-POV: John-

        I woke up in what looked like a hospital.  My parents were sitting in chairs with their heads down and looking very grim.  "Mom? Dad? What's going on?" I asked.  Instantly, their eyes lit up, as they looked at me. 

        "You're alive!" My mother gasped, and hugged me.  Pain exploded throughout my entire body as I fought the urge to scream.  My mother released me, apologizing profusely. 

        "Where am I?" I asked, dreading the answer. 

        "You're in the hospital. After the police arrested that demon child Jack, they brought you straight to the hospital.  Why didn't you tell me you were being bullied?" My father said, his eye's solemn. 

        I gave a weak smile.  "Mom, Dad, I'm all right.  I didn't tell you because I thought I could handle it.  I thought I could deal with it on my own.  I didn't want you to worry."  My mother opened her mouth to object, but at that moment, the doctor walked in. 

         He smiled at me as he walked in, "Good, you're awake.  I'm glad to see you are all right.  Mostly.  You are a very, very, very lucky boy."  He said.

        I nodded "I know."

        The doctor shook his head "I don't think you do.  You could have died.  You nearly did die.  You flat-lined for almost 30 seconds.  You took quite a beating there.  I definitely was amazed at the fact that you were able to stay conscious." He pulled out a manila folder from under his arm, and opened it up and pulled out an x-ray of my skull, with a spidery crack stretching all over the back and side of it.  "A badly cracked skull." He said as he pinned it up.  He pulled out the next one, and said "A cracked jaw, luckily no teeth were broken." He pinned up the x-ray, showing my jaw, with a large gash-like crack running up the side.  "A bad concussion." He said, showing me a scan of my brain, which seemed a little bloated, almost like it was bruised.  "Several cracked ribs, a few were even broken." He said, and this x-ray showed my ribs, covered in cracks, one looked like it was more powder than bone.  "A cracked shoulder blade." He said, and the x-ray revealed my shoulder blade, a spidery crack running through its center where Jack had thrown me against the locker.  "A broken nose." The x-ray simply showed my nose, which had nearly snapped in half at the bridge.  "A broken hand." The x-ray revealed that my hand had been broken in so many places when Jack stomped on it that it appeared like it had been turned into powder.  "You also had serious blood loss.  Its a miracle you were able to stay conscious, let alone stand and fight back.  You are definitely one very lucky boy."  Then the doctor smiled at me, and said "I saw the video, what you did was very brave.  You are very strong, to be able to take that kind of punishment and stay standing."

        I was confused at this remark.  "What video?" I asked.

        The doctor continued to smile, and nodded, "Yes, the video.  From your school's security cameras.  I think a copy of it somehow found its way onto Youtube."

        "Security cameras? My school can't even afford decent PE equipment.  There is no way that it can afford security cameras." I thought.  I heard a knock on the door, and I turned to see the school principal walking into my room.

        "May I have a moment alone with John?" He asked.  My parents and the doctor all nodded, and left the room.  "I'd like to start out by saying how sorry I am.  If I had known what was going on, I would have put a stop to it before it got this far.  I wish someone had told me about Jack, I had no idea this was happening right under my own nose."

        I looked at the principal, and saw how very guilty he was feeling.  "We tried to tell you.  Jack would beat up anyone who tried to tell you.  He always made sure there were no teachers around, and usually waited until after school, when all the teachers had gone home.  All the kids were too scared.  Jack ruled by fear." I said.

        The principal's face turned grim.  "I feel personally responsible for this, for what happened.  I can say this, it will never happen again.  Jack has been expelled and is being sent to a juvenile detention center.  Carl and Jeff are to be transferred to a military..."

        "No." I said, cutting the principal off with a shake of my head. 

        The principal looked at me, confused.  "No?  They helped Jack beat you up.  They did beat up several kids."

        I shook my head again.  "They were scared.  They tried to stop Jack when he was attacking me.  They only went along with Jack because they were too scared to stand up to him.  They were terrified that they would get beaten up themselves.  Suspend them, yes, but give them a second chance.  Everyone deserves a second chance."

        The principal looked impressed.  "Alright.  If you're sure." I nodded.  "You're a better man than I." He said. 

