Instead, Emerson shot Dixon. The immediate crisis passed. But the rule had been tested. And the universe demanded payment. As Chuck embraced her father—alive, but dying of an old illness—Ned watched from across the field, arms wrapped around himself. He could touch Chuck’s father to save him, but that would mean losing Chuck forever when the minute ended. Or he could do nothing, and let her father die naturally, leaving Chuck with a second, crueler goodbye.
The first time it happened, he was nine years old, and his mother dropped dead of an aneurysm right in front of him. In his panic, he touched her cheek. She gasped, sat up, and smiled. But the miracle came with a rule, cruel and absolute: if he touched her again, she would die forever. And if he let her live for more than sixty seconds, something else nearby would die in her place. Pushing Daisies - Season 1
“Who killed you?” Ned whispered, his heart hammering. Instead, Emerson shot Dixon