Young Writers Society

Jackie

They put me to sleep and attempt to calm me, but the baby keeps kicking. I cough in my sleep, sighing.

Nic

With a gasp, my eyes open to the bright lights of a hospital room. A mask is set over my nose and mouth, and a few nurses attempt to hold me down. I don't mean to, but I start swinging. Within moments, I lose every ounce of energy that I have left and go limp on the table.

"Restless couple, these two are," one mutters. "Doc said to keep him sedated. He's lucky to be alive."

My heart slows, eyes droop, and I feel as if I'm just floating. Everything goes numb, although something aches in the center of my chest and the base of my throat.

Jackie

My heart rate slows and I hold onto someone that isn't there.

Nic

When my eyes open next, Jace is sitting at my side with a forlorn expression. Hermes' words echo in my head, and I begin to think something is wrong. Jace is the psychic. He would have seen that I'd be okay, right? Hell, he saw that I was at Jackie's side when she was a bit further down in the pregnancy.

That hasn't happened yet. I'm okay.

"Jae, what's with the dramatic gaze?" I ask. "I've got godly assurance I'll live just a bit longer. Hermes came to speak with me, and he said that--"

"Just be quiet, Nic," he interrupts.

His voice is a mere whisper, but emotion hides behind it like water does a dam.

"You know full well that Hermes isn't to be trusted," he says, staring straight ahead rather than at me. "He is the god of deception, practically. Liars and thieves."

"Fine, then trust what you saw," I say. "I survive to suffer through that."

His eyes trail up to mine, bloodshot and tired. In that moment I swear he had aged ten more years.

No. He had.

Then his icy blue eyes flicker with the rest of his facade, and he shrinks to appear as the same girl who met me in the hallway.

"We'll see about that," she grins.

Jackie

I scream my heart out for Nic, the doctors holding me down some more, and my heart starts beating faster than ever. My eyes start tearing up and I shrink back into my thoughts, not backing down and trying to push everyone away from me, breathing heavily.

Nic

Before she can do anything, something pulls at my gut and the scene around me dissolves. Everything falls to black, and when I can see again I'm surrounded by concrete and overwhelmed by the smell of PineSol. I cough and blink a few times before realizing that I'm in the basement of the building.

Someone else is there, too.

Jackie

I break free and desenigrate, ending up at home and looking around for him.

Nic

"I have a life, you know," he says. "I can't keep popping down here and saving your a*s."

"Saving my a*s?" I ask. "That's what you call this? I'm bleeding again, you fartface."

"Fartface? What are we, two again? You could show some gratitude, for once, else you push everyone away just like the last time."

"You keep saying stuff like that, but I have no idea what you're talking about."

My eyes adjust to the dim light and drift until they set upon the being half-disguised in shadows.

"And as I keep saying, you're not supposed to," he says. "That would ruin the whole ploy, I assume. You can't simply take on a new host and expect to remember everything, now can you?"

"Again, Braedon, no idea what you're saying," I say, wincing. "Wouldn't mind lending me some of your healing mojo, though, would you?"

Jackie

I give up and just plop down, burying my head in my hands.

Nic

He snaps his fingers and I feel like I'm falling all of a sudden. My vision is taken from me, but when I regain it I see myself thrown onto the couch of Jackie's house. I blink a few times and find her across the room.

"Oh, hi," I say, wincing.

D*mn you, Braedon. Not even a little healing, really?

Jackie

I look up and freak out, running to him and using my healing.

Nic

Flashing a smile, I close my eyes and let her help me. Then I remember what happened before and feel the worry return. Opening my eyes, I make her stop and leave myself in a slightly less severe condition.

"You're not in the best state to be doing all that," I tell her. "I'll be fine."

Jackie

I shake my head, my face slightly pale, "You need it."

Nic

In return, I shake my head and hold her wrists away from me. I look her sternly in the eyes and swallow.

"No, Jackie," I say. "I'm fine. I can heal on my own. You need to, too. We're both going to be fine. Just listen to me, okay?"

Jackie

I swallow and study him for a few seconds before standing and turning away, running a hand through my hair.