Cody woke up Tuesday morning to the rays of the morning sun in his eyes. He stretched his arms and yawned. He had slept in this Tuesday, but this was alright, as he had no classes to attend to that day. Of course... Even though he had no classes, it didn't mean that he had no work to do. 

Cody got out of bed and got dressed in a crimson sweatshirt, and threw on his dark green jacket that he wore yesterday, before brushing his teeth. Death phased through the wall and met Cody in the bathroom.

"What's the deal Death?" Cody gargled, as his mouth was full of toothpaste.

"Oh nothing," Death replied, "Just seeing how much longer you will be taking."

Cody spat into the sink and grabbed ahold of his floss. He peered at Death for a moment and a question popped into his mind.

"No offense, but I never did ask this."

"Ask what?" Death began.

"It's just," Cody started, as he ripped a piece of floss, "People around the world write out Death, or the "Grim Reaper" as a skeleton robed in black with a scythe, but you're neither a skeleton, nor do you have a scythe."

Death laughed and replied, "You'd be surprised. You see, one thing that us Reapers have the ability to do is change our appearance to something more... appealing, or familiar to the beholder. It only works with the robe. Because, well, no soul would trust a spooky skeleton holding a scythe. While we mean no harm, if anyone saw simply that, they would have reason to think otherwise."

Cody stopped flossing his teeth and began pouring up a bit of mouthwash.

"Interesting."

Cody swished the mouthwash in his mouth and spat. He ran the water from the faucet and cleaned out the sink afterwards.

"Who do I look like to you?" Death requested from Cody, "Because you see, I don't get to choose who I look like to you. It's simply a mirage that acts on other's memories."

Death lifted his hands to his hood and pulled it back. Cody looked up at Death and inhaled softly. 

"You... You kind of look like my grandfather before he passed on," Cody answered sadly, "Not quite exact, since drugs affected his appearance in the end... I guess I could say you look like him, had he not suffered an addiction."

"I see," Death pondered, "I'm not sure if I was the one who helped him pass on, or if it were another reaper. Now how about this?"

Suddenly, the familiar face of Cody's grandfather melted away and a skeletal face emerged which made Cody jump backwards.

"JESUS, DON'T DO THAT!" Cody exclaimed.

"This is why we disguise ourselves," Death replied, as his face changed back to the grandfather. Suddenly, Death's head perked up, along with Cody's, and they heard it. The call of death.

Cody ran down the streets to follow the call, and eventually ended up at a Piazza, where a large crowd gathered around the entrance.

"Someone, anyone please! Help her!" yelled a man.

Cody pushed through the crowd, while Death simply floated above and said, "It's her. The woman this man is speaking of."

Cody broke into the center of the crowd and saw a man in a suit with a woman in red. They looked beautiful, but the woman's face and neck were swollen and reddened. 

"It's an allergic reaction," Cody said to himself.

"It's also her time," Death reminded.

"Not yet," Cody said, then spoke up, "Someone call some paramedics immediately!"

Cody got onto the other side of the woman and looked at the man who was in shambles, "What happened? How did she end up like this?"

Cody put his finger around her airways and felt a very faint breeze. 

"She ate the gumbo, but then she started saying she felt an itch in her mouth. It continued from there to this point! Please, I don't want-"

"Sir, I'm going to need you to check her belongings," Cody said as he began pulling the dress upwards to expose her thighs, "She appears to be having a severe allergic reaction. She may have an epi pen of some sort in her purse or something. Quick!"

"Of- of course," The man said as he scrambled to his table to his date's belongings.

"Listen here miss," Cody said as he opened her eyelids with his fingers, "I'm not letting you die here. It's not your time!"

"But it is," Death said.

"Death," Cody whispered, "Remember my case. Don't forget it. In the case of spirits like you, you couldn't save them... But I. I am human. I can make contact with these people. I can save them!"

"Is this an epi pen!?" The man exclaimed as he rushed to Cody's side with a needle.

"YES!" Cody exclaimed, "Hand it over quickly!" 

Cody grabbed ahold of the epi pen and prepped it, before jabbing it into the woman's thigh. The woman gasped momentarily and began breathing easier. She wasn't responsive as of lately, but she was at least breathing better. Sirens began to howl down the streets and soon after, the police and paramedics arrived at the Piazza. 

"Everyone step aside," an officer said, "Make room for the paramedics!"

The crowd dispersed slowly, but eventually the paramedics reached the woman.

"It looks like anaphylaxis," The paramedic said, "But it's calming down a bit."

"She had been given epinephrine, via an epi pen," Cody blurted.

"That's good to hear," A paramedic said, "Had she not received the shot, she would've most likely be deceased before we got here. You're a hero."

"I'm not the hero here," Cody replied, then nodded to the woman's boyfriend, "He is."

"I- I," The man said.

"Well sir, great work. We'll take it from here. Since she's acquainted with you, you may ride in the ambulance with her."

The paramedics lifted the woman onto a stretcher and marched to the ambulance. The man looked at Cody and said, "But. I simply got epi pen. I didn't even do much, and if you hadn't shown up, I would've never known what to do. She would've been-"

"Look, I'm just the bystander here," Cody said amicably, "Your date there doesn't need me to be her saviour. She needs you."

Cody stood up and held out his hand to the man. The man grabbed ahold of it and they gave a handshake. 

"Thank you," the man said.

"No problem," Cody replied, "She's waiting. You better go with them right away. The epi pen is only to buy time. They need to go promptly."

The man nodded and left Cody there, and entered the ambulance. Soon after, the crowd left the scene, and Cody walked back home.

"You did impressive there," Death said, "You may have saved her life. Of course... if you didn't, would you be ready to be her guide?"

Cody sighed and replied, "I have faith in modern medicine. She should make it through. And of course, if she doesn't... well... I think it's only fair."

"You wouldn't feel bad or anything?" Death asked.

"Of course I would feel bad," Cody answered, "But I know I've done as much as I could to save her. If I couldn't be the one to save her life, I might as well be the one that guides her to the next."

Cody stepped up to his home's front door and entered in. He cleaned up once more, and began to prepare dinner, before spending the rest of the afternoon relaxing.