Tribe - Series 6 - Episode 14

[thedustyshelves]

Episode 14
“What’s happening?” Amber shrieked as she stared down at Trudy, still shaking. She went over to her and placed her hands on her shoulders, trying to keep her still. Jack, however, pulled her away sharply. “What are you doing? She needs help!”
“She’s having a seizure,” Jack explained as calmly as possible, though his voice shaking. “We need to just let her have it, don’t try to stop her. You could end up hurting her and yourself.” There was a gasp behind them. Jack turned to see the rest of the tribe had followed them up. Gel screeched when she saw Trudy. “Get them out!” Jack bellowed, not caring who carried out the order as long as it was done. 
“Jack?” a small voice came from behind him. He turned to see Ellie was scared, more so than anyone else. “What did I do? Was it something I did?” Jack shook his head and gathered her up in his arms. 
“You did everything I asked you to,” he reassured her, though in a rushed way. “You didn’t make it happen, it wasn’t your fault. Right now, I need you to go downstairs with the others. Have a drink, calm down. Will you do that?” Ellie nodded and made her way slowly out of the door. 
He turned back to Trudy. He felt helpless, once again. There was nothing he could do for her. He just had to wait until it was over, then he could try to make it better. He had to do something! Frantically, Jack realised that the way she was tossing and turning, Trudy could well hurt herself on some of the things around the bed. He tore towards the table and yanked it as far away as possible. Then, he turned and lifted the chair he usually sat in from its original place. He ran to the other side to do the same there. 
“What are you doing?” Lex asked angrily. “You should be trying to help Trudy, not doing feng shui.” 
Bray, however, realised what it was Jack was trying to accomplish. “He’s making sure she doesn’t hurt herself. Nothing can be done to help her right now, we just need to let it pass, but we can make sure she doesn’t injure herself in excess.”
“You mean we just leave her like this?” Lex asked incredulously. Bray turned to the other man and nodded seriously. Lex’s arms fell limply at his sides. 
All of a sudden, Trudy stopped shaking and lay still, not moving at all. “Jack?” Amber asked, fearing the worse.
Jack leant over carefully and listened. He looked up and nodded, “She’s still alive.” All four of them relaxed slightly. 
“What now?” Bray enquired nervously. 
Jack looked at the others. They expected him to know. They expected him to know everything. He was just a kid, how was he supposed to know everything. He wasn’t a doctor or a medic; he was just a geek. “I don’t know.”
“Think, Jack!” Amber said desperately. “You must know, you can’t just let her die!”
“What do you suggest?” Jack snapped at her. “Go ring an ambulance if you think it’ll help - oh wait, there are no ambulances left.”
“Jack,” Bray said, trying to calm him down. “We need to try to help her.”
Jack seethed. Why did everything expect a miracle from him? With his long list of failures, why did they still expect him to cure everything? Realising his fists were clenched, he forced himself to relax. Finally, he said quietly, “We need Ram.”
*  *  *
Light was streaking down onto his face. Through his closed eyelids, KC wondered whether it had all been a dream. Was he really in a clean, comfy bed? He was warm. Much warmer than he had been for a while. Did that mean it was true then? He was half afraid to open his eyes. What if the fantasy were to end? 
There was a creaking, and then the light that was shining on his face disappeared. Bracing himself, KC forced his eyelids open. He was lying on his side, and someone was standing before him, blocking the light out. It was definitely not a fantasy. The duvet smothering him was proof of that. He looked up at the person in the room with him. It was a small woman, the ends her blonde hair and fringe looked like they had been dipped in electric blue paint. She was wearing a blue satin dress that clung to her body. At the back of his mind, KC realised it was Fall, the woman who had brought him to the room the day before. 
After a moment, KC’s mind seemed to wake up properly, and the realisation that the woman was just watching him wake up made him jump. She hardly reacted, and didn’t take her eyes from him, her grey eyes seemed to be glazed over, rather vacant, as though she wasn’t really looking at him. After a few more moments of silence, she said, “The Shadow requires a meeting with you. He has sent me to bring you to him.” Her voice was strange. It was like she was some distance away from him, though really she was quite near.
