Chapter 114
- Kaysi -
I couldn't tell you how we got here. I couldn't tell you why I am scraped up and burned. All I know is by what I see. Thomas is in Josh's hands, and Josh is perfectly healthy, not a scratch. Although the boy was unconscious, I could see the relief in Josh's eyes as he looked at the rumble that must have been where we made our escape to the outside world.
Should I ask what happened and why I can't remember, but have very blurry moments of our battle?
"Kaysi...? Kaysi?" Josh whispered. "Are you okay? You're doing a lot of staring off there."
"You know what? Yeah, I'm fine. We all look to be okay."
I don't need any more info from that for now, I thought to myself.
"Let's get Thomas back to the shelter and find out who the real villain is that locked us down there!"
The journey back to the shelter was numbing. My body was exhausted, trembling with every step. Pain burned across my skin, but it was dulled by the haze of weariness and the strangeness of the memory loss. I tried to piece the battle together in my mind, but it was like reaching into smoke. Flash came and went—the roar of fire, the ground shaking, a rush of heat—and then nothing.
Josh carried Thomas like he weighed nothing. His stride was strong and steady, but I noticed the tension in his shoulders and the sharp focus in his eyes. He didn't look back at me, except on a rare occasion. When he did, his expression was unreadable. I felt that something had happened; why else was he avoiding me?
The streets were almost deserted. A few civilians standing nearby, leaning against the building, whispered about a quake. Their faces were marked by fear, suspicion, and curiosity, but none of them approached us. They only watched as the three of us passed by, their judging gazes analyzing Josh's burnt clothing but healed body. I was severely injured and burned, barely able to walk. And Thomas's unconscious body in Josh's arms, I am sure, didn't make anything better.
We didn't say anything to them either. Words felt too heavy right now.
I stumbled a bit on a crack on the sidewalk but kept myself upright.
"Kaysi! We are almost there; hold on a bit longer. Josh tilted his head in concern."
"I waved at him. I am good; I am just taking a breather. We are around the corner; get the boy there ASAP!"
"No, even if you need to hold my shoulder, we need to get you help as well!"
"Pushy, pushy," I muttered with a weak smirk. Okay, I'll keep going. You keep your grip on that boy, and don't worry about me."
When the shelter finally came into view, relief swept through me. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.
The nurse rushed forward the moment they saw us.
"Lay him here!" One cried, motioning Josh to a cot. "He's breathing, good...carefully, carefully now."
Josh laid Thomas down gently on the cot, rested his arms on his stomach, and stepped back.
"Take care of this kid now..." He said softly.
The nurse nodded. Once the weight was gone, I saw Josh flex his fingers nervously, like he had a hard time letting go.
I placed my hand on Josh's shoulder. "He is going to be okay..." My words were weak as my voice cracked, and the relief and pressure finally let go. All the adrenaline finally washed out of my body, and I blacked out.
I woke up on a cot a few minutes later. Josh lingered in the doorway, one hand pressed against the frame as though he was unsure if he should step further inside. His eyes found mine just for a second. Something flickered there—worry, maybe guilt... Then he turned his head away.
I wanted to ask him what happened down there, why my memory was broken again. This happens a lot, and something usually happens to Josh. Was he protecting me from something? But alas, the exhaustion crushed me, and the moment didn't seem right.
The nurse transitioned me to the hospital bed; they had a few in the shelter for severely ill patients. My body surrendered without a fight. The last thing I saw before my eyes closed again was Josh, silhouetted in the doorway, watching from the hall like he was ready to leave again.
Darkness claimed me as warmth washed over me. Did someone place a blanket on me?
- Becky POV -
I stayed near the door while the nurses tended to Kaysi and Thomas. The air was thick with the smell of herbs and smoke, the tang of an antiseptic mixing with the earthy damp that clung to everyone who had been missing.
Relief settled in my chest as I saw Kaysi drift into sleep. Thomas stirred faintly, safe under the careful hands of the nurses. The nurses whispered that he was severely drugged, and after fluids, he should wake but would still be under observation for a while.
I glanced back at Kaysi's room as Josh placed a blanket on her shivering body. Her breathing finally started to even out as the nurses placed an oxygen mask on her and began treating her wounds.
I looked at Josh as he slowly walked out of the room. His head is down.
He hadn't sat down. He hadn't rested. He stood near the threshold like a sentinel, posture rigid, eyes sharp. But I saw it: the way his shoulders drew tight and the way his hands curled as though trying to crush something invisible.
Something was eating him alive.