Four Elements Book 1 - Hidden Powers

Chapter 11 - Bad just got worse - part 1

 Andie sat silently in the white plastic seat, barely registering the footsteps and voices moving left and right. The white walls, the tiles... nothing mattered. All she could think about was Bane limp on the ground, his sacrifice to save her... it was her fault. She had been stupid, going out in the open like that... but she had been unable to stop herself. She didn't want to let him hurt her friends... but he had...

“Andie?”

Looking up, Andie saw Isabelle walking rapidly towards her with worry on her face. In one movement, they had wrapped their arms tightly around each other. Andie let out a muffled sob.

“It's okay, I'm here...” Isabelle said. “Here, sit down...”

They did. Andie wiped her eyes.

“What happened?”

“... We... we were training, and I wanted to tell him...”

“What you told us this morning?”

Andie nodded.

“And I was just telling him... but before I could finish, this guy working for Zorak came...”

Isabelle gasped.

“And we... we held him off for a while, but... I was stupid, I went up against him and he tried to help... but Zarias hit him... I went to help him up, but of course Zarias didn't wait for us... Bane pushed me away, so I was fine... but he got hit... I couldn't get him to come round so I called an ambulance...”

“What did you tell them?” Isabelle asked quietly.

“... I... said I didn't know, that I'd just found him there, that he had probably had an accident...” Andie replied in a crackling voice. “Isabelle, if he doesn't make it...”

“Hey. Don't even think that.” Isabelle said, taking her hand. “He will make it. He's young, strong, healthy. I'm sure he'll pull through.”

Andie wanted to believe it. But she couldn't get Bane's limp body out of her mind.

Jessica and Emily arrived shortly after. Isabelle had gone to find a vending machine, so Andie was alone when she saw them.

“Hey...” Jessica said, serious for once as she hugged Andie tight.

“Hey...” Andie croaked.

 "We came as soon as we could...” Emily said as she pulled her into her arms.

 “I know.” she said. “Thanks.”

 Isabelle came back at that moment, sporting four cups of cocoa.

 “Here,” she said, handing one to Andie.

 Andie nodded in thanks, the hot cup soothing on her freezing hands.

 “What do the doctors say, anything?”

 Andie shook her head.

 “None of them have come to see me yet.”

 “Does his uncle know, did you call him?”

 "I did, but he's out of town. He's heading back here.”

 “What happened?” Emily asked.

 Isabelle told them in a low voice, guessing Andie didn't have the strength to do it again. She took a sip of the scalding cocoa, which felt comforting somehow. She had always wondered what about hot drinks made you feel better when you were upset of in shock. She only realized she was shaking when Isabelle gently took her hands.