KC pushed the covers away and stood up. He looked around the room. How long had he been asleep? He hadn’t even looked at the room before closing his eyes. It was quite beautiful, actually. Early morning sunlight streaked through the grimy windows, casting a strange greenish-yellow light that illuminated the magnolia coloured carpet and the double bed he had slept in. Some parts of the room were thick with dust; paintings on the wall had long since faded. It wasn’t the largest room in the world, but nevertheless, it was beautiful in a ruined way. 
KC noticed that on a dresser by the door, there was now a robe, a grubby green in colour - the only object in the room that wasn’t faded. He picked it up, deciding that Fall had left it there for him, and let it unfold itself. It was made for a taller person than he was, and was less of a robe than he had originally thought, just a long waistcoat really. 
Fall had followed him with her eyes. “The Shadow wishes that you wear that, as a symbol of who you are.”
KC looked at her. “The Shadow?” he echoed. He had never heard of ‘the Shadow’ before, but could already guess who it was. 
She nodded, “Our leader.” This was hardly an explanation for an outsider, but KC accepted it gladly. 
Hurriedly, he put the robe on. It was far too long, but that didn’t matter right now. He glanced at Fall, a sign that he was ready to go. She, however, didn’t move from where she was. She seemed to be slightly dazed, unaware of things. “Lead the way,” he said. She nodded again and moved across the room, passed him and led the way out of the door.
*  *  *
“I can’t believe Ram!” Amber growled, pacing up and down Trudy’s room. Night had passed, and after a long examination of Trudy, Ram had announced there was nothing he could do for her. He was currently outside, being quizzed further by Jack. 
Bray shrugged from the seat that she usually occupied. “I guess he knows best. He did try, he was here with us all night, watching and waiting, carrying out various tests.”
“I know that!” she all but shouted back at him. The two stared at each other for a few seconds, then Amber flumped softly onto a spot of the bed facing him, cursing herself quietly. “I’m sorry, Bray, I’m just…”
Bray nodded understandingly. “I’m worried about her too.” He took her hand and held it in both of his. From the other side of the room, Lex shifted restlessly. He, too, had stayed with them all night. Despite Bray telling him he should get some sleep, he hadn’t listened. 
“All the tests were normal,” Bray reminded both of them. “Her temperature is still stable, it’s probably just a matter of time before she wakes up, and then everything will be back to normal.” He knew that this was improbable, but it was still better to hope than to give up completely.
Just at that moment, Jack came in through the door, his head low. Soundlessly, without even looking at any of the others, he took up residence in his own chair, right next to Trudy. 
“I take it he still didn’t say anything that’ll help?” Bray asked, seeing the dejected look on Jack’s face. Jack barely looked up and shook his head slightly.
“That’s just like him,” Amber complained angrily, “Not doing anything when we need him the most. I’m surprised he even came when we asked him to take a look at her.”
Inside, Bray growled. Ram, the man who had separated him from Amber and their son, forcing two years of misery on him and so many other people, killing others. He wasn’t surprised either.
There was a sniffing sound coming. Lex, Amber and Bray’s heads all turned to see Jack with his head in his hands. After a few seconds it became apparent that he was sobbing. Uncertainly, Amber stood up and walked towards him, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Jack?” she said softly, “What’s wrong?”
A knot was forming in Bray’s stomach. Did he want to know the answer? After a few seconds of silence, Amber asked again, and Jack lifted his head so his eyes were level with her waist. 
“What is it?” Bray urged him on. “What did Ram say to you?”
“He said,” Jack replied very quietly, turning his head to Trudy’s face. “It’s only a matter of time before she dies.”
*  *  *
Once Jack had left him and returned to Trudy’s room, Ram made his way to his own room. Upon turning the door handle, he heard a cry from Trudy’s room. He lowered his head, knowing that Jack had just told them. Soon enough, he heard the customary ‘no’ and then shouts, cries and sobs. His eyes heavy, Ram pushed the door open.
The sight before him did not instantly register. The dump that was Lex’s half of the room was as it should be - a dump. But it took several seconds upon entering the room for him to realise that Lex’s half had spread itself across the entire room.
