Carry Me Home - A LEGEND trilogy (Marie Lu) fanfiction

17: Day

I know in the first place that I shouldn't panic at all. But when someone jumps in front of you to take something instead of you and you know that it is really meant for you... then, worse than that, the person standing between you and that something is the person you really treasure on this world... well, you won't give paranoia a second thought anyway.

So here's the scenario, there is this man by the mezzanine floor aiming at me. I know it the moment June shouts and lunges forward for me. The people around us start shouting and aiming for the nearest exit and finding at least a simple asylum to keep them protected from the riot. Soldiers who are on duty start aiming where the gunshot came from but there's nothing to fire at now, when no one stands there.

I don't know how I end up sitting on the floor, June's head resting on my lap. And immediately, I notice that she's shaking so much.

"Hey," I reach out to touch her and cradle her on my arms. I try to shake her up and when my hand touches her side, I freeze. Never in my life that I'd been so unaware. Maybe once or a few times before but when it has already happened in front of your own eyes and you seem to still doubt that it happened... that's how I feel now.

I immediately shake her shoulders trying to grab the remaining senses she has. "June, look at me. Please! Everything's gonna be alright. You're gonna be alright."

I can't think straight, June's shaking so hard and I see her mouthing my name but no voice comes out. It's then I feel tears trickling down my cheeks and I tell her before she passes out, "Don't leave me."

I don't know how long time already passed before someone reaches out to me and gathers June onto a stretcher to be brought to the nearest hospital as soon as possible. It takes eternity being next to her on the ambulance, clinging to her hand, hoping to see any sign of consciousness on her figure. But I should know that I should not expect for it.

By the moment we reach the hospital, I am not allowed to stay with June anymore that I'm forced to wait outside. I'm restless, anyone with eyes can see that for themselves.

A few minutes later, Eden and Tess are running my direction. Instead of sitting down on the vacant chairs lined up on the hallway, I decide to sit down on the floor leaning by the wall, my elbows above my knees which are close to my chest.

"Daniel," my brother calls me when they're three feet away in front of me.

My eyes are pinned on the floor that I can only look at their shoes. Well, I can't really focus onto anything now.

Tess steps forward and crouches down low to meet my eyes. "Daniel," she calls as she places a hand above mine.

I still won't meet her eyes.

"Daniel... June's a fighter. She'll be alright," she continues. "She survived a lot more than this."

That is just so easy to say for anyone who really doesn't know what happened.

A lot of them may continue to assure me that everything will be alright. That June will survive. But I know better that she should not be the one in there. I should be the one.

Eden and Tess continue to spare me from my guilt and depression. They continue to encourage me to at least sit down on one of the chairs and make myself comfortable. But waiting for any news is like waiting for an eternity that will never really happen.

Because the banquet was messed up because of the gunfight between the Republic soldiers and the person plotting to kill me... again, Tess and Eden excuse themselves for a while to grab some light snacks from the cafeteria. That's why, even if I am clearly not left alone on the hallway, I feel that I'm the only one left alive.

And then, as my eyes are still pinned on the floor, a nurse passes by in front of me. A piece of white paper is left to fall in purpose. Without knowing, I reach for it and unfold the paper, creasing out the folds to at least straighten it.

My guess have been right. It was left purposely for me.

Written plainly in black ink are six words: PAY THE DEBTS YOU NEED TO PAY.

I trail my eyes to the direction the nurse went as I crumple the paper into a ball. There are a lot of people wearing nurse uniform and lab gowns that I can't consider who the person left the message to threaten me once again was. But before Eden and Tess arrive, I finally stand up and move outside the hospital to pick up my lighter and burn the crumpled paper.

When I walk into the hall again to continue waiting for any news, I notice Tess and Eden talking to a doctor. They stop talking when they see me approaching. I can't explain their expressions because everything seems to be too blurred and I can't distinguish anything at all now unless I try to focus, which I can't.

Before I continue towards them, I gulp in hard first and sigh. It takes a lot of my strength to asked, "How's June?"

The doctor, a man in his mid-thirties adjusts his spectacles and states, "I fear it will take a while before she gain consciousness."

"You're not saying that she's in coma, is that right?" I ask.

"Of course not, Mr. Wing," he answers. "It might take a while before she wakes up due to a lot of blood loss. But don't worry, we were able to find a blood donor actually."

I, Eden and Tess are surprised to hear such news.

Eden scratches his ear and asks, "A blood donor? That fast without us knowing?"

"Yes," the doctor replies. He then stares at me. But then he glares at something behind me. "Yes. That's the man who donated some to Commander Iparis."

I don't doubt to look behind me and trail my eyes to where the doctor is looking. And there by the nurse's desk is a man in his fifties talking to a nurse. I don't know him but he seems somehow familiar to me. I don't know why but his figure makes me try to remember something. "He is the previous Head director of Los Angeles Central Hospital's Intelligence Agency."