Growing up, Carter was the only child of two wonderful parents that gave him all the love he needed. His father was a doctor while his mother was a stay-at-home mom who did her best to let him lead a life that he would be proud of.
Now that Carter was 22 and in his last year of college before he would head off to medical school, most of his concentration was directed to his studies. But then, everything started to change in his life when his grandmother died. He knew that he was depressed, but couldn't get out of his slump. To make matters worse, the love of his life left him shortly after.
Missing more and more classes due to Carter's inability to muster the energy to get out of bed, his grades steadily dropped. All of these circumstances led him to be where he was today, sitting in front of his computer playing Legends Rift, getting more and more angry because he couldn't stop losing.
"Man, this game is so frustrating, I don't even know why I play it anymore," Carter said out loud as he finally quit out of the game.
As Carter picked his phone up to do some novel reading, he noticed that his phone automatically silenced a call and decided to ignore it. Half a minute later a voicemail alert popped up on his screen. Deciding that he should listen to it, Carter's expression dropped and the phone nearly fell out of his hand as he heard the following message:
"Hi, this message is for Carter Pierce. This is Officer Vasquez and I'm calling to inform you that both of your parents were in a car accident tonight that involved a drunk driver. You are listed as an emergency contact for your mother, so I'm calling to inform you that they are currently at Saint Paul hospital here in town in critical care.
"It would be best for you to try and get there as soon as you can. Both of your parents will enter surgery soon according to the nurses. I'm sorry to inform you this way and I wish you the best of luck."
Without his brain even beginning to start working, his feet started to run to the door while grabbing his jacket and car keys along the way.
Carter began to speed towards the hospital where his parents were supposed to be, disregarding speed limits and screaming his lungs out during red lights. It only took him 15 minutes to arrive, but it felt like hours as he rushed into the hospital at his top running speed.
After arriving at the emergency room reception desk Carter's mind was in shambles as he struggled to get out the words he wanted to say.
"Please, please ma'am where are Mark and Andrea Pierce? I'm their son. I was called and told they were here. Please!" Carter urged as he wanted nothing more than to rush to his parents' side.
"Calm down sir, I presume you are Carter then? I'm sorry to inform you, but both of them are currently in different operating rooms as they are in critical conditions. I'll have to ask that you wait here in the waiting room until the do-" The nurse's words were cut off as Carter rushed through the double doors to the hospital rooms in the direction of the surgery center.
Carter had followed around many doctors in this hospital in order to better learn what different career specialties would do in a hospital setting. Due to this, he knew exactly where to go in order to find his parents.
On the way to the operating rooms, Carter had quickly swiped a nurse's identification badge since the operating center required a person to have authorized access via a badge swipe. The nurse on the other hand was confused by the quick brush to her side and noticing her badge gone, immediately went to call the hospital security.
Carter entered into the operation center and immediately noticed which rooms had a red light above the room on, indicating that surgery was currently being performed. There were currently 4 out of 6 lights on, meaning the chances of one of his parents being in one of the 4 rooms was 50%.
Outside of the furthest room, two police officers were standing outside of the door as if to prevent anyone from going in or out without them noticing. Both officers noticed Carter's appearance, but since he didn't move towards their location, they just remained vigilant.
Carter's hesitation to enter the first lit up room only lasted for a second as he glanced at the two police officers. He burst into the first room, knowing he was breaking the sterility of the environment, and the doctors and nurses currently involved in the surgery glanced up at the intruder.
Looking at the face of the patient on the table, Carter immediately turned around and ran outside towards the next closest room. He noticed that one light had turned off, but no one had come out of the room yet, so he decided to go into the closest lit up room.
"MOM!" Carter's knees trembled while his face paled greatly as he lost all of the strength he had. When he saw the blood everywhere and the state his mother was in, it was as if all the adrenaline in his body had been sucked out as his energy disappeared.
"Security to operating room 3 please, security to operating room 3!"
