The white-hot agony ripped at his heart; it tore it to shreds and then gnawed ruthlessly on the scraps. It was too much to bear, overwhelming his senses and racking his overwrought mind. His fragile sanity was left shattered by the despair that clutched him within its vice-like grip.

It was all just too much. He didn't want to believe it – couldn't believe it – couldn't accept that she was gone, torn from his life by the merciless hands of Fate.

The tears flowing freely down his cheeks did absolutely nothing to cleanse his shattered soul of the dreadful sorrow that plagued it. No words or actions or expressions could even begin to convey the torment raging inside of him. It was utterly destroying him, and his spirit, weakened by inconceivable anguish, hadn't the power to stop it.

"No…" The hoarse whisper resounded in the silent room, hollow and distraught.

His breaths were swift and shallow, and darkness was caving in on him, suffocating him. The torturous pain of loss bore down on him until he could withstand it no longer, and his fragile soul collapsed.

Ellie was jolted from her troubled sleep by the scream that tore through the corridors of the James' barge. The forlorn cry shook her to the very core, sending an uneasy chill down her spine. Jason, who had been slumbering beside her, shot up as well, his eyes wide with alarm. They locked gazes, almost afraid to find the source of the heartrending wail, though deep down they already knew.

"Matt," Ellie breathed, light blue eyes glittering with concern.

The two scrambled out of bed and dashed down the hallway as fast as their legs would carry them. Being the first to reach their destination, Jason threw open the door and burst into the dim room. He froze in his place at the tragic sight that greeted him.

Matt was slumped on his knees over Emma's lifeless form. His hands clutched at his head as his entire frame trembled violently. Anguished moans and sobs escaped his lips and his breaths came in halting gasps.

A low, strangled whine emitted from the boy, breaking Ellie's shocked trance and prompting her to rush forward. She pushed past Jason, who was still too stunned to act, and seated herself on the bed beside Matt. He didn't seem to even register her presence, too caught up in his mourning to notice the goings-on of the outside world. Now that she was closer, Ellie could see her sibling's face streaked with tears and feel the shudders that lanced through his frame.

Stifling the sob that rose to her throat, she gathered her brother up in her arms and began rocking him gently, unable to stop the tear that rolled down her cheek. Seeing her younger sibling in such emotional agony broke her heart, and even worse, there was nothing she could do to soothe that sorrow. No amount of caresses or reassurance would ever be able to repair the damage of his loss.

She felt another pair of arms wrap around both her and Matt. Jason was now on the boy's other side, his expression unreadable. Ellie knew the older teen felt like crying, too, but he was trying to be strong – for Matt. She sniffled and blinked away her tears, stubbornly holding them back.

The trio remained that way throughout the dark, gloomy night, huddled together on the cold bed as Matt's mournful cries pierced the still air.

A week of struggle. A week of sorrow. A week of silence. A week of torture.

Yet, it felt like years, decades. Each second dragged on painfully, and each breath became harder and harder, sapping every ounce of his energy.

'I can't...'

Six days had passed, to be exact. On the first morning, Grams had found him, Ellie, and Jason in Emma's temporary room. None of them had slept, and Matt was still sniffling quietly in Ellie's arms, though he had never actually acknowledged her presence or Jason's. Emma was as still as ever, her face pale and her entire figure completely lifeless.

Grams had immediately arranged for the girl's body to be taken away and ushered the three teens out of the room. Ellie and Jason complied quietly, and, to their surprise, Matt didn't put up a fight. He didn't even protest. The boy merely allowed himself to be led to another room in a daze, his eyes unfocused and staring at nothing. He didn't speak, and he didn't move without coaxing except to turn over and face the wall as soon as Ellie had managed to get him into the bed.

'Hurts...too much...'

For the next six days, he didn't do anything. He remained utterly silent and motionless. He didn't eat. Anything that was brought into his room was completely ignored, whether Jason threatened to shove it down his throat or not. He didn't sleep. Despite not budging from the bed, he couldn't shut down his mind. His only option was to stare at nothing. Even nightmares and strenuous sobs would've been better than this...this comatose state he was trapped in.

He tried to shake himself out of it. He really did. But he couldn't. And it terrified him even though he couldn't feel anything. He was numb, but it hurt. So much. It didn't make any sense.

He heard Ellie crying excessively. Every night. And he knew it was his fault. She worried herself sick over him even more than Jason and Grams did. Both of them attempted to comfort her, but it was pointless. She just wanted her brother back.

'I'm sorry...'

She would talk to him for hours at a time each day and update him on Emma's condition. Apparently, Grams had already arranged for a small funeral. It was to be held in about a month. Since nobody really knew Emma, it would only be Matt, Ellie, Jason, and Grams at the ceremony.

That is, if Matt ever managed to get back on his feet again.

They were all beginning to doubt that he ever would, including Matt himself. He was aware. But he wasn't. He could hear them talking, discussing his state, trying to figure out what to do. But his mind didn't process it. Rather, it simply set the information aside to be analyzed at another time.

