Legal: I own nothing but the idea.
Trigger warnings! Please read with caution this fic may be hard for some people to read who have been through similar circumstances.
Stuff you need to know:
*Takes place just after Ray of Light.
*Drew never dropped out but did have his concussion.
*Jake and Katie didn't breakup and the whole Vegas thing never happened.
*That should do it other than you might want to grab some tissues for this one.
Ch. Got Tears Rolling up our Sleeves
(CLARE)
I groan, my head feels heavy and it's pounding. I hear birds, very loud birds but they sound muffled like I'm hearing them under water and there's a ringing in my ears. My eyes are hard to open; it's a struggle, much more than the struggle of opening them after a deep sleep. When they do finally open the first thing I see is sunlight filtering through leaves on trees. I blink several times, feeling myself in a hazy fog like I'm dreaming. I try to reach up with my right hand to rub my eyes but my right arm won't move, I must have slept on it and now it's numb and asleep. I reach over rubbing my eyes with my left hand and feel something thick and wet on my forehead slowly creeping to my left eye. I hold my hand above my eyes and see red on my fingers!
Hearing a stick snap makes me turn my head, I turn it fast and instantly regret this action as my head feels worse now and my neck hurts. I can feel the ground under me all of a sudden, as if I was numbed by an anesthetic and it suddenly wore off. I'm in the dirt, on leaves and sticks, I look around, the leaves I saw earlier were not a dream I am in the woods. I have no idea what happened or how I ended up in the woods. I feel sick and in a fog still but I can't keep lying on the ground. My right arm is still numb and not working but I put my left hand on the dirt, planting it firmly and with an effort that is much harder than it should be I push myself to sit up.
I seem to be totally alone as if I were plucked from my home and dropped from the sky in the middle of the woods. I don't believe in alien abduction and even in my fog I know there must be a rational explanation. I look over the rest of me, I'm not missing a limb or anything, my clothes are dirty and ripped. I have scratches and some blood in places but I'm not bleeding out and all the blood seems to be from cuts and scratches, none of which are life threatening or bleeding heavily. My left knee is swollen and slightly discolored I realize it must be twisted or fractured but I feel no pain.
My head is still in a fog but I become aware of yelling or crying. I can't quite tell where it's coming from as it seems to be echoing in the woods. I need to find whoever it is and figure out what happened. Curling my right leg under me and using my left hand I get myself up, I'm able to stand on both legs as I still feel no pain. When I try and walk my left leg is weaker but I manage to walk with a sort of limp. I listen for a second trying to discern where the sounds are coming from but it's difficult, I begin walking in the direction I believe them to be from and hope that I'm right.
Coming through some trees I see a car ahead; I walk a little faster and begin to feel pain for the first time. Reaching the car that's wrapped around a tree and I peer in, a man in a disheveled suit sits dead in the driver's seat. He's very obviously dead as he's been crushed by the car and shard of glass impale his chest. The sight is horrific; my heart is pounding at this scene and being so near someone that has died so hideously. A hand comes down on my shoulder and I scream!
"Clare it's okay it's me," Adam's voice says and I stop screaming letting out a breath turning around. When I see Adam I throw my arms around his neck hugging him tightly with one arm since my right one still doesn't work. Adam hugs me tightly as well and rubs my back lightly. "We must have crashed by I don't remember anything, I don't know where the others are or how we ended up in the woods," Adam comments.
"Crashed?" I question as we release each other from the hug and he looks at me.
"Yeah don't you remember all the grade eleven and twelve kids were going on a field trip for the weekend," Adam says looking at my head closely. "You're bleeding Clare," Adam tells me and takes off his plaid shirt, which he's wearing over a white undershirt.
"I know," I reply acknowledging that I'm bleeding as Adam rips his shirt into strips. "I don't remember a field trip," I tell him while he takes a strip and ties it around my head.
"What's the last thing you do remember?" Adam asks and I think a moment.
