Meg stared at the jacket angrily, barely noticing the water washing up close to it. She was angry with Jo but understood why she had done what she did. She didn't want to understand it. She still wished that it had never happened. Jo protected her, and that was a constant of her life. But another constant was that Meg would go anywhere Jo would. Absolutely anywhere, no matter the danger that it presented.
Jo wanted to make absolutely sure that Meg was safe. So she violated the second constant of their two lives, knocking Meg out and leaving her far behind where RAPT couldn't possibly hurt her. It made sure Meg was alive and safe.
It didn't keep Meg from being angry. Being with Jo was what mattered to her.
Eventually, the waves on the beach lapped gently against the red jacket and Meg quickly snatched it defensively. Angry though she still was, she wasn't about to allow anything of Jo's be damaged in the slightest.
She stared at the collar until her eyes watered from keeping them open wide. Soon after, she cried quietly and clutched the jacket tightly and mumbled "Jo" under her breath.
A loud snap was heard coming from the forest. Branches were broken and fallen leaves were ripped as one pair of feet approached the beach. Meg turned her head away from the jacket, starting to smile and feel her body shake with anticipation.
"It's Jo," she thought to herself excitedly. "It has to be! She made sure I was safe and she beat RAPT and now she's coming back!"
The snapping grew louder. Meg held the jacket closer and yelled to the forest.
"Jo!"
A woman stepped out of the forest. Meg's expression changed from relief and ecstasy to one of surprise, with some disappointment hidden deeply underneath.
It was Maria. Limping, missing her mechanical arm, and covered in blood, with small bits of shrapnel sticking into her back. But it was still Maria.
"Meg?" She said as she walked unsteadily onto the beach. Meg quickly snapped out of her own little world where she was once again ready to cry with worry over Jo. She ran to Maria and propped her up.
"You shouldn't be moving so much!" Meg said with, her voice fraught with concern.
"Meg…" Maria smiled weakly. "I'm so glad I found you."
Meg didn't reply. She was too busy setting Maria on her stomach and running back to where she was sitting to grab anything she could use as medical tools and then running back. Using tweezers, she began to pick at the scrap metal sticking out of her.
"Thank you, Meg."
"Don't talk, Maria, you'll only make yourself worse."
And for awhile, she didn't. Meg systematically worked at the shrapnel, placing bandages over the cuts, as well as the bullet holes, once she had cut in as well to make sure there wasn't any lead in her. But near the end of it, Meg spoke, hoping Maria would speak as well.
"… I really thought you were dead."
Maria smiled a second time. "I'm okay."
"No, you're not." Meg said. She wrapped an ace bandage tightly around Maria's left leg.
"Well, I'm alive."
"Yes, but still…" Meg finished up. She was glad it was the mechanical arm that was blown off. Otherwise, that would require massive medical work, and Maria probably would have died simply swimming out to the coastline.
"Where's Jo?" Maria asked simply.
Meg hesitated and her body shook again. She curled into herself and did her best to still look Maria in the eyes instead of just staring at the ground and crying.
"I don't know."
"She went to fight RAPT, didn't she?"
"Yeah. But that was hours ago."
A long silence engulfed the two, the only movement coming from the rustling of branches, and the continual waves on the beach.
"She might…she might be…" Meg started. Maria quickly cut her off, keeping her from saying that dreaded word.
"We need to go look for her."
"You… she's alive?" Meg said, looking expectantly at Maria, hoping for any positive answer.
"I don't know." Maria said, hating to disappoint Meg, but did anyway, knowing honesty was better than false hope. "Usually, ones like Jo and I can sense each other…but I am weak, and she's probably too far away."
Meg sulked for a brief moment. She wanted evidence, proof, or something as simple as someone saying "She must be alive" to bring her spirits up.
But a thought in her head, the tone all too familiar, spoke up, seizing her attention.
"You idiot!" She thought. "Jo has to be alive! She's always come out okay! Joe always wins! Always! And no stupid RAPT or anybody would be good enough to kill her!"
Meg dug her fingers into the ground as she listened to her thoughts intently.
"She is alive! Jo is alive! Don't you think otherwise for a second! Go find her, damnit!" The thought finished, and faded away. Meg nodded, agreeing with herself, and gently laid Joe's jacket on top of Maria, as Jo had done for Meg.
"We will go find her," Meg said very firmly, "After you get some rest. You won't be any help in finding Jo if you're still worn out." She smirked at Maria. Meg did want to run out and go look for Jo right now, but she forced herself to stay. Maria could help, and it wouldn't be any good to just run out on her own to search for Jo.
"We'll find her, Meg. And then…" Maria said before Meg stopped her by pinching her nose together.
"Sleep, Maria. It was bad enough I let you talk that much. You need to heal."
Maria nodded and closed her eyes. Sleep came easy to her for now. She dreamt of a prismatic future, one with gleaming multiple choices, which in turn would lead to new decisions, which, she hoped, would bring her to an answer.
Meg couldn't bring herself to sleep. She wished she could. Then she could dream of Jo.