His brows furrowing in annoyance and anger, Ram turned ninety degrees to the door. Then he realised, Lex hadn’t been in here all night, for he had been with the others in Trudy’s room. He turned back round, his eyes darting around the room. 
Everything had been overturned on its side, not one nook or cranny left untouched. Frantically, he dropped to the floor. Lifting up the duvet on Lex’s bed from the floor, Ram stuck his hand underneath, scrabbling around. There it was! He pulled out the bag and opened it roughly. It was in there, everything was still in there.
He fell back and sat on the floor, relaxing ever so slightly. Whoever it was, they hadn’t got it. At least they hadn’t got hold of it. The key to defeating the Natives. 
The Natives…had they been the ones to sneak in? No one would have noticed, not with everything going on with Trudy. But this job has been recklessly done. It was nothing like their earlier encounters, when no trace had been left. 
With Xara and Pip not letting any of the other villagers in, that only left on option. One of the Mallrats was a thief. 
After shoving the bag and equipment back under Lex’s bed, Ram’s eyes fell on his own side of the room. There must be some kind of trace, some evidence that would tell him who had done it.
Everything seemed to be his. He began to rummage through the mess, lifting up papers and other things that had been in his part. Finally, there it was…Ram picked up a brightly coloured ribbon. He recognised it immediately.
Clenching the hand that held it into a fist, Ram’s face contorted with anger. That thieving little toe-rag had been at it again, stealing anything she could get her hands on.
Ruby would hear about this, there was no doubt about that. And Lottie? She would pay…
*  *  *
The news soon spread through the tavern of Trudy’s limited time. The atmosphere had completely changed. It was as though the wind was blowing from the north, the sun had gone behind a cloud, or rain had begun to fall. Everyone was despondent. All they could do now was wait.
Salene was sobbing uncontrollably. May was with her, and a few minutes before, Ellie and Alice had been too. They had had to look after Brady and Bray Jr. - Salene couldn’t face looking after Brady, knowing that her mother was on her deathbed.
May’s arm that was around her shoulders seemed so far away. How could Trudy be dying? How could it happen? Her friend, one of her best friends. Her world was crumbling, and she had only just rebuilt it. She felt like she was on the edge of an imploding world, just waiting for the imminent fall. The last time she had felt this was when Pride had died, but at least then she hadn’t been waiting for it to happen.
She wanted to hide, to crawl under her bed and hide, just as she had when she was little. How could this be happening after everything…? “Trudy…” Salene whimpered hopelessly.
Far away, she heard May hush her, trying to comfort while also grieving. “It’ll be okay,” she whispered. But I wasn’t going to be okay, nothing was ever going to be okay again. Not with Trudy gone…
“Are you two all right?” A deeper voice broke her thoughts. She returned to the real world, that lonely place, the world that was filled with so much pain. Opening her eyes, Salene saw Pip was standing with them. 
“What do you think,” May snapped back at him. 
Pip nodded his head sagely. “I didn’t know her very well, but she was a lovely person,” Pip said, sitting himself down with them. Salene wondered dimly what he was doing with them. What right did he have to be with them at a time like this? 
“I hear Jay’s planning to go and see her,” he continued, “before she…you know.” He looked at Salene, “You could go too. I’m sure she’d like that.”
Salene was torn. Part of her wanted to see Trudy for the last time, to say goodbye properly, something she hadn’t been able to do with Pride. But then there was the weaker side, the side that didn’t know if she could face that. The weaker side was perhaps the stronger.
As though Pip could read her mind, he said, “Well, the opportunity is still there. What about you, May?” 
“I couldn’t,” May said conclusively. “Not when I know she’s going.” 
Pip nodded again. He stood up and began to walk away. “By the way,” he said before getting too far, “Darryl said he was looking for you.” May nodded in way of recognition of this information. She sighed as Pip left, and Salene returned to her solitude.
*  *  *
Bray kissed Amber’s forehead, before she slowly turned and left, with a heavy look at Trudy. He turned to face Trudy’s body, and for the first time in days, he was alone with her. What was death like? It made him wonder. 