"Our pop quiz in chemistry this morning," I answer.
"Clare that was yesterday morning, it's Friday afternoon you have amnesia, must be from your head injury," Adam says and looks me over carefully. "Does your knee hurt?"
"A little, I really just feel numb," I tell him.
"It looks twisted, maybe even broken I'm kind of surprised you could walk. What about your arm?" Adam questions.
"It doesn't work, I can't move it but it doesn't hurt," I tell him and Adam gently picks up my arm.
"It's broken," he says taking another strip of his shirt and tying it behind my neck, he slips my arm through and now it's a makeshift sling. "We need to go find the others, Drew and Eli especially. I don't think you should walk on your knee much lean on me, put your arm around my shoulders. Tell me if you feel any pain," Adam says.
"Are you hurt?" I ask putting my arm around Adam's shoulders.
"I have some bruises and cuts; I think I cracked a couple of ribs but that's it," Adam replies as we start walking.
"That guy was dead Adam," I tell him in a quiet voice as we walk past some debris and scattered bags and backpacks.
"I know Clare," he says softly as we look around at the scattered debris. We're walking a little slow, probably because of me but suddenly we hear Adam's name being called.
"ADAM!" Several people yell very loudly.
"DREW BIANCA!" Adam yells as loud as he can and then takes a struggling breath.
Now I hear running and then Drew appears with Bianca on his arm and Owen and Dallas following behind.
"Thank God," Drew exclaims releasing Bianca to hug his brother tightly and Adam makes a noise. I let go of Adam and my leg feels weak, I almost fall but Owen runs over and catches me before I hit the ground.
"You look really pale Drew," Adam says when the brothers release each other.
"He was yelling so loud for you that he passed out and he was unconscious when we found him," Bianca explains.
"Are you two okay?" Drew asks putting his arm around Bianca again and he does look like he's barely hanging on.
"I think I cracked some ribs, I have a few cuts and bruises and I don't remember the crash but I'm doing better than Clare. She twisted her knee I think, her arm is broken and she has a nasty cut on her head. She also doesn't remember the last 26 hours. Are you guys hurt? Have you seen anyone else?" Adam asks them.
"Like I said Drew was unconscious when I found him, he's got some bruises. I think I fractured my wrist but just some scratches other than that," Bianca tells us.
"I cut my leg pretty bad but that's it other than scrapes and bruises that we all have, well except for Owen who's apparently made of steel since he barely has a scratch or bruise," Dallas remarks with a slightly sardonic tone and I look at Owen who grins.
"Just about everyone on our bus jumped or was thrown free when it started rolling down the hill, I don't know about the other bus though. We can't get cell service down here, one of the buses is this way, I don't think you should walk," Owen tells me and picks me up in his arms. I put my arms around his neck and my head on his shoulder. "Hey no sleeping you might have a concussion," Owen tells me.
I keep my eyes open but watching the woods bouncing as Owen walks is making me ill so I look at his shirt instead. I notice his pink shirt has been ripped; I take the rip and finger it, pulling at a loose thread. I'm sort of zoning out on it and I can't really think.
"Fuck!" Adam exclaims suddenly and I look up because my sweet natured best friend so rarely utters profanity.
When I look up I see why he did, one of the school buses is against a tree, the bus is crumpled, it's front end smashed like a tin can and the driver is dead lying halfway out the broken window! Blood is all over the glass, more blood is spattered on the windows inside, some smeared on bus and doors as kids were trying to get out. Mr. Perino is lying dead and blocking the front door, trapped by the smashed front end of the bus he's been crushed to death! I see a few other students lying dead in the bus or just outside of it, a couple guys I recognize from the Ice Hounds, a girl in my Canadian law class, another senior boy. A lot of other kids are sitting huddled together, Owen sets me down next to Adam, we're sitting a few feet away from the others. I look over to the group, many of the kids are injured, I can see some are bleeding and Bo from the Ice Hounds has an obvious broken leg.
