MagicAnimalClub: Happenings

15: Hello, Goodbye.

Squids pov

I watched as Joe ran for his life down the hill. Halfway down he had dropped his bag to run faster, but he just got slower and slower.. although he was building momentum, he had so little energy to keep his legs moving. He was deteriorating..
I saw his face turn white, with every shot fired at him his face went red with fear.
He turned smaller, and smaller, and smaller. Then into the forest, where I simply couldn't see him at all.
"Run after him, David!" John yelled to me.
I ran while shooting behind me, many others of our group helped to kill the seekers, who were either running after Joe or mourning beside their dead leader.
I ran into the forest, looking around for Joe. He was nowhere to be seen. The seekers started leaving, I tried not to be noticed by them.
I continued to run between the trees, searching for my friend, tears draining from my eyes.
Is Joe dead? Is he.. Dead. Is my best friend.. No.. All my friends are dead.. Not him, not him! Why me? No! No!
I then saw Joe lying in the clearing.
"Joe!" I yelled, running as fast as I could towards him.
Tears in my eyes, I could barely see.
He lay covered in mud, his eyes were closed and his legs were bloody.
I fell to my knees.
No.. No he can't be.
I fell onto my knees beside him, reaching for his wrist to try and find a pulse.
Wait.. Nothing..
John ran over to me,
"David! David he's not!" John yelled,
"Have you checked his pulse?"
I dropped Joes wrist, "nothing-"
"Check his neck! We aren't giving up on him!"
Joes neck was bloody, but there was no wound. John put his two fingers under Joes chin. After a few seconds John lit up,
"Yes! Yes!" John brought out his phone, dialling the emergency number.
"Can't they trace that?"
"They've all given up, David. It's all over." He said, before talking on the phone.
I wiped my brow. Dropping my bag, I saw a helicopter hover over us, slowly landing..
"It's all over..." He laughed with relief, wiping the blood from his face before his hands formed a praying-type pose over his mouth as he closed his eyes and caught his breath.

Stampys POV

"I remember one time when we were walking beside a river and he said he'd race me to the other side, I started running and he just jumped in the lake and started swimming...!"
"Stamps if you can hear me I want you to know that I wasted sixteen years of my life, I never should have left you alone. I shouldn't have given up."

That's Davids voice.. Why.. Why would he leave me for sixteen years? Is this my funeral.. Where am I?

It was bright. My eyes flickered open, I was blinded by the white light.
"Joe..?" I recognised the Yorkshire accent. It was David.
"Dave..?"
I opened my eyes, yes, it was him.
Tears flooded my eyes, I couldn't see anymore, my vision was blurred.
One quick tear travelled down Davids face before he broke into a hug.
"W-When do we go back?" I asked, my jaw shivering.. I felt so stiff and unused.
"We don't, it's all over now, it's finished. We can go home."
My eyes widened, more tears broke through my eye's lining.
"H-home? As in.. Home home?"
"Yep." He said. Smiling. "But not yet, we need to get your leg sorted out."
I tried to move my leg, but nothing happened. Just pain, intense pain.
"Gaahh.." I cried, struggling.
"Take it easy there son." I figure walked over, I looked to see who it was. It was John. I smiled.
"John." I mouthed, looking up at a fatherly figure,
"You killed 'im. You'll go down in the history." He said,
"I don't want to go down in history for killing someone." I admitted,
"No, your going down in history for saving the lives of so many others." He said, changing my thoughts.
Someone I didn't recognise walked over to me, a nurse or doctor, I suspected. He wore all white, his skin was tanned and he looked friendly.
"Mr Garrett." He said, in English, he was native English, I wondered where I was.
"I'm not dead, I know that much." John and David looked at each other.
"Yes.. But you have been in a coma for 8 months."
At first I thought I heard him incorrect. I tried to laugh, but everyone remained serious. My eyes widened, I shifted back in my bed, putting my hands over my mouth.
"Then- then what?! No! You're still wearing your uniform.."
"Doctor, can we have a moment, in private?" John asked, the man nodded, leaving the room.
"Guys.. What?!" I had never been so puzzled, "you're both in your uniform.. This was yesterday.."
"We never left, Joe." John said,
"What all loyal soldiers do. We don't go home till our friend is alright." I put my hand over my mouth. Tears started to form,
"8 months?" I breathed,
"I'd have waited a lifetime for you, mate." David said, his eyes glistening. My mouth dropped,
"We're here for you." John said, "captain."