He walked towards her and rearranged the blankets that were still hopelessly trying to keep her alive. Then he sat down in Jack’s chair and leant forwards, his head resting on his hands. Tears welled up in his eyes. This was what it felt like to say goodbye for the last time. He studied her face in silence, trying to remember everything about it, every line, and every blemish. He looked at the top of her head, as though trying to count how many hairs there were. 
“Hey, Trud,” he began to say. His throat constricted, his eyes blurred. What was he supposed to say? The knot that had been in his stomach ever since Jack had told them seemed to enlarge. “I don’t know if you can hear me, but I like to think you can.
“We’ve been through so much, haven’t we? You and me, we’ve been together since before the virus, two friends.” As he said this, thousands of memories rushed into his mind. When they had first met, when the virus had struck, when Trudy had told him she was pregnant with Martin’s child. He shook his head.
“We looked after each other from the day the virus struck, just you and me sheltering in your parent’s house.” While saying this, he remembered the day they had left and made the dangerous trek further into the city. “Then we found the Mallrats. 
“It was so nice to finally be somewhere that could be considered safe, even if they weren’t the most welcoming people in the world. It wasn’t long before you gave birth to Brady - can you remember? They had just voted us out when you went into labour.
“When you were ill, I looked after you. I tired to hard to keep you safe, but it wasn’t enough. You tried to kill yourself, you tried to run away. But you came back. I told myself I’d always keep a close watch of you, but I didn’t. The Chosen abducted you and Brady, and I didn’t even realise that you had changed when you came back.
“I’ve been a fool. I was blind. I didn’t even notice you had gone this time. Please, can you forgive me?” His tears poured down his face, and he felt no shame in it. “Please, Trudy, you can’t die. You need to be the mother of my niece. You need to live - for her, for me. Trudy…”
He found that he had left his seat and was now kneeling on the floor, leaning across the bed. Bray stretched his hand out and stroked Trudy’s cheek.
She looked so peaceful, like she was sleeping and would wake up at any moment. 
*  *  *
Seeing that Ruby wasn’t around, Slade slid onto the chair beside Ebony. They sat in silence for a minute, before she took a look around the room. Seeing that it was deserted, the turned back to Slade. “This news about Trudy is bad,” Slade stated.
Ebony didn’t answer right away. “I guess,” she replied quietly. 
Slade smirked. “I take it you two aren’t the best of friends, then.”
“You could say that,” Ebony agreed, “I don’t think that her death would be any great loss.” She looked at Slade, who was still smirking. “We knew each other in high school, and have hated one another ever since.”
The smirk on his face had now grown into a grin. “Let me guess, you were both after the same guy,” he asked, and Ebony nodded in reply. “Who was it?”
“You know him,” Ebony told him, “In fact, I believe he’s upstairs even as we speak.” She paused and saw him trying to figure out how many men were on the first floor of the tavern. “It was Bray.”
“Bray?” Slade repeated. “I never thought you’d go for someone like him, a good, honest, reliable guy.
“What would you know about being a good, honest and reliable guy, Slade?” she asked playfully. Whenever they had been together recently, they just seemed to play word ping-pong, seeing who would miss first. It wasn’t malicious, just their way of conversing nowadays.
“Not much, I guess,” he returned. She smiled at him, and for a moment he thought that things had gone back to the way they were, that nothing had happened with Ruby, and they were still together. “But I don’t recall those attributes in you, either.”
Ebony laughed, and Slade knew he was the only person in the world who could say such things to her and have her laugh at them. “True. You know, Slade…” Suddenly, at the same moment it seemed, both of them were aware of another person in the room.
Their heads turned in unison, and they saw Ruby staring at them from the stairs. She looked as though she had simply been paused, stopped in that moment. An instant later, he had opened his mouth, and words came tumbling out. He had no idea what they were, but was sure that they were a mixture of explanations, apologies and telling her how he could do what he wanted.
“Save it, Slade,” she stopped him, holding her hand up. “Whatever it is you have to say, I really don’t care.” From across the room, Slade saw a little of her fade away. She looked tired, like a weary traveller. After another moment, she turned on her heel and ran back up the stairs.
