Sam
Alberta Edmonton Hospital
15:05
"So tell me about your friends," the doctor said, looking over the medical history form Sam had filled out earlier.
"My friends?" Sam asked.
"The ones in the lodge that night." The doctor readjusted himself in his seat and pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He was an older man. He'd been in practice since the late 80s, but he had never seen anything quite like this. He had spoke to every teenager that was involved.
Their story was not plausible. But each one truly believed it. The doctor didn't quite know what to make of it. He thought maybe something so horrible happened to them on that mountain that they made up a wild story of supernatural creatures in order to deal with it. But that didn't explain how their stories always lined up with each other. There were no discrepancies between their stories.
"Forgive me, I know it's been in the news every day since you were picked up by the helicopter, but I didn't follow it very closely," he said.
"Why not?" she asked, picking at a lose thread in her hospital gown. Therapy was mandated as part of her recovery. None of the friends were released from the hospital until they'd gone through physical and psychological evaluations.
Sam hadn't had any contact with the other survivors since the police station. After their individual interviews, they were taken to the local hospital for further assessment. Chris had fucked up his leg pretty bad running from the Wendigo and Mike had amputated two of his fingers after he got caught in a bear trap. They both needed immediate attention.
"Well," the doctor started. "I saw the story on the morning news. It was still breaking then, so there wasn't much information. No names. Just seven unconfirmed survivors of some sort of arson. But it wasn't something I wanted to see."
"You're in the wrong practice then, Doc," Sam said. She rose and walked to the window. She lifted the curtain to peer outside. The press was waiting outside the hospital doors with cameras for any glimpse of the possible survivors.
They were becoming famous. The Blackwood Seven they were named. The nurses attempted to keep the TV in her hospital room off the news channels, but there was only so much they could do.
People were intrigued by the mystery of it all, especially after the strange emergency call from Emily and Matt was leaked to the public. No one but the seven survivors knew for sure what had gone down on the mountain that night.
"Vultures," Sam muttered under her breath. She walked back to the couch.
"Samantha?"
"What?"
"You were going to tell me about your friends," the doctor pushed.
Really, she wasn't going to, but if that was her only ticket out of here she had to play along.
"Right," she said. "Well, there's Jess. She's dating Mike. And then there's Emily who's dating Matt. She used to date Mike. Then there's Ashley who has a gigantic crush on Chris. Chris feels the same way but he never told her."
"Sounds like plenty of teenage hormones to go around," the doctor said.
"I guess," she shrugged.
"What about you? Where do you fit into the whole equation?"
"I guess I don't." She groaned. "I don't know. Hannah and I were best friends. When she and Beth went missing, I don't know. I was still in the group. But there was no one I was really close with."
"No one at all?"
"Well, I though Josh and I had a connection," she sighed. "But apparently not."
She started to pick at the thread again.
"What kind of connection?"
"It wasn't romantic. Not at all. But Josh would tell me things. He had a rough go of it after his sisters went missing. I thought he trusted me. I thought he knew that he could tell me anything, and I wouldn't judge him. I was always fucking there for him. But in the end it didn't matter."
"You sound angry."
"Of course I'm fucking angry. If he hadn't fucked with us the way he did things might be a lot different. Maybe he'd still be alive."
She could feel herself tearing up. She dug her fingernail, still painted blue with dried blood under the cuticle, into her leg.
"To my knowledge, the police didn't find a body. They're still searching. He could still be out there."
Sam shook her head. "If there's one thing I know it's that Josh is gone. I've seen what's down in those mines and I would give anything to unsee it."
Sam
Hospital Room
7:23
There was a knock at her hospital door.
"Just a sec," she croaked. Sam hoped it the nurses. She had been told she was being discharged today and couldn't wait to get as far from this place as she could.
She hobbled to the door. Sam remained largely uninjured, save for a few bruises and scratches. Despite her lack of injuries, her body ached with every move. She opened the door slowly.
Mike was standing there, hospital robes and all. His black eye and busted lip seemed to be slowing healing.
"Mike!" Sam said, surprised. They immediately hugged each other. They each had the fleeting thought that they had never hugged before, or even had a one on one conversation that last more than five minutes before the night at the lodge. Neither cared. They were just glad to see someone besides a doctor or nurse.
Mike slipped in her room and Sam shut the door.
"Are you allowed to be here right now?" Sam asked.
"Probably not. But, listen; I have to tell you something. Jess-"
"Where are the others? Have you talked to anyone else? Are they okay?" Sam had so many questions. None of the nurses would answer them because of doctor patient confidentiality. She had been driven crazy being by herself the past couple of days.
"Slow down, Sam," Mike said. "The others are okay. Emily and Matt were released yesterday. Emily threw a big bitch fit and got them released. They flew back home this morning. Ash was released too, but Chris has surgery tomorrow on his ankle, and she wants to be there for him when he wakes up."
"That's sweet," Sam said. She was being genuine but it came out a bit sarcastic and jealous.
"Yeah."
"How do you know all this?" Sam asked.
"I've gotten good at sneaking around without being seen," Mike said solemnly. Sam tensed up slightly.
"What about Jess?" she asked.
"That's what I came to tell you." Mike sighed. He sat on the edge of her hospital bed. "Sammy, they've taken her to the psychiatric ward."
"Oh my God, Mike." Sam sat next to him on the bed, putting a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
"It's all my fault," Mike said. "If I had gotten to her faster, I could've saved her. She wouldn't have fallen down the elevator shaft. She wouldn't have been in those mines all alone."
"Mike, you can't blame yourself. What happened to us was fucked up," she paused. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen."
"They won't tell me anything because I'm not family," he said.
"Are Jessica's parents here? Maybe you could ask t-"
"They hate me. So that's not really an option," Mike said.
"What? The student body president isn't good enough for them?" Sam asked.
"The poor kid on financial aid isn't good enough for them, yes," Mike said.
"Shit, Mike, I didn't know," she said.
"I don't make it a habit of telling people," Mike said, standing up. "What about you?" he asked. "Where are your parents?"
"Bermuda."
He scoffed. "Bermuda? Where the hell is that?"
"Fuck if I know," she shrugged. "It was a getaway. No expenses spared trip to the deep jungle and sandy beaches. No cell service. No wifi. Nothing."
"Wait, so you haven't even talked to them?" He asked.
"Nope, they still think I'm having the weekend of my life up in the mountains. It's fine though," she said, after seeing Mike's look. "When they get home on Wednesday I'll explain everything. It's only two days from now."
"How are you getting home? Where are you staying?" Mike asked.
"That's a good question. My keys and wallet were burned in the fire." Sam pondered for a moment. "I'll call Emily and borrow some money from her to buy a plane ticket. She knows I'm good for it. Once I get home, I'll find a way to break into my house, I guess."
"You can stay with me. I'm driving home today. We have a guest room," Mike offered.
"Mike, that's really not necessary. I'll be fine," Sam said.
"You saved my life twice. Let me do this small favor for you."
"You're not going to stop until I say yes, are you?"
"Nope," Mike said with half of a smile.
"Alright," Sam said. "I'll go."