I look at the crashed bus, the group of injured and scared kids, the image of the dead bus driver and Mr. Perino seep into my mind until they are all I can see. I don't remember a field trip or a bus crash, I don't even remember being on the bus but people I care about are hurt, some could be dead. I still don't know where Alli, Jenna, Connor, Eli and Jake are or if they're even alive. I'm not sure where Becky and Luke are for that matter, not that either one is really my friend but Becky is dating Adam. I don't know where Fiona, Imogen or Katie are and I do know them a little. This doesn't feel real, like some horrible nightmare I've woken up in the middle of. It all sinks in and I start shaking, I can't control it. I realize I'm crying, I put my head on whoever's next to me and start bawling.
(ADAM)
I sit down in the grass near the still smoking bus we had been riding in. Drew sits next to me, putting his head on Bianca, he doesn't look so good and I'm worried. Owen sets Clare next on my other side and he sits on the other side of her, Dallas sits next to Owen while I look at Clare. I'm worried about her too; she looks blank and sad but sort of…lost. It worries me that she has no memories since yesterday morning I can't tell if it's all just shock or a bad head injury and amnesia. The cut on her head looks nasty, not to mention her broken arm and her knee that is twisted or dislocated. Suddenly Clare erupts into tears; she turns and puts her head on Owen's shoulder. He doesn't seem to mind, in fact he just puts his arm around her and lets her cry, I put my arm around her shoulders and my head on her back so she knows I'm here.
"I'm gonna find some water, sit up Baby, put your head in Adam's lap but don't go to sleep I'll be right back," Bianca says to my brother.
He moves over and puts his head on my leg, Bianca gets up and starts looking through backpacks and bags.
"Mom's going to be so mad," Drew comments.
"Yep," I nod and look at Dallas, "Do you know what happened? I don't remember the crash just a lot of screaming and screeching tires."
"There was drunk driver in a maroon car, he swerved in front of our bus, we swerved too hard and the bus started sliding down the hill. The other bus swerved to miss us and they crashed too but they didn't come down the hill as far as we did. I was sitting in back with Dallas and Luke and we pushed the back door open jumping out, the bus started rolling and a lot of kids were tossed out including you two. You guys got tossed pretty far or rolled further downhill we're not really sure. It was all chaos," Owen explains.
"I was worried when you weren't near the crash so we went looking for you," Drew speaks up in a groggy voice from my lap.
"Clare and I saw the maroon car, the drunk guy is dead," I tell them.
"Luke hiked up to check on the other bus and get help since our cells don't work down here. He wasn't hurt, just a few scratches and he wanted to check on Becky," Dallas informs us.
"Here Baby sit up and drink some water," Bianca says handing Drew a bottle and he sits up but still leans on me a lot. "Share it with Clare, she's losing fluids and she's starting to look pallid," Bianca remarks and I look at Clare to see her skin has taken on a grayish tone. "I'm going to give these other two bottles to the other group it's all I could find."
Bianca walks up to the second group while Drew takes some sips of water before holding the bottle out and touching Clare's arm but she doesn't react.
"She doesn't look so good," Drew comments.
"Neither do you," I tell him taking the water bottle from Drew. Bianca comes back and Drew lays in her lap now, I brush Clare's hair back coaxing her to look at me. "Clare drink some water," I command her and she wipes her eyes reaching for the bottle.
"Adam I don't feel well," she says after taking a couple of sips and handing me back the bottle. Her voice is thin and shaky, she sounds like a sick little kid and it just makes me worry more.
"You don't look so good either, you or Drew. I hope help gets here soon," I remark looking up the hill for signs of help but see none.
"Baby stay awake, talk to me," Bianca says as Drew starts to fade.
"Andrew stay conscious I'm not going to lose either of you," I command him and he opens his eyes sitting up a little more and leaning against Bianca.
