Dreaming Hero

When Peter stepped inside it was like walking into another life. ( And in a way he was )

"No. I don't sleep much."

( He sat leaning against the window )

His mother told him so many lies that Peter began to wonder if anything she ever told him was true.

Tell us about one promise you've kept and one promise you've broken.

I promised my brother I’d be a hero. Peter remembered those words as if he spoke them yesterday, though it also felt like a thousand years ago.

Every time he put on his paramedic uniform he had the chance to make good on that promise. He had the chance with heart attacks, burns, wrecks, fights, ODs, collisions and all sorts of other accidents.

When they made it to the hospital Peter felt an intense sense of relief. More so when he later learned the person was going to make it. He did it: he was a hero. But then there were times when all his efforts weren’t enough. The person died under Peter’s watch. He failed to keep his promise.

Then he would wake up the next day and try again. He had to be a hero, no matter what.