The Soul-The Host Fanfiction

Chapter 29: Panicked

Merry Christmas! :)

Chapter 29 Panicked

I didn't know how long I cried. When I finally ran out of tears, my eyes were swollen and sore and my throat was raw. Ian's shirt was soaked where I had cried into it. I took a shaky breath, and looked around.

Ian had carried me away from the blood. At least, I assumed he had. I didn't remember moving, but we were now hidden in the corner, across the hospital from Sunny's cot.

Sunny.

I gasped. "Sunny." I turned my face up to look at Ian. "Someone needs to cover Sunny's eyes, get Sunny out of here." I started shaking again as I thought about the fragile soul waking up in a new, confusing body to the bloody scene I had witnessed. My stomach flipped and I got the feeling that if there had been anything left in it I would have vomited again.

"Shh." Ian's eyes met mine and the warm blue of them seeped through me like a salve. "Lily's got it, don't worry."

Lily was awake? I looked around and, sure enough, caught a glimpse of her back as she hurried away, limping slightly. She seemed otherwise unharmed. Doc was there, too, hovering above me like he still thought I might be hurt, his left eye darkened and swollen from Matt's blow. To my right, I could see Melanie. Someone had dragged a cot over and she was sitting on it, a blanket wrapped around her, Jared's arm curled protectively over her shoulders. Her face was bruised, too, the skin of her cheek an ugly purple that was all too familiar from my beginning here. She saw me looking at her and her eyes darted away quickly, back to Uncle Jeb.

Uncle Jeb was here? But that meant--

"Jamie. Where's Jamie?" My voice was rough and thick. "Doc, have you checked on him? He got knocked down. He's not here, is he?"

"Jamie's fine. Just a couple of bruises and scrapes. Jeb left him with Sharon to keep an eye on him. I think she's getting him food." Doc assured me, covering my hand with his.

"Are you alright?" Ian was staring down at me with concern in his sapphire eyes.

"I'm--" I'm fine, I'd started to say, but the words caught in my throat. Was I fine? Physically, yes. Matt hadn't laid a hand on me. But mentally... "There's so much blood." I whispered, looking down at my hands. The blood on them had dried a rusty brown that cracked and flaked when I moved. It looked wrong on these gentle hands, with their silver skin and golden freckles. My throat tightened. "I--" I swallowed. "Matt's dead, isn't he?" I looked at Ian.

"Wanda..." he started, face softening even more. "Yes." he whispered. "Yes, he is."

I felt dizzy. My breath was coming fast and my hands trembled. "It all happened so fast." I gasped. "He punched Doc, and then he shoved Jamie, so Melanie...he was going after Sunny. He knocked Lily out and grabbed the scalpel...he-he was going to kill Sunny, but Mel stopped him and then he tried to choke her and she...she..."

"Shh, I know. I know, Wanderer. It's okay. Breathe for me, honey." I an rubbed circles on my back, trying to calm me down. "Relax, Wanda, relax. Breathe. Please breathe."

But I couldn't. I kept shaking and gasping. I tried to cover my face with my hands, to hide from everything that had happened, but they were so crusted with blood that it only made me shake harder. I was sobbing again, choking on the sadness and horror of what I had seen.

Doc seemed to understand. "Why don't you take her to get cleaned up, Ian?" His voice was soft. "I think she'll feel better when..." he trailed off. When she's not covered in blood, my brain supplied.

Ian didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. "He's right. C'mon, Wanda." Ian's voice was as gentle as his arms wrapped around my quivering body as he stood, hoisting be bridal style along with him. I didn't have the energy to to protest that I could walk. Come to think of it, I wasn't sure I could walk. My legs felt weak and shaky and my head was foggy. I felt like my ears were full of cotton. I couldn't shake the image of Melanie stabbing Matt with the scalpel. Melanie, rolling out from under his writhing body. Melanie, covered in blood.