You are standing over the person that tortured and murdered your family ... what do you do ?

`` What do we have on his file so far?'' I asked Lily as we rushed to the ER. 
 `` His name is a John Leland, 35 years old, with a history of violence.'' His car crashed into a tree as he was driving, most likely under influence.'' 
 `` Anything Else we need to know about?'' 
 `` Er.. yes, doctor. He's had a long history of heroin and alcohol abuse. Paramedics say he's got a broken collarbone, three smashed ribs and a punctured left lung.'' 
 `` Let me see that file.'' 
 
 I winced. It had been three years since I had seen that face. Three years since Helen and little Annie had seen that face. Three years since I had seen whatever his face had left for me to see at the grave. 
 
 My legs fractured again. Memories of that night- the ones I had blocked away all these days- shot through me like the familiar stabs of a dozen knives and broken bones. 
 `` Are you okay Doctor?'' Lily's voice broke through the torrent and picked me up. I was curled on the floor, an arm covering my legs and the other wrapped around my head. The redness on my face burnt. 
 
 I got off the floor. Lily was kneeling beside me, pushing the papers toward me with her free hand, holding me steady with her other. Lily was a fine nurse. `` Yes, I... I'm fine...'' *I think*. 
 
 Lily had never seen me like this. To tell her the reason would be to subject myself to the memories of the anguish I swore never to release. `` Is everything okay? I have never seen you like this before.'' 
 `` Yes, Lily. I'm fine, really. It's... it's nothing. Age probably.'' 
 
 We entered the Emergency Room. The body had already been cleaned, hooked up to life support and the operable area marked out for me. I wanted to take a look at his face, but all I was allowed to see was a green sheet placed by my assistants and Helen and Annie's faces placed by my mind. 
 
 Three years I had waited to see him again. Three years I kept bloodlust burning in me to find this man and do to him what he did to us. Equal measures for my wife, daughter and me. And here he was, having put himself before me. He had played a gamble with his life and allowed me to cast the final die. 
 
 I knew with all my heart, that I could take this man's life as I pleased, consequences be damned. He would get what came to, God in Heaven as my Judge. 
 
 `` Scalpel.'' A scalpel was placed in my hand. Training took over as I made the cuts to remove the bone fragments from his lung. I was so close to the heart. An inch away. A quick cut and he would be done for. Age was on my excuse. It was that simple. 
 
 It was too simple. I would n't do it. He deserved to live. Not die under anesthesia. 
 
 **Ten days later** 
 
 I walked into his ward to be greeted by Annie. Annie, my daughter's floating image. John's eyes widened with recognition, fear replaced by curiosity. `` The odds huh. Thank you, doctor.'' 
 `` It's what we do, John. We save lives.'' 
 
 -026
