Final Days (MCSM Fanfiction)

Chapter 25 - No Choices Left

08:35 – Day 3

Despite everything that had happened, both Jesse and Lukas had slept peacefully for what was left of the night. The next morning dawned peaceful and quiet, the night's blizzard having settled once more.

Lukas was still fast asleep on the couch, his breaths slow and rhythmical. Jesse was sitting beside him on the couch, already having woken up. She had her legs crossed beneath her, staring down at something she held in her hands. There was a drained and tired look in her dull brown eyes, despite the few hours of decent sleep she had gotten.

Jesse lifted her head slightly, as Lukas started to shift on the couch. He yawned, his blue eyes slowly blinking open. Jesse felt a thin blanket of relief wrapping around her heart, no longer feeling as alone now that her friend was awake.

"Jesse?" Lukas asked sleepily as he propped himself up on the couch, stifling another yawn. "What time is it?"

"Watches aren't really a thing any more." Jesse pointed out softly, no humour in her voice as she glanced back down at the object in her hands.

"Yeah, true." Lukas replied as he stretched out his arms. He looked over at her with a slight taint of worry in his eyes. "You still alright? I really shouldn't have fallen asleep..."

Jesse only gave a small nod in response. Lukas's eyes drifted down to the item she was looking at, shuffling slightly closer on the couch to see what it was. His expression fell as well, recognising the new year's photograph.

The image itself has faded slightly, the paper bent. The bottom corner of the picture was slightly wrinkled and stained red. But the five smiles on the picture was just as bright and happy as they were on the day Radar snapped the photo.

"It was still in Olivia's jacket." Jesse whispered. She blinked a few times, her eyes burning slightly.

A sad smile formed on her face. "Remember how long it took us to find a decent jacket that fitted Axel?" She sniffed. "And remember how much Petra argued that she didn't want to wear those clothes?"

Lukas gave a sad nod, smiling slightly at the memories. The memories where they were happy and all still....together. He wrapped one arm behind Jesse's back for comfort.

Taking a deep, shaky breath, Jesse lowered the photograph, placing it down on the coffee table that was standing it front of the couch. She sunk slightly down on the couch, letting her head lean on the armrest.

"It keeps feeling like this is all just a dream." She whispered softly. "That I'm going to wake up again, and they'll be there." Her breathing shook. "And then I get to realise each time, that this is the reality. And they're dead."

Lukas felt a lump form in his own throat at Jesse's words. A tear ran down her face that she slowly wiped away.

For a few minutes, it was silent between the two friends. Jesse had curled herself back into a tiny ball, just staring ahead lifelessly. Lukas's gaze was resting on his hands in his lap, for once not even thinking about the fact that one of them was awaiting a future of getting amputated.

Jesse was the one to broke the silence, letting out a weak cough. She sat slightly upright as she continued to cough, her lungs heaving.

"Easy, deep breaths." Lukas said as he put a hand out, rubbing her back firmly to help stabilize her breathing pattern again.

Jesse weakly lowered her head as the coughing subsided, taking a weak, hoarse breath.

"Lukas." She whispered softly, her voice almost fearful.