his injury to prevent any further damage. "You saved my life"
"I'm just glad you're okay" she told him, still not sure why she cared so much. She wasn't a people person- She typically hated meeting new people or prolonged interaction with strangers and generally preferred to keep to herself- But something about this boy captivated her. "I'm Raven, by the way"
"I'm Garfield"
"I know" she chuckled. He echoed the sound and then winced as it rattled his lungs. "I think visiting hours close soon, but I can give you my number, okay?"
"Alright" he nodded. He barely knew this girl but he, too, found himself wanting to spend more time with her. "I'll let you know when I'm out of here and maybe we can, like, get coffee or something"
"Okay, yeah" Raven nodded, feeling her face heat up slightly. "I'd like that"
"Okay" he smiled.
"Okay"