Splitting a Match

Origin

4.

[Time: 9:20pm]

[Location: Pier 48, Seattle, Pangaea]

[July 12, 2095]

Five dead. I considered ourselves lucky that that number wasn't fifty. Merciful warning. That was a first. My Mom probably appealed to higher up to spare our lives, knowing who we were.

Through the bright LED lighting, I could see that sixteen others had been wounded, some severely. One of the guys was shot through the knee, and his agonized screams were muffled with a rag he was biting down on. Their anguished groans echoed off the concrete walls of our makeshift infirmary. I knew a few of these people well, although none of them were family.

Blood soaked from wounds into the sheets, ballooning out in a fiery storm of red. Our Clan's nurses and doctors scrambled to each bed, trying to control the bleeding that was sucking the life out of these people. Livvy was among them, her first aid kit open once again. She bent over a small boy who had been shot in the thigh. His small leg quivered and shook up and down against the straps which held it down. Livvy, her teeth biting down hard on her lip, dug into his muscles, searching for the bullet. The boy let out a screech, then stopped himself, but his mouth was still open, silently screaming. I had to look away.

I felt a hand on my shoulder, pulling me back.

"Come on, man. Let's talk this out," I heard Nate say.

I shrugged his hand off me and shook my head a bit. My breaths were shallow, catching every few times. Silent tears rolled down my face. I felt dizzy watching these people die. The floor rolled around like waves and the lighting suddenly felt blinding.

"Emmett. You need to leave here," Nate persisted.

I swallowed and closed my eyes for a few seconds. Then I turned around to look at Nate. He was glancing with wide eyes over my shoulder into the infirmary. When another shriek erupted from the kid, he flinched. "I..." I started, but I couldn't finish. "Okay."

I walked through the door with Nate on my right. I jerked my head back when another piercing scream exploded into my ears. The little boy was still now, his chest going up and down slower and more steadily than before. Livvy held a large bullet in her tweezers. I walked away.

A few minutes later, Nate and I were kicking our legs over the water, sitting on the edge of one of the old piers. The cool night air was refreshing. I could smell the salt in the air, disturbed by a slight odor of seaweed and rot. We sat there together for a few minutes, in silence. Through the dark, I could barely make out the rusting hulks of old ferryboats, still docked.

"What are you thinking?" Nate asked, his head still looking out the water.

I thought for a few seconds before answering. "Um, nothing, really...I guess I can't decide if I should be angry at my Mom for ruining the celebration and killing those people, or thankful to her for giving us a warning," I said.

Nate's mouth puckered up to the side as he considered what I'd said. "Personally, I'm feeling both. It was so fun before Delta showed up, so I'm mad Delta messed it up. I guess I'm not mad at your Mom, just at Delta, but I can see why you're thinking the way you are. But I'm also thankful that, you know, half our Clan didn't get killed." He sighed. "Sorry, I'm not helping much. Just look at the positive side of things. You survived, the family survived."

I scratched the back of my neck. "I mean, she probably asked the head Delta or somebody if she could just give us a warning. Cause usually they just shoot everybody up, right? She probably had to make up some kind of excuse other than 'my family is in there'. I doubt they would buy into that. I dunno."

"Yeah, it's tough, man," Nate said quietly. "Honestly, I don't know what to say right now, but just remember that we're here for you."

"Thanks."

"You can always count on your family, man."

We were silent for a few moments, listening to the waves come in and out.

"It's crazy they didn't find us earlier," I said, more to myself than to him.

"Yeah, I know."

Another silence. I didn't need to talk. Just having somebody else there for me was good enough, but maybe he needed somebody to talk to.

"Did anybody you knew well get shot?" I asked.

Nate's mouth flattened into a line. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry, man." I slung an arm around his shoulder. "Who was it?"

"Justin...Century. He's part of my family."

Another pause. I remembered Nate flinching and staring at the kid.

"Is he the little guy Livvy was working on?" I asked.

"Mmhm," Nate said, looking down at his feet. I could see his face faintly, and it was pained. He bit his lip.

"He's a tough little dude. I'm sure he'll be okay," I said quietly. But I knew he would probably not walk right ever again.

"I hope so," he replied.

I tried to stop it, but my imagination flickered back to the infirmary. I could see Justin's leg strapped down and a tourniquet cinched tight around his upper thigh. Even so, blood flowed freely from the wound. His pale white face was filled with pain and terror, his teeth clenched down and eyes pinched shut. I could see his leg shaking up and down in agony.

I shook my head to clear the awful images. I started to think about the relay race to distract my thoughts. How was that only today? It felt like a year ago. Nate and I sat there, swinging our legs, for at least five minutes before one of us spoke.

"I'm part of your family, by the way, right?" Nate asked in a lighter tone.

"You were adopted when you told me to come out here and talk. Only a brother would do that," I said. "Welcome to the fam."

"Thanks." From the way he said it, I knew he was smiling.

"From now on, I've got your back, and it's your duty to watch mine." I said, probably more gravely than I should have.

"Yep."

We sat there for a few more minutes, watching the last rays of light that struggled over the horizon disappear.

"Hey, we'd better get back. See what we can do to help," I said, standing up and brushing my pants off.

"Yep, okay," came the reply.

Before we entered out Clan's building again, I spoke up. "Hey, Nate, thanks for talking. It felt good to get that off my chest."

"Yeah, anytime, bro."

I grinned. He had never called me bro before.

~~αβδ~~

Author's Note: 

I think that this chapter could use some work, so don't feel bad giving any and all critical feedback you may have! However, any positive feedback is welcome too :) 

Thanks for reading! Give a vote if this deserved it. It'll make me smile. :)

Comment below on Emmett's idea of friendship/family.