It was only a few seconds before Ebony spoke again. “That is one jealous lady.”
Slade silently agreed. And then took his leave from the seat next to Ebony’s. He didn’t go upstairs to find Ruby, but walked out the door onto the street. He didn’t care what objections Amber would have, he doubted she would even have any since this latest news with Trudy.
He walked, kicking the stones on the road as he went.
*  *  *
Fall and KC stood before a door to one of the rooms. It wasn’t the large one he had been in the day before, but a more private one. She knocked on the door, and now KC was standing in wait, wondering what was about to happen. It had been quite a short walk from his room, which was on what he thought was the top floor to this one, one storey below, but his new surroundings disorientated him. 
The décor was much grander here than it was downstairs, the walls and floor were not faded, the ceiling still held onto its chandeliers that dangled down intermittently. The halls were deserted, and no noise could be heard. Just as he began to look around and properly take in his surroundings, the door in front of him swung open.
In the doorway stood a woman, dressed much as Fall was. She looked at him with a little suspicion, then gave Fall a sharp glance, before letting them pass. As he moved into the room, the woman left, closing the door behind her. 
Together they walked into the middle of the room, and then Fall fell sharply onto her knees and leant over, placing her hands before her in a very humble bow. KC wondered what he should do for a moment, but never got around to putting his thoughts into actions. The Shadow had made his appearance. 
“Fall, you may rise,” he said. It was the man from the throne, just as KC had suspected. “You have bought the Don to me. Very good.” 
When Fall raised her head, she had a pleased smile on her face, it was only small, but it was still there. She stood up and walked to the Shadow, who had now placed himself in a chair - not as large as the throne, but large enough.
“I’m glad you have come, imp,” he addressed KC, who was still looking rather like a rabbit caught in headlights. “Come closer.” 
KC did, but more slowly, more cautiously, than Fall had. He only stepped forwards a few steps, not wanting to get too close to him. He was, despite giving KC a place to sleep, still a dangerous enemy. 
“As I said yesterday, I have a job for you,” he continued. For a moment, KC thought that the man was quick to get to the point, but he turned out to be wrong, for the Shadow concluded his statement with the words, “All in good time, though.”
“Then what did you want me for?” KC asked, the words slipping from his mouth before he had even considered the consequences. The Shadow lifted his eyebrow, and looked formidable. 
The Shadow stood up, and wandered across the room to one of the windows. He beckoned KC, and from where she stood, Fall looked interested, for the first time, in what was about to unfold. 
KC’s eyes went from Fall to the Shadow, and back again. He was nervous. What could he do to KC? 
Striding forwards, KC tried to calm himself down. His hands were clammy now, and his heart was pacing. It was Fall’s interest more than anything else that had spooked him. He stopped a few steps away from the Shadow, but he beckoned him closer. 
“Nothing shall happen, not for a few more days. Not until we have taken care of the opposition,” he explained. KC wanted to know what this meant. Who was the opposition? He kept his mouth shut. “This is my kingdom,” he continued, “Everything you can see is under my control. Every person on this island is under my control.”
KC looked out of the window. He could see for miles. The jungle canopy was dark green, and was all that could be seen, save for a rooftop every now and then. “Until then, Fall shall take care of you,” he added. He turned to Fall, “Take him to the kitchen.”
Fall looked a little disappointed, but curtsied and turned all the same towards the door. KC was quick to follow her.
*  *  *
Ram strode down the hallway. He had been considerate to give Ruby and Lottie a few hours to grieve Trudy, and then he would be upon them. He was on the warpath. This time, Lottie was going down. No more protecting, no more excuses. Lottie may be a kid, but she knew exactly what she was doing. 
He had left the room just as it was. No point clearing up the evidence. Lottie would do it, anyway - if she wasn’t kicked out by then, that was. He had the ribbon in his hands. 
As he reached Ruby’s door, he knocked. A second later, he opened it. It took him a few moments to see her. He took a few steps into the room and said, “I’ve had enough of her, Ruby. This time she’s gone too far.” When she didn’t respond in either movement or speech, Ram wondered if she was asleep. Taking a few more steps, he realised that she wasn’t asleep, just curled up on the bed. She was shaking slightly. It took Ram a few more seconds to realise she was crying.
