When you were standing in the wake of devastation
When you were waiting on the edge of the unknown
And with a cataclysm raining down
Insides crying, 'save me now'
You were there impossibly alone
Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope, but failure's all you've known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go
- Iridescent, Linkin Park
Lucas struggled to drag himself away from where he had fallen after being shot, away from his father, away from her. A trail of crimson blood followed him, staining the green forest floor as he crawled through the foliage. He finally let himself collapse onto his back, staring up at the wide, blue sky, willing himself to stay conscious despite the great loss of blood.
He attempted to stare down at his wounds, one on his shoulder, the other in his chest. The bullets were too far in for him to get them out on his own. He was very much aware of the severity of them as the unbearable pain shot through his torso with each movement, but he needed to see for himself. Warm blood seeped through his thin shirt, flowed into the dry dirt beneath him. The earth slowly, painfully drained the life from his weakened body.
Do something! a familiar, frightened voice screamed above the agonizing flames burning in his chest. Don't give up! Hold on. Please. His fingers gingerly moved to try to unbutton his shirt, maybe use it to slow the bleeding. His hands shook violently, making it difficult to open his shirt, but the instinct for survival kept him going. The breeze tore right through his clothes, licked the open wounds, danced on his skin, made him cringe as it nipped the cuts that covered his weary face.
Lucas's breathing became shallow and quick. With each beat of his heart, more blood spilled from his body. His back arched, eyes wide as the pain seemed to reach some sort of climax, becoming undeniably excruciating. His hands dropped from his shirt, falling to the ground beside him, grasping the loose soil. His body withered as he gritted his teeth, trying to hold back a grievous sob, furious tears prickled behind his jade green eyes.
He wasn't angry about his father surviving or the things he had said about his dead mother. He wasn't angry that he had lost his hold on Terra Nova or that the fracture was now demolished, stranding him in his father's "paradise". he wasn't angry that his life's work was destroyed and that the Phoenix Group no longer saw him as useful and hadn't even bothered to look for him. No, Lucas was angry because he had lost the one thing, the one person, who could make him feel even remotely human again. He had lost the last person he was sure he cared about, the girl who's bright blue eyes and wide, mischievous grin could light up any room. The girl that made him so frustrated at times that he could barely control himself. The girl who brought out the best, and the worst, in him. He had let past demons control him, steer him onto the wrong path. His hatred for his father had gotten in the way, blocked out any thoughts of ever having a normal life. He had forced himself to push away and ignore his feelings for this girl and realized his mistake too late. He had lost Skye. She was gone and he was alone.
Lucas lay there on the cold, unforgiving ground, his head throbbed, made him think it might explode. His eyesight grew fuzzy and he could no longer focus. The pain was finally overwhelming him. And as he slowly, but surely sank into unconsciousness, all he could think about was her and once again the familiar, soft voice whispered, Hold on. Do not give up. Don't leave me.
The Phoenix Group's tanks and rovers quickly rolled up to the tall gates of Terra Nova. Immediately the citizens were in a panic as large soldiers in grey, camouflage uniforms spilled out of the vehicles. Lieutenant Washington ordered her soldiers into position as the newcomers began to take aim. She yelled at the civilians to return to their homes or find somewhere to take shelter.
"What do you want?" she called to the soldiers. Where the hell was Taylor? And the rest of the soldiers? It made her sick to her stomach to think of what could've happened to them.
Lucas stood behind one of the tanks with Weaver, Mira, and Hooper, one of the Phoenix Group's commanding officers. He looked at Lucas for further instruction.
"How would you like to proceed, Dr. Taylor?" he asked.
Lucas glared through the gates at his father's Lieutenant, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tell your men to start firing. They'll surrender soon enough," he stated calmly.
Soon the air was filled with the sound of gunshots and grenades being thrown through the fence until there was a big enough hole for the Phoenix vehicles to tear into the colony. Many of the buildings were on fire, or collapsing from the shells. Soldiers poured in, firing at random into the crowds of civilians. Lucas's face fell when he eyed a group of terrified children almost in the line of fire of a few of Hooper's men.