Really, he was starting to wonder why he couldn't sleep if his brain wasn't even truly comprehending anything around him.

The only thing he could think about was her.

'Emma...'

Memories and images plagued him constantly. He couldn't get her out of his head no matter what he did.

He didn't want to forget about her. But it hurt too much right now.

'Please...help me...'

The sixth night. Ellie was crying again in the other room. He could hear Jason murmuring softly to her.

'Save me...'

He blinked. Once, twice. His mouth was terribly dry, and his entire body throbbed and ached with fatigue.

But he could feel it. For the first time in a week, he could truly feel.

Slowly, carefully, he pushed himself up. It took several minutes, and he was almost completely drained by the time he was sitting on the edge of the bed. Ignoring that fact, he hesitantly placed his feet on the ground and heaved himself off of the mattress. He wavered, his legs trembling with the effort of supporting his body. Taking a deep breath, he pushed off of the bed and staggered over to the doorway. As soon as he reached it, he collapsed into the frame of the entryway, using it to keep himself upright.

'Why...why am I so weak...?'

He clung to the wall like a lifeline as he began the trek down the halls of the James' barge. It took far longer than it should have, and he was already breathless after the first few feet. But he pressed onward, following the sounds of his sister's sobs and his friend's whispered reassurances. They were close, but it seemed so far...

'It hurts...'

He had to stop. Just for a second. Leaning heavily against the wall, he clutched at his chest as he gasped for air, his breaths rasping and strained.

It took nearly five minutes, but he was off again.

'Almost...'

They were just around the corner. Ellie had quieted down for the most part and was talking softly with Jason.

Matt had to reach them. He had to see them. He had to tell them...

He stumbled, falling into the opposite wall with a whimper of pain. Shaking from both the cold and the agony rippling throughout his body, he groped for the door frame that he knew was nearby. As soon as his fingers brushed against the entryway, he gripped it firmly and pulled himself over to it, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead and his eyes barely able to stay open.

He looked up slowly, trying to make sense of things through the haze that was obscuring his vision. His friends were sitting on the couch in the small living room, Ellie curled into Jason's chest and his arm wrapped around her, holding her close.

"I'm scared, Jason," Ellie whispered, wiping at her puffy, irritated eyes. "I miss him..."

"We all do," Jason soothed, though his voice was just as distraught. "We just have to give him some time."

"Jason, it's been a week." Ellie looked up. "I can't take it anym-"

The girl froze mid-sentence, her wide eyes trained on the doorway. Jason's head snapped around, his expression shifting to shock as well.

The door frame was literally the only thing supporting Matt at this point, but he was relieved that he had at least reached his friends. Finally. He wasn't sure how much more strain his body could take, though. He could feel himself starting to drift away into a warm, welcoming darkness...

"Matt!" Jason exclaimed in disbelief.

The elder male shot up from his seat and rushed over with Ellie right on his heels. Jason caught Matt just as he lost his grasp on the doorway. He carefully lowered the boy to the floor, though he didn't relinquish his grip. Rather, he drew the young teen into a firm but gentle hug, rubbing the blonde's back in soothing circles as the small form trembled in his arms.

The pink-haired girl knelt down opposite of him. "Matt..."

Ellie placed a hand tenderly on her little brother's burning forehead, caught between dizzying relief and mounting anxiety. Unable to bear it any longer, she wrapped her arms around Matt in a loving embrace, burying her face in his tousled hair.

"Oh, Matt..."

After several minutes, Jason picked Matt up with great care and placed him on the couch. Ellie sat down by the boy's head, running soothing fingers through his hair, while Jason knelt beside the couch.

Matt took a moment to catch his breath again before gazing up at them with weary eyes, which he struggled to keep open. Ellie smiled warmly at him, overjoyed to finally be able to actually interact with her brother, even if only a little.

Matt opened his mouth as if to say something, but it took an enormous effort, and when he finally managed to speak after several failed attempts, his voice was so hoarse and faint that the other two teens could barely hear it.

"I'm...so...rry..."

Ellie shook her head firmly. "Don't say that!" She chided, albeit mildly. "None of this was your fault. There was nothing you could've done to-"

"N-n...o..." Matt dragged his gaze up to meet hers, pleading for her to understand. "N...ot..." He took a deep, rasping breath. "...'s not...th-...that...I-..."

Frustration welled inside of him as he struggled to regain his breath even after speaking so little. He winced and involuntarily closed his eyes, wavering between the waking world and the inviting darkness that continued to tempt him...

Jason's eyes lit up briefly in realization. "You're sorry for the past week? For how...unresponsive...you've been."

Matt glanced up at him and managed the slightest of nods. Ellie gave her brother a teary smile.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

Okay? Was he really okay? He didn't feel okay...

His eyelids slid closed on him again, and he knew he didn't have the strength to fight the pull of sleep any longer. His body went completely limp as he drifted off. The last thing he remembered was a tender hand stroking his hair, a faint voice murmuring consolations into his ear, and fleeting images of a familiar face with neon green eyes and a sweet smile...

A warm tear slipped down his cheek as he fell into oblivion.