“Ruby?” he asked, moving closer to her. She didn’t say anything. “What’s the matter?”
All of a sudden, Ruby moved and jumped up from the bed. She moved to the corner of the room, near the window, and faced away from him, her arms folded tight against her body. “She’s a witch! She’s a spider. She’s a snake in the grass. She’s poison.”
Instantly, Ram knew what had happened. Slade and Ebony had been together, and she had seen them. He had no idea what to say. He had even helped Slade lead her on. “Ruby…”
“Did you know about them?” she asked before shaking her head. “Of course you did. Everyone did. I was the only one stupid enough to think he could change. I wonder what they think every time they see me, ‘There goes Ruby; the stupid little girl who couldn’t see what Slade was up to. Did you know she’s going to have his kid?’”
Ram moved to her swiftly, and took her roughly by the shoulders, swinging her around so she could see his face. “Ruby…” he began, “no one thinks of you 
like that.”
“How would you know?” she snapped at him, pulling away sharply. “It’s not like anyone here likes you. No one wants you to be part of the Mallrats. Why don’t you just leave already?”
To Ram, it felt like she had just stabbed him a thousand times. Nevertheless, he needed to stay with her. He needed to help her. She was upset, and, hopefully, she didn’t really mean it. “I want to help you.”
“You can’t help me,” Ruby sighed, “I’ve already made the biggest mistake of my life, and I can’t change it.” 
“It’s only a mistake if you make it one,” Ram comforted. Putting his hand on her shoulder, he noticed how warm and soft her skin was. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, but remained silent. Gently, he pulled her into his arms. He whispered into her ear, “It’ll be okay, I promise you.”
*  *  *
Pip strolled down the crude path that led to the dock, in his arms he carried nets, amongst other things, and around his shoulder was a coiled rope. He had followed Amber’s orders for four days, and hadn’t been out of the Dolphin Tavern, but now his head was aching. He needed the sea. He needed to be out in his boat. It was his one lifeline, one thing that had continued since the virus. Now he had been away from it for a few days, just a few days, but being this close to it once again was like his homecoming. Of course, Xara would probably kill him for doing this, but he couldn’t help it. 
A grin spread across his lips as he imagined the face she’s pull if she found out. However much he loved his sister, she could be very pushy sometimes, and he loved to joke at her expense. 
Just as he made his way to the end of the path, Pip looked up to see someone already at the end of the jetty.  He stopped in his tracks. Amber had warned against going out. Trudy had been attacked by someone, possibly the Guardian. No, he shook his head, he was just being paranoid. It was probably someone else from the village. 
He continued on his way, though in a slightly more tense way. As he stepped out onto the jetty, his foot clonking against the wood, the person turned around. To Pip’s relief it was, in fact, Slade. Pip lifted his hand in a kind-of salute, and Slade nodded in recognition. Slade’s hands were in his pockets, like a bad tempered boy might. 
As Pip passed the boat that belonged to him, he threw the cargo he was carrying into it, and carried along the wooden walkway to where Slade was standing. It looked like he had been staring out to see for sometime. “You’re a traveller, then,” Pip stated after standing with Slade for some moments.
A small smile spread across his face. “Something like that,” Slade agreed. As Pip watched, he noticed how sad and despondent the man was. He had never really seen him like this before. 
“Shame about Trudy,” Pip took a shot at what was eating him up. 
Slade nodded, “She seems like a great kid.”
“But it’s not that that’s bothering you?” said Pip. What else was there at the moment that could be bothering him? As soon as this though had entered his head, though, Pip corrected himself. Of course there was something else going on.
“Like I said, she seems like a great kid,” Slade repeated, “but I don’t really know her. Right now, my biggest concern is Ruby.” 
“Is the baby alright?” Pip asked, moving away from Slade and going a little down the jetty, back to his boat. Slade followed.
“The baby’s great, as far as we can tell,” Slade responded. “It’s the parents that are causing all the trouble.”
“You two have fallen out,” Pip noted. “What over? Ebony?” He jumped into the boat and started to rearrange the things that he had thrown in minutes before. Slade gave him a look as if to say sardonically, how did you guess? “What is it with you two…I should say three?”
“To cut a long story short, Ruby thinks she loves me, but I don’t love her,” Slade said shortly, also jumping onto the boat and leaning against the railing.
“And Ebony? Where does she fit in all this?”
Slade replied, “She and I were together before I knew Ruby was pregnant.” 
Pip stopped what he was doing and looked at Slade. “And you love her?” Slowly, almost guiltily, Slade nodded. Pip voiced Slade’s thoughts, “But you didn’t realise just how much until you’d already promised you’d look after Ruby.” Again Slade nodded.
The two men were silent once more. Pip continued tidying up the boat, and getting ready to sail. “You going somewhere?” Slade asked at length, watching what Pip was doing.
“Yeah,” said Pip, “I guess I’m a traveller too.” He thought for a moment, “I won’t be long. Would you like to come - be my first mate?” He joked.
A smile crept across Slade’s face. “Aye, aye Captain.” 
*  *  *
“I’ll only be a few minutes,” Jay assured Amber, who was standing opposite him, her arms folded. He knew she was angry with him, though he didn’t understand why. He had done nothing to upset her or hurt her, as far as he knew.
Amber exhaled. “That’s how long you ever take with Trudy, just a few minutes and then you are out of there as soon as possible.” Next to her, Bray whispered something in her ear, and she sighed. “Fine, you can have ten minutes, but no more.” Obviously Bray had said something in his defence. As he opened the door to Trudy’s room, Jay nodded to Bray, a soundless thanks.
The instant the door was closed behind him, Jay’s eyes instinctively fell upon Trudy. She wasn’t moving. She hardly looked alive. The only indication that she was, was that her chest was moving up and down, but only very slightly. 
All of a sudden, Jay was surprised he hadn’t come to see her before now. Why had it taken him so long to do this? He shook his head and tentatively made his way towards the bed. 
There she was. Her eyes were closed, her lips were dry, her skin very pale. The sight made tears well in Jay’s eyes. What had happened to her? What had happened to them? How could it all end like this?
Even though he was only a foot or so away from her, Jay felt distant. Like an observer, part of the audience watching a play. The person pulling the strings that controlled what he saw couldn’t touch him. 
“What’s happened to us, Trudy?” Jay asked softly. “What’s happened to you? Did I do this? Was it my fault?” He fell into the chair that had been left beside the bed, his head in his hands. 
Suddenly, Jay felt a vibration. He looked up and saw Trudy twitch a little. Was he just imagining it? He watched, and after a few more seconds, he saw her move again. What was it? Was she having another convulsion? He had heard that that was what had happened the night before. 
“Amber!” he called desperately, not wishing to be on his own if she was. “Bray!” The two of them must have been just outside the door, along with Jack, for the trio burst through as soon as the words had left his mouth. He turned to look at them, now out of his seat. 
Suddenly, from where Trudy was laying there was a long, drawn out, raspy noise and she inhaled. Then, the breath seemed to escape her and she lay still. “Trudy!” Amber whispered, shoving past Jay and sitting down on the bed next to her best friend and taking her hand. Jay and Bray seemed to be stuck to the spot, unable to look, and unable to turn away. 
Was that it? Had she simply gone? Jay watched Trudy. Her pale skin, her dry lips, her closed eyes. Her eyes. They were opening, ever so slowly. Amber whispered her name again, and Trudy’s eyes opened wider. Abruptly, her chest began to move normally again. Trudy looked at Amber, “Amber…” 
Then, her eyes left Amber and fell upon Jay, then Jack, and lastly Bray. As she looked at Bray, Trudy’s eye widened, and a scream came from her mouth. She began to struggle, trying to get away from him, it seemed. 
“Trudy!” Amber said, trying to hold her down, knowing that moving too much too soon might hurt her even more. “Trudy, what is it?”
Trudy’s wide eyes left Bray and travelled to Amber. “Amber, I can see Bray…but Bray’s dead, isn’t he?”