"Stop!" he shouted angrily at them. "The soldiers! The soldiers, you idiots! What the hell is shooting civilians going to do?"
People continued to fall to the ground, some injured, some dead. The Terra Nova soldiers were dropping like flies, their training being no where near as advanced as the mercenaries'.
"Get those kids out of the way!" he heard a familiar voice shouting.
There was Skye Tate along with a few others, running through the deadly battle towards to children who stood in the middle of it all, too terrified to know what to do. Bullets were flying all around her, but she still pushed forward until she reached them. A few men started plucking up the kids, two at a time, and rushing them to the safety of Boylan's bar, seeing as it was the most appropriate place to hide from the fighting, being underground.
Lucas stared curiously as Skye continued to make her way through, seeming to be having a hard time finding a way out. There was blood everywhere, from Terra Novians and Phoenix soldier's alike. She stared around, unsure where to turn. All around her, buildings she'd passed by on a daily basis since she was twelve-years-old were on fire, diminished to rubble. People she'd talked to in the market or during volunteer work lay around her on the ground, bleeding profusely.
Lucas's brow furrowed as he wondered why she was simply standing there as bullets flew past her from every direction. In the middle of this destruction of her home, devastation and panic hovering in the air, Skye stood alone.
Another explosion of fire erupted near her, and Lucas watched in horror as she was thrown back, then became lost in the smoke. He ran forward without thinking, searching for the girl who'd risked her life to help others. He tore through the grey fog that blanketed the bomb's victims from view. Coughing wildly, he attempted to fan the smoke away from around him as he squinted his eyes, trying to find Skye.
When he spotted her lying on the ground, so still, panic became evident on his face. A large gash was present above her left eye, her curly hair was caked with dirt. He kneeled down beside her, reaching forward to check for a pulse. As he did so, he became aware of how badly his hands were shaking. Finding a faint pulse helped him to breathe more evenly. He cupped her face in his hands minutely, wondering why the hell she made him run into the middle of a war zone to save her.
He gently pulled her into his arms, doing his best to not move her too much. Lucas knew that trying to move someone after an accident, especially without knowing the extent of their injuries, was not a good idea. But he didn't have a choice. He couldn't just leave her there.
"You're going to be alright."
He stood slowly, glanced around, trying to decide which way to go. Back to the rovers where his safety was more ensured? Or to the infirmary where doctors and nurses were continuing to work and he could make sure Skye got proper medical treatment? He looked down at the unconscious girl as a weak cough escaped her lips. Infirmary, he decided.
He hurriedly jogged through the fire and gunshots, praying to God that no one would shoot them.
"You are going to be the death of me, I swear," he joked dryly, glancing down at the girl in his arms.
When he walked into the building, he was immediately aware of the frightened stares as the room became impossibly silent. A young nurse bravely walked forward, recognizing Skye from when they shared shifts together a few times. Lucas took his focus away from the crowd to answer the woman's questions.
"She's alive?"
"If she was dead, why would I bring her here?" he sneered, shifting quickly when he almost lost his grip on her limp body. The nurse glared up at him, not seeing a reason for his rude behavior.
"Over here." The woman led him to an empty bio bed where he cautiously placed her. He smoothed her hair back, tucked a few loose strands behind her ears. The nurse glanced at him skeptically.
"What happened to her?"
"She was standing close to an explosion, she got thrown. That's all I know," he answered, stepping back as she brought up the transparent screens around Skye's bed. He was relieved to see she only seemed to have a few bruised ribs and a possible concussion. She was going to be fine.
"I'll be right back," the nurse told him as the screens disappeared. "If she wakes up, keep her awake. If she has a concussion -"
"I know, I know."
After the nurse had left, he redirected his attention to a nearby window, peering out at the continuing chaos. They would surrender soon. His father's precious Lieutenant wasn't stupid. She would know it was a lost cause. She would give up. He would win. A quiet voice cut into his thoughts.
