PSYCHOTIC

T w e n t y E i g h t

Chapter 28:

"Patient unresponsive, commence defibrillation. On the count of three. One...two...three and clear!" The surgeon shouts, sighing at the lack of response. "Again! One...two...three and clear!"

"Once more! One...two...three and clear!" And then the surgeon waits. He waits and waits a little longer almost praying for recovery until the flatline appears on the monitor. "Time of death: 12.51."

• • • • •

12 hours earlier:

"Alexa...stop." Caleb's breathing starts getting heavier as they continue to trek through the unknown forest in attempt to find their way into some sort of civilisation.

It was cold, muddy and dark, the air harbouring the heavy crispness of winter.

It must be near Christmas. Either a few days before or after but Lexi had lost track how many days it had been since that day she fought with Re in their dorms. They had been through so much since then. And this experience was far from festive.

They had only been walking for 10 minutes before Caleb had grown tired, carrying Re in his arms whilst attempting not to put pressure on the leg he was stabbed. He grows dizzier and weaker by the minute and with no sign of a clearing anywhere, they quickly start to lose hope.

Lexi is leading them both but she struggles to see as the darkness of the night sky looms over them.

She avoided looking at either of them for the past 10 minutes, instead focussing on the task of leading them out of here and checking their surroundings in case Marcus followed them. She refused to look at Re because all she felt was guilt. She refused to look at Caleb, because yet again somehow, she feels guilt.

Re had no part in any of this and it was because of Lexis stupidity that she was almost killed and still on the brink of death. She was still knocked out and it was hard for Lexi to stay hopeful when she looked so cold and lifeless and caleb looked as if he was about to pass out any minute.

She wished with all her might that their pain would burden Lexi instead of Re and Caleb.

Lexi wants to protest when she sees Caleb lay Re down on the damp ground covered in twigs and leaves but refrains from doing so when she sees just how much of a state they're both in.

She quickly scans the place around and once she's certain that no one has followed them, she sighs and helps position Re's head so it doesn't look quite so uncomfortable. Lexi gently puts two fingers against Re's pulse point, letting out a breathe of relief once she still feels the light beat of her pulse against her freezing fingers.

She was so cold.

Taking her jumper off and leaving herself in only a thin top, Lexi ties the thick fabric around her friends torso tightly in order to put some sort of pressure to her fresh wound that's already drowned her clothes in blood.

Once she has tended to Re's wound, Lexi turns to see Caleb collapsing in exhaustion to the muddy floor and hissing when his leg is positioned awkwardly, unable to bend it. She sees him close his eyes, either in exhaustion or pain but either way he looked so beaten and bruised that she wasn't quite sure how he was still conscious.

Scratch that- she wasn't exactly sure how Caleb was even alive after everything he's been through.

Caleb struggles to get into a comfortable sitting position and his head pounds so he rests it on a tree behind him."Here, let me." Lexi murmurs , quickly rushing to his side and helping him position his leg before tending to it.