"She won't stop shaking, I think she's in shock," Owen speaks up and now I look over at Clare. Owen takes his jacket off putting it around her shoulders, "Dallas help me, I think she needs to be straightened out, she could have internal injuries we're not aware of. Drew you too lay on your back. Put her against my chest and elevate her leg," Owen says taking charge.
Owen and Dallas carefully lift Clare and get her between Owen's legs so she's lying against his chest. While they're doing that Drew turns on his back and I gather up a couple backpacks so Clare can rest her leg on them. Just as I'm sitting down again I hear people walking down the hill and look back, Jake and Eli are coming with Alli. They come to us and see Drew first, all three of them have some cuts and abrasions but that's about it. The worst of it seems to be Eli with a fat lip.
"Helps on the way, hang in there Drew," Jake tells him.
"We called 911 they're sending helicopters and ambulances," Eli says.
"Good because Clare and Drew need to go like now," Owen speaks up and now the three of them look over and notice Clare. Eli and Clare were fighting, he'd broken up with her after Cam but realizing she's hurt he goes pale. Jake takes one look at her knee and obviously broken arm and turns green.
"Clare," Alli gasps kneeling down next to her.
"Alli you're okay," Clare says weakly, "where's Jenna?"
"She's up at the other bus, Connor…" Alli stops with tears in her eyes. "I came down to find you, I should get back to Jenna," Alli says as gets up and looks at me, there's something in her face and her eyes that says she's afraid to tell me something.
Alli starts to go up the hill, practically running and I wonder what she's not saying. I look up at Eli and Jake but they both look away from me.
"What's wrong with Connor? Where's Luke and Becky?" I ask them.
"Luke's with Becky, she got impaled by some glass, it went through her stomach, she's alive but barely," Eli tells me and my heart sinks.
I should have been on the bus with her, she wanted to ride with Jenna though and I wanted to ride with Clare who was still upset after Eli and didn't want to be on the bus he was on. I look at Drew who's pale and barely conscious, Clare who looks worse and worse by the second and now find out my girlfriend's been impaled by glass! I want to be with all three, I don't want to leave Clare and Drew but I want to see my girlfriend.
"I need to go see her," I comment and get up slowly, "watch them I'll be back."
I start walking up the hill past the other group of kids and see debris and pieces of the bus scattered all over. A few kids lay dead as I get further up the hill; one has obviously been smashed by the bus as it rolled down the hill. Near the top of the hill I see Alli and Dave holding Jenna, and Connor he's lying motionless and blood is everywhere. He's dead. Then I see Luke, near the bus, sitting next to Becky who is so ghostly white she doesn't look human, a large piece of glass protruding from her side and my heart stops. I run over kneel down on her other side, taking her hand and she looks at me with weak clouded eyes.
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I should have been on the bus with you," I tell her as I begin crying.
"No you were where you meant to be, Clare needed you. Where is she?" Becky asks.
"She's hurt pretty bad and Drew was unconscious they're down the hill, people are looking out for them. Stay with me Becky I love you," I tell her.
"I love you too Adam," she says with a small smile.
I lean down and kiss her forehead, silently praying that help gets here in time and I don't lose any of them but I have such a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach it has me worried.
(OWEN)
Adam goes up to check on Becky while Eli and Jake sink down next to Clare. Dallas moves over to help Bianca keep Drew awake and I'm worried that we're going to lose them both at any minute now.
"Jake what's wrong with Connor?" Clare asks her stepbrother.
"Don't worry about it Clare just stay with us," Jake replies.
"No what's wrong with Connor and where's Katie? Why aren't you with her? Where is everyone? Eli where's Imogen and Fiona, you should be with them," Clare says in an insistent voice but it's also quite shaky and weak.
"Fiona and Imogen are together, Fiona got thrown from the bus and hit a tree, she's unconscious and won't wake up. I needed to find you and Adam. Katie is unconscious, Mo and Marisol are with her but Jake wanted to call for help and check on you. Connor is…Connor died Clare, he went through the window of our bus," Eli tells his ex-girlfriend and suddenly Clare sits up.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I ask her.