"What the hell…" Skye said hoarsely, blinking rapidly as she tried to make sense of where she was and why she was there. "Lucas?"
He turned, saw she was waking up. "Bucket," he greeted her.
"Why…why am I in the infirmary?" she asked groggily.
"Because you go hurt, Bucket." He walked back to her bed. "You know, if I remember correctly, I told you not to come back here. I told you it wasn't safe."
She stared at him in bemusement.
"But you didn't listen to me, and now look. You're in a hospital," a small laugh laced his words, "And you betrayed me to my father, didn't you?" Skye frowned.
She opened her mouth to speak but an overwhelming pain shot through her body as she attempted to prop herself up. "Ow…" She placed one hand on her rib cage and the other on her head.
"Yeah, I wouldn't suggest trying to move," he said flatly, fighting the urge to comfort her, or show any emotion in general. "Well I better go. No need for me to stay, seeing as you're probably fine." Seeing as I shouldn't be here or care about her at all, he thought.
"No," There was a hint of fear in her voice as she paused to listen to the fighting outside. She closed her eyes, feeling tired.
"Don't leave me," she murmured.
.
.
.
It was only a few days later, Lucas burst into his office, still fuming from the night's previous events. He hadn't wanted all of that to happen, but they'd left him with no choice. If he didn't do something, he knew his authority would be called into question. More and more people would be willing to stand up against him and the Phoenix Group. And that, that just couldn't happen.
Why was it, that the Shannons were always getting in the way? Always starting trouble where it was unnecessary. He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the young Shannon's stupidity. If he hadn't hit him with the tray, if he had just minded his own business, his father wouldn't have had to come to his rescue. Then Lucas wouldn't have found out the cop was in contact with his father. Then Lucas wouldn't have had to throw them in the brig and use them as examples to the rest of the colony.
Lucas picked up his gun, ready to move out when the door opened. He glanced up to see Skye walk in, a serious expression on her face.
"What are you doing here, Bucket?" he muttered, not wanting to see her at the moment.
"You can't kill Josh."
He arched his eyebrows. "And why is that?"
"Because…I don't want you to," she took a step closer.
Lucas remembered the next part clearly. He had allowed her to move closer and closer until she stood right in front of him. He had watched intently as Skye placed her hands on his chest, slowly, agonizingly moving them down, over his muscles.
"So what do you think?" she whispered.
"I…um…I can't just allow what your…er…friend did, to go unnoticed," he struggled to stay focused as Skye leaned closer.
"Are you sure?" She grinned, enjoying the effect she was having on him.
"Bucket…" his breath hitched when her hands moved to his belt. "Skye. Stop."
He grasped her hands, pulled them to be level with his chest. A flicker of disappointment lingered in her blue eyes.
"I'm not going to do this," he shrugged.
"But -"
"Bucket," he frowned down at her, "when this happens, it won't be because you're trying to save another guy. It'll be because you want to."
He dropped her hands, stepped around her to head for the door. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill him," he said over his shoulder. Reluctantly he walked out, wondering if made the right decision.
Skye wasn't listening. All she could think about was 'when this happens'. She shook her head, watched as he exited the Command Center, leaving her there alone.
.
.
.
Then he found himself standing over his wounded father, a bloody, black knife gripped tightly in his hand. He wiped his face quickly, ignoring the sting of the cuts as his father clutched his side where Lucas had stabbed him. Drawing his arm back, he aimed for his father's throat. Taylor stared up at his son in shame. Angrily, Lucas lunged the knife forward, desperate to make his father's expression disappear, only to be suddenly thrown back. A sharp pain pierced his shoulder, sent him stumbling backwards.
When he looked up, he was shocked to see Skye. She was still pointing the gun at him, a pained expression on her face, her hands shaking. The bullet was deep in his shoulder. Fool me once. He glared at her furiously, quickly moved forward at his father once again. A second gun shot rang out, pain exploded inside him, the bullet lodged itself in his chest. Fool me twice.
