87. flatline

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"This is as stable as she's going to get." Jackson announced, his eyes lifting from where they had been resting on Emori. "It's time."

The steady beeping of the heart monitor coated the room as Murphy glanced up, his eyes bloodshot and exhausted. 

"Jax!" The voice came not from one of us, but from someone out in the Reliquary. I knew before he even entered the room that it was Miller. 

I felt a glimmer of relief as Miller ran into Jackson with an emotion-filled embrace. At least I knew that some of the others were okay. But amongst the relief, I also noticed the look of longing that covered Murphy's face, I think it covered mine too. 

Both of us clearly wished more than anything that the love of our life had just walked through that door- alive and unharmed. But they wouldn't. Mine was dead while Murphy's laid on the table, inches from her own death.

"Raven got you out?" Jackson asked Miller as the two pulled away. 

Miller nodded. "Yeah. She and Wonkru just left for Bardo."

"Without you?" Jackson pressed. 

"I'm not leaving you again. Whatever happens next, we stick together."

Once more, my heart clenched. I should have never left Bellamy. I shouldn't have let him leave Sanctum without me, and I shouldn't have left Bardo without him. Maybe he wouldn't have become a brainwashed Disciple if I had refused to leave his side. Maybe he would still be alive.

"I am glad you are safe." Murphy called to Miller. "Now, how about my reunion." His had was still fastened around Emori's limp one. 

Jackson gave an understanding nod, untangling himself from Miller in order to rejoin us by the table. "Avery, you ready?" He wondered, pulling on a pair of gloves. 

I nodded, pulling my own shaking hands into a pair of gloves. "I'm ready." I assured, but my voice gave away my unease. 

If anyone noticed it, they all decided to ignore it. "What can I do?" Miller asked. 

Jackson glanced up for a moment. "Hold her steady while I extract the bar. If she moves, it'll cause even more damage. You understand?"

Miller wore a distressed expression as he fastened his hands on Emori's shoulders. "Yeah."

"Avery, the minute the bar is out, I need you packing the wound. She can't lose as much blood as she did before. Got it?"

My eyes met his for a brief minute. "Got it."

"Okay." Jackson breathed. "One three...one, two, three."

The minute Jackson began extracting the bar, the heart monitor began beeping erratically, blood pooling around the wound. And then Emori started seizing. 

Her body shook furiously as blood began spewing from her mouth. She was hemorrhaging. 

It felt like someone had stolen the air from my lungs as I tried my best to apply pressure to the wound. The bar was still lodged in her torso, proving it almost impossible to stop the bleeding.

"Hey, hey! Come on!" Murphy pleaded, his voice cracking as he leaned over Emori's head. "Come on, baby."

"She's bleeding out!" Jackson exclaimed. "I need to get in there surgically and find the--"

He cut himself off as Emori's body went limp, the heart monitor flatlining as a horrific silence settled across the room. 

Tears had pooled in my eyes as I looked up at Emori's face. Her eyes were open, but there was no life left behind them.

𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍─𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐞²Where stories live. Discover now