Hearing the voice of a nurse over the intercom that alerted to the room the young man had just entered, the police officers took a glance at each other and knew who this boy was. One of them left the door in order to go and help the boy who had just been alerted of his parents' state by none of than himself not even 20 minutes ago.
"Carter, this is Officer Vasquez, I was the one who left the message for you on the phone. Come out into the hall with me and we can talk, let the professionals do their job."
Unable to stand up, Carter allowed Officer Vasquez to help him up to his feet and bring him into the hallway and sat him against a wall in order to calm down. Not even half a minute later, the door to the last room whose light was turned off, opened. The nurses were wheeling out a gurney with a bedsheet over the patient.
Seeing the grim expression on Officer Vasquez's face, Carter knew who that room belonged to.
Reaching his hand up, and trying to muster the strength to stand up with shaking legs, Carter stuttered the only words that came to his head "Dad, Dad, no please God why? DAD!"
Without having to use much strength, Officer Vasquez was able to hold Carter back and could feel the young man trembling in his hold. The surgeon's face was also grim as he informed Officer Vasquez that it would be best for Carter to not see his father's appearance.
Without needing to be told or see it for his own eyes, judging by the blood that was already starting to soak through the white sheet, Carter could assume the shape his father was in.
Just then the security of the hospital arrived and were about to take Carter away, but Officer Vasquez told them he would watch after him.
Hours passed while Carter sat on a chair that was brought to the hallway with Officer Vasquez by his side trying to occasionally chat with him in order to distract him from reality. Within these hours, the officer learned that his mother and father were having a celebratory date to congratulate his father on retirement from working as a general practice and OB doctor.
'What a tragic ending to a wonderful career and life. I can't possibly tell this kid his father safely delivered my 2nd child even with complications occurring.' Officer Vasquez thought to himself.
Suddenly, the light to Carter's mother's room was turned off and a glimmer of hope appeared in his eyes. Hope that, even if his mother would need several years of rehabilitation, she would be alive as he would be there for her every step of the way.
However, that hope died as soon she was wheeled out covered in a white and red sheet. Instead of sorrow, all Carter felt was rage. Rage that was consuming every fiber of his being and was desperate to be poured out and wrought on something or someone.
"Officer, what happened to the person who hit my parents?" Carter muttered with a low monotonous voice.
"The driver who hit your parents is still in surgery as well due to also being in a critical condition. Come, it's time to leave this place for you, we can talk in the lobby until you are allowed to view your parents."
Officer Vasquez began to walk towards the exit when he realized his mistake, as suddenly Carter burst into a full sprint towards the last lit up operating room. The second officer attempted to stop Carter from entering, but he was forcefully rammed into the door that opened up with Carter's charge.
"THIS WON'T MAKE ANYTHING BETTER KID, DON'T DO SOMETHING STUPID!" Officer Vasquez yelled since he just reached the doorway. But it was too late, Carter had already grabbed a scalpel and stabbed it into the heart of his parents' killer several times within the span of a couple of seconds.
"Stop and put down the knife!" both officers shouted in unison as Vasquez pulled out his taser since he didn't believe Carter would harm anyone else in the room, requiring lethal force. The nurses and surgeon quickly ran to the side and pressed the emergency button to once again call security.
In his enraged state of mind, Carter pulled the scalpel out for the last time and began to walk towards the second officer who was just a trainee. As he was about to drop the scalpel to the ground as he was losing all of his strength again, the only thing he heard was a gunshot before looking down to see his chest bleeding.
"NO! What did you do??" Officer Vasquez screamed, he had just fired his taser at Carter since he was still holding the scalpel, however, he didn't expect his trainee to open live fire before he could even successfully incapacitate Carter with a taser.
Carter fell to the ground and blood slowly began to pool around his body. Inwardly he couldn't stop thinking it was ironic that the place he rushed to in order to be by his parents' side would also be the place they were all eternally reunited.
As the surgeon and nurses immediately rushed to try and save Carter, his consciousness began to dim. As he faded into the darkness, he heard a terrifying laugh that rang in his head as if it was implanted into his brain.
"Splendid display, Carter Pierce."