And as he stumbled back again, white starbursts clouding his vision, he was only just able to make out Skye's horrified expression as she watched him fall on his back, almost completely vanishing into the foliage. He listened as she ignored him, ran to aide his father. No one even bothered to see if he was alive.
As he dragged himself away, her betrayals burned in his chest and shoulder. He had been so close to winning. He could've beat his father, he could've won Skye over. For the first time in eleven years, he'd seen a real chance of getting something right. But he failed. He wasn't really angry about his father surviving or the things he had said about his dead mother. He wasn't angry that he had lost his hold on Terra Nova or that the fracture was now demolished, stranding him in his father's "paradise". No, he was angry because he had lost Skye. She was gone, and he was alone.
"Hold on. Do not give up," a quiet voice begged, "Don't leave me."
He could hear shuffling nearby, then something propping his feet up slightly. He struggled to open his eyes, his eyelids felt so heavy. He tried to move, but an agonizing sharpness traveled through him, keeping him still, eliciting a small groan. He could tell that the shirt he had attempted and failed to remove before losing consciousness was no longer on him, leaving only his undershirt.
Gentle hands carefully wrapped what felt like gauze around his shoulder wound, the one in his chest seeming to be already tended to. He could still feel the ground underneath him, moistened from his blood. The metallic smell lingered in the air, made him scrunch up his nose in disgust.
"You're going to be alright."
Finally his eyes fluttered open. He blinked a few times, adjusting to the brightness of day. All of his memories felt so dark and cold.
"Oh my God, you're awake," the voice sighed in relief.
His brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of everything. Maybe he was still dreaming. But this, this seemed real, at the same time though, the idea of it was too surreal for him to comprehend.
"Bucket?" he whispered hoarsely.
"Yeah," the girl nodded, kneeling over him as she continued with the gauze, "It's me."
"You…shot me."
"I am so sorry…but I couldn't let you kill him," she murmured as she finished wrapping his shoulder. "Um…I took the bullets out, sanitized the wounds, I stitched them up, sorry I don't have any pain medication, but I had to hurry. When I got here you were already going into shock and -"
Lucas grabbed her hand, stared up at her, his green eyes piercing into her. "Why?"
Skye looked at him blankly.
"Why did you come back for me? You should've just left me alone…I don't have any reason to live now." Before he could stop it, tears of frustration spilled from the corner of his eyes, letting go of her hand and gripping his hair in anguish. "I lost…"
She frowned. Was that what he was concerned about? Not beating his father?
"I lost you," he said, his voice breaking.
Skye shook her head, "No, you did not lose me. I saved you because I…because I couldn't let you die. I was so scared when I thought I killed you, Lucas. I thought I lost you. And I need you here, with me," she whispered, looking away, not wanting him to see her cry.
His eyebrows knitted together as he looked up at her, shocked by her words. He never would've thought she felt that way about him. Finding that he could still move his left arm, he reached up, carefully wiped the tears from her face. She looked back at him, sitting back, legs tucked underneath her as she held his hand on her lap.
Lucas closed his eyes, feeling more relaxed now that she was there with him, knowing she didn't hate him, that he hadn't lost her. The pain in his torso raged on, but it felt more dulled at this point, now that the most agonizing pain in his heart was gone. Whenever it flared up again, he simply squeezed her hand, and she let him despite the fact she hurt too. She sat with him silently, doing her best to keep him conscious.
"Bucket?"
"Hm?" Skye leaned forward to check his wounds, continuing to hold his hand with her free one.
"Don't leave me," he said quietly.
"I won't," she promised, a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she moved her hand away from his bandages, placed it lightly on his cheek, brushed away the tears with her thumb. "I'm here now. I'm not going to leave you, okay?"
He nodded understandingly, eyes still closed as the pain coursed through his body. He focused on her quiet words.
"You're not alone."
A/N: well I hope you liked it :D be sure to review and tell me what you think :D
And thanks to EmTheUnicorn for looking this over for me (:
