Colourless Skies

58. With You

Leah opened her eyes to a bland ceiling, to a bed she was quite used to. It didn't take her long to realize she was in the hospital, her throat horrifically parched and nails hammering in her head. Her unsteady hands desperately tried to get her up before reality could resurface in her head, and that is when she heard a small sigh of relief.

Jay sprinted up to her, immediately helping her in a sitting position and handing her water without a word. It was evident he had been crying, owing to his swollen, bloodshot eyes, coupled with the creases on his forehead that depicted extreme worry. He looked defeated, so forlorn as if he could not stop what had happened, and it had killed something within him.

That is when Leah remembered, reminisced what had happened; that was all it took for the glass of liquid to go flying out of her hands, smashing into a wall until it was nothing but brittle pieces.

"Where is he?" She tried to yell, but all that came out was a faint plead, and her extremely pained expression. Nonetheless, it was enough, for Jay let out a loud sob, immediately slapping his hand harshly on his mouth to muffle it, to quieten himself for the sake of his friend.

As tears escaped yet again from Jay's eyes, he spoke, his continuous struggle with keeping the waver from betraying his words bringing Leah to the brink of her grip on herself.
"Y-you... Once he.." Jay let out a suffering cry which didn't let him finish. Leah could only stare at him, holding no power of comfort and consolation, for she was fighting wars internally, to keep herself from flaring up and eventually, detonating.

Jay seemed to take control over himself fast, for he started to speak again.
"Once he passed out, you screamed. You fell to your knees and screamed so agonisingly loud, the walls started to shake, u-until your hands..brought them down."

Leah looked away, a weak attempt at concealing her eyes, fearing Jay would be horrified at how devoid of emotion they were.

"You screamed until you spat b-blood."

"I had to... I.."
He exhaled an extremely shaky sigh, trying with all he had to not cry again. He knew if he lost himself this time, there would be no second chances, no one to save Leah from herself when she would find out what she was about to.

"I had to drag you both out of the rubble."
A laugh echoed through his chest.
"I had to drag my two friends, one half d-dead, and one horrifyingly bruised, out of our graves."

His steps retraced back, and he turned away because he couldn't handle it; couldn't handle knowing that now, he had to take her to him, at whom's door death was knocking persistently.

As if she read Jay's mind, Leah muttered in a hushed tone, "T-take me... take m-me to h-him. Please."

Jay was shocked; Leah hadn't reacted the way he had expected her to, she didn't scream, her powers did not envelope her in a capsule of rage, but more terrifyingly, she didn't cry.
Without a second glance at her, he began walking towards the door, hoping that she acted upon his indication to follow him.

Leah walked, but listlessly, not only because of her minor wounds but also because she did not know what to expect, she had no clue what she was about to encounter moments from now. In these situations, her mind would always provide her with various endings, all of them following a pathway to their end, and she would always, without careful thinking or analysis walk on one of those, but the times had changed. All she felt now was her mind deserting her, and no road in sight to walk on, to follow.

She could see no end to it, she could see nothing.

They walked for what looked like dreaded hours, each step getting heavier after the other until finally, Jay stopped at a door; it had no nameplate, no room number, it was as if it hadn't been ever used. But Leah didn't think much, she didn't have the energy left to even process anything occurring around her; people walked and talked, per normal routine, but Leah couldn't sense their presence, bound by her lost feelings.