"I need to go be with Jenna," she says.
"Clare no, Dave and Alli are with Jenna you need to lie down," Jake says in a firm voice.
"No," Clare says in a voice full of anguish and panic, "no I need to be with my friend. I need to go to my friends. I need to get up, Owen why can't I get up, I can't move my leg."
"Fuck," I exclaim looking down at her leg, "because your knee has swelled up to about three times what it should be. Quick we need a tourniquet."
"Here," Eli says taking off his belt and Dallas stands up doing the same. We tighten them around Clare's leg to try and stop the swelling and probably internal bleeding; Eli sits on the backpacks lifting her leg to get it as elevated as possible. Clare turns into me sobbing hard, she starts shaking again but this time it's because of how hard she's crying. She grips my shirt and I hold her looking helplessly at Bianca and the others. I don't even know Clare but I'm worried she's going to die in my arms. Drew's awake, talking weakly but his normally olive skin has gone pale and greyish, I'm sure he has a head injury or worse.
"Where the fuck is everyone?! If they sent helicopters they should be here now!" I growl angrily feeling sick over the thought that these two might die before help even arrives.
"I'll hike to the road and see if they're coming, I should check on Katie again anyway," Jake says looking more like he just doesn't want to watch Clare die.
He walks off and the only one talking is Drew, he's talking to keep himself awake. The rest of us don't want to talk, we have nothing to say, we're just praying for help. Finally I hear the distant sounds of helicopters approaching, just as I let out a relieved breath that help is finally coming Clare stops crying and her body goes limp in my arms!
"Clare!" I practically scream and everyone looks at me, or rather her. I turn her in my arms to look at her face; her eyes have rolled back into her head. I can't find a pulse and she's not breathing! "No you are not going to fucking die on me now," I say aloud like commanding it will make it so. I lay her back flat on the ground as carefully as I can while still moving fast. Eli still has her leg elevated but he looks so scared and he's almost as pale as she is. When she's lying down I start CPR hearing the helicopters right above us now.
"Owen don't make out with Clare," Drew says but he sounds almost drunk.
"Dude I think you're delirious," Dallas tells him while I try and breathe some life back into Clare.
"Is that why I feel purple?" Drew asks.
"Baby what are you talking about?" Bianca asks in panic stricken tone. The next words of Drew's mouth make no sense, it's like he's speaking some foreign language and then he vomits. "Shit that's blood!" Bianca says and I can hear that she's in tears, so worried about the only guy she's ever been in love with and then she sort of screams.
"Fuck dude! Drew wake up!" Dallas orders but it doesn't seem to be doing any good.
I can't look over and I can't help, I need to get Clare breathing again, get a pulse back in her because I'm not letting her die so I just concentrate on CPR. Now I hear noises and more voices but they are ones I don't recognize.
"We have two code blues, we need immediate medi-vac to a class one trauma center," a male voice says into radio.
"Let us take over son," another guy says to me.
"She's not breathing and I can't find a pulse," I tell him.
"We need you both to get back from her so we can examine," another one says.
I slowly back up, looking at Drew who's just lying motionless next to some blood he vomited and he looks yellow. A third EMT is looking him over and two gurneys are getting lowered by a large army helicopter. When I look back at Clare they're making Eli put down her leg and then they shock her with a portable defibrillator while the other pumps her with oxygen. They have to shock her twice but she gets a weak pulse finally, I wish that made me feel better but she still looks dead. The next few minutes become kind of a blur; two EMT's rapidly get Clare on a gurney and stabilized for transport while two more do the same to Drew. One EMT straddles Clare's gurney so he can keep giving her oxygen but Drew rides up alone. We watch the gurneys go up as the EMT's get taken up by rope one at a time.
"Drew's had a level two concussion before and he was unconscious when we found him," Bianca tells one of the EMT's rapidly.
"Where are you taking them?" Dallas questions.
"All trauma patients will be airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital and treated in the trauma center there, it's one of the best your friends are in good hands," an EMT that stayed behind tells us.
"Are any of you hurt?" Asks the other EMT who stayed behind to check on the other kids.
"Dallas cut his leg, the rest of us are okay," I answer.
"I'm fine, there's people worse than me," Dallas says.
"Alright you four stay together and get back up the hill as far as you can make it. Ambulances and fire trucks should be on scene any minute."
We nod and start walking uphill while the EMT's look at the other group of kids. The helicopter with Drew and Clare in it has taken off but two more are in the sky now and EMT's are being lowered down to help. Dallas is starting to limp a little and I think he needs to be looked at soon. The four of us slowly make our way up hill; I look away when I see my teammate's dead body lying nearly decapitated on the ground. We pass a lot of other kids; some of them are barely hurt while others are clinging to life. How is that fair? What kind of roll of the dice means that I'm fine but Connor is dead and Drew and Clare could be dead on the way to the hospital right now.
We don't even make it to the top of the hill before I see Connor's dead body; or rather his legs as Alli, Jenna and Dave surround him. I do see blood though, a lot of blood. A little farther up the hill Becky is being loaded onto a gurney and lifted into a helicopter, she's hovering near death, I can see it from here. Adam and Luke are holding each other and crying as they watch Becky being airlifted to help. We reach them, Bianca puts a hand on Adam's shoulder and he turns to her, hugging her and crying on her shoulder.
"I'm going to make sure Fiona's getting help and tell Jake what happened," Eli says walking off.
"Clare and Drew?" Adam asks looking up a little.
"They got airlifted out, they're being taken to a trauma center," I tell him but don't have the heart to tell him that Drew vomited blood and passed out or that I had to give Clare CPR to even have a hope of keeping her alive.
Dallas sits down, I look around the group up here, ambulances begin flooding the area along with police and fire trucks. Emergency workers swarm around doing triage and treating those who need immediate attention. Katie and Fiona also get airlifted out and taken to the trauma center. Dallas, Jenna, Bo, Marisol and several others are taken by ambulance to Joseph Brant Memorial Hospital in Burlington. The rest of us are checked over quickly and taken in police shuttles to nearby hospitals to be checked out thoroughly. Since Adam was in shock and the EMT's were sure he had cracked a rib he had already been taken by ambulance. I ride in a police shuttle with Bianca and a few others, after being checked out by a doctor and x-rays being taken I'm cleared and told I can call my parents and go home. I'm sure my parents have heard by now and I will call them to let them know I'm okay but I'm not going home I need to know how Drew is, and Clare. My cell is still in my pocket, I turned it off when we had no signal and I turn it back on now, I get flooded by missed texts and calls from my parents and Tris. I don't look at them but I call my mom.
"Owen thank heavens are you okay? The school called we're on our way," Mom tells me when she answers.
"I'm fine, the doctors checked me out and all I've got is a few bruises. I'm going to Hamilton General to check on my friends, I'm not going home until I know they're okay," I tell Mom.
"Okay, we'll meet you there, we love you Owen," Mom says.
"I love you guys too," I say and hang up then I see Bianca leaning outside. "Hey I'm gonna find a way of getting to the trauma center you want to come?"
"Yeah, I just got a call from Audra, she and Omar are coming, they're headed for the trauma unit to see Drew and she's trying to call the other hospital and get news on Adam and Dallas," Bianca says and I notice a brace on her wrist.
"I think Adam's okay other than maybe going crazy, he watched his brother, best friend and girlfriend hovering near death," I comment and Bianca nods as I see one of the cop cars that brought some of us here. "Hey we need to get to the trauma center where they took our friends can you take us?" I request half demanding and half begging.
"Yeah come on," the cop says opening the back door to the cruiser.
Bianca and I get in; it feels like drive