Jim's heart was aching as he stared at the bomb in front of him. He shouldn't have left Rory. What was he trying to prove? He cursed himself. He should have stayed with his daughter, he could have protected her.

Jerome had just left and the bomb had started to beep at every minute passing. The clock face showed 18 minutes.

Part of him prayed that the police would get there in time to save him but somehow he knew that it would be to close to the destination to risk it. What else could he do? Dread and regret made his body ache as he tried to work out a way to escape and save the people in the hospital. Adrenaline started to pump through his veins as he tried to work out how to break free. His hands were tied behind the back of the chair, they were ziplocked together. He started to look around him, trying to find something that could cut him free.

Surrounding Jim was shards of broken glass from the windows that had shattered with the explosion. He could see that if he fell on his side he could grab hold of a shard that could cut the zip tie. So with a couple of deep breaths and glace at the bomb (which was now showing 15 minutes, he threw himself onto the floor, tipping the chair over. He landed heave on a layer of sharp glass beads which quickly embedded themselves into his left side. Jerome's followers turned at the sudden movement but were too dumb to release what Jim was doing, so just laughed at his misfortune.

Jim managed to get a hold of the shard and quickly jammed it between his hands. The pain of the glass cutting his palms made him wince as he started to push the piece of glass against his restraints. With a couple of tugs, the tie snapped and he was free from his restraints. The henchmen, who had now realised what was going on, ran over to Jim to try and restrain him.

Still holding the glass shard, Jim slashed at the hands and ankles of the men that were attacking him. This gave him some room to pick himself up from the sharp floor. Most of the men that had been holding the hospital staff at gunpoint had gone over to fight him, but there were still two goonies that remained. Jim thought, if he could get all of the men on him then the hostages would have a chance to escape without getting hurt.

The first man lunged for him, landing a punch to Jim's stomach. Jim grabbed his fist and with his other hand, slashed the throat of the henchman. The detective kicked him back and turned to face the two other men that were starting to advance on him. He used the glass to slash and stab at his attackers.

He punched the first one in the throat, causing him to stagger back. Then he quickly swung the glass piece to the second man who was pointing a gun at him. He cut the wrist of his attacker, causing him to loosen his grip on the handgun. Jim snatched it out of the henchman's hand and shot him in the head immediately.

Jim then turned to face the rest of the lackeys. The two men that were watching the hostages had now joined the group surrounding Jim. He glanced over to the hostages, who were watching the fight unfold and motioned his head towards the doors. One of the hostages, a middle-aged woman in pink scrubs realised what Jim was doing and turned to the group behind her, motioning them to follow her.

"Put the gun down detective," one of the men cautioned with a smile mimicking that of Jerome.

"Make me, asshole," Jim shot back as he cocked the gun.

Two lackeys charged him, causing Jim to be knocked back onto the ground. He managed to shoot one of his attackers at close range, the bullet hitting the man's hip. Jim pushed the lackey off. Instantly, he was punched in the face but the second henchman that had rushed him. His eyesight fell back on the bomb that was lying on the ground. 7 minutes. He grabbed a shard of glass from the floor and stabbed the man in the forearm. As he retreated, clutching the wound, Jim got himself back up, tightening his grip on his gun and shot the man he'd just stabbed in the head.

The final two men faced him. He raised his gun again and shot one of them in the stomach. The final henchman ran at Jim, a pocket knife in his hand, but before he could get a good swing at Jim, the detective shot him.

The echo of the gunshot rang about Jim's ears. His heart was in his throat. The last of the hostages ran out of the doorway. The bomb was at 2 minutes. Jim dropped the handgun and ran to the door, sprinting as far as he could from the hospital. He could see the other hostages running. Police cars were driving towards them, the sirens blasting loud. Ambulances followed them in a haze of blue and red. Jim was yelling at the top of his lungs at the bystanders that were watching and at the police who had stopped to help the hostages.

"THERE'S A BOMB! GET DOWN!" he yelled.

"GET DOWN-" he was pushed forward with the blast of the explosion. The street shuddered as the hospital erupted.

He fell and covered his head. All he could think about was Rory. He prayed that she was still alive and as he lay on the ground waiting for the chaos to be over, he thought:

I never should have left you, Rory, I'm sorry.