        I took a deep breath, and asked him the question I had been planning to ask him since I had talked to the doctor.  "Do we have security cameras?"

        The principal nodded.  "A few days ago, our school received a large donation, but the donor insisted they be used for security cameras.  We were able to install them the night before you were attacked."  The principal thought for a moment.  "It was under the name Aquila, I believe." 

         I wasn't sure why, but this name sounded familiar.  "If you were only able to use them to see me that day, how did you know I was being beaten up before then?" 

        "After Jack was arrested, an astounding number of people came forward and told of the beatings Jack was handing out.  You're a hero, John, your sacrifice gave everyone else the courage to come forward about Jack. You are a leader, and the whole state is hailing you as a hero."

        I cocked my head in confusion, and instantly regretted it as the movement sent waves of pain coursing through my body.  "The whole state? How do they know?" I asked.

        "The police released a statement to the media about the event, but somehow a copy of the footage found its way onto the internet, and the media.  Not only that, but a amateur video is on Youtube.  You're a regular celebrity." The principal said with a ghost of a smile.

        "Amateur video? But who... the kid." I thought.  The kid was the only one who was there to take a video. "Who was the kid that I stopped Jack from beating up?" I asked.

        The principal's eyebrows furrowed as his expression darkened slightly.  "We don't know.  He was not enrolled at our school, and we can't find any trace of him.  It was he who called the police, but we can't trace the call, and we are still trying to find him. No one knows who he is, its as if he just disappeared."  Then, the prinipal's eyes softened, and he put a hand gently on my uninjured shoulder.  "That was a very brave thing you did.  You didn't know who he was, and you didn't care.  You saved him, and you took a beating for him.  That's the mark of a true hero."

        I smiled at the compliment, but I shook my head and said "I just did what anyone would do in the situation."

        "No, you didn't.  Most people would have just walked away to save themselves.  But you didn't.  You had the courage to stand up and do what was right."  Another knock came at the door, and we turned to see a group of policeman waiting on the other side of the door. "They probably want your statement. Get better soon, John." My principal said as he turned to the door.

        As he left, a group of policemen entered the room.  "Hello John, my name is Detective Reagan.  I just want to ask you a few questions."  I nodded, and Reagan said. "Alright. Can you describe to us what happened?"

        I took a deep breath, and began.  " I was packing up my things, when I heard Jack yelling.  I thought he was yelling at me so I turned and looked for him.  After that..."

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        Reagan nodded as I finished my story.  "Can you describe this kid that Jack was beating up to me?"

        "He wore glasses, really thick rim ones.  His eyes were ice blue, and he had a light tan.  He had short, dirty blonde hair." 

        Detective Reagan nodded as he jotted down notes.  "Do you know who this kid was?"

        I shook my head, and said "No, I had never seen him before."

        Reagan nodded, and said "All right.  Do you have any idea where we could find him?"

        I shook my head again. "Sorry, I wish I could be of more help."

        Reagan smiled. "No, its alright. What you did was pretty incredible.  Taking a beating like that to protect someone you never met? You're a hero here.  You have a future in protecting people.  I wish half the people in the world were like you."

        He turned, and left the room, nodding to my mother as he left.  When he had left, my mother stepped into the room.  "Hey honey." My mom said, her voice soft.  "I just got an update from the doctor. You going to be just fine.  There was no permanent damage, but you will have to stay in the hospital for another week, and when you are allowed home, you will be confined to a wheelchair for a few months to ensure that no excess stress is put on the damaged areas." 

         I smiled, and said, "That's great mom."

        Another doctor stepped into the room carrying a syringe.  "I'm going to give you some medicine to help you sleep." I nodded as he placed the needle into the IV running into my arm.  I stared curiously at the golden liquid in the syringe.  I had never seen a liquid of such a bright color.  It almost seemed like it was... glowing.  The doctor smiled reassuringly at me as he pushed down the plunger, and I instantly felt sleepy as I watched as the glowing golden liquid entered my veins.  My eyes began to droop, and the last thing I saw was the doctor's ice blue eyes.

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       Thanks for cotinuing to read my story.  If you want to read some more epic stories, check out FluttershyFlitz.  Her stories are some of the best MLP fanfics on Wattpad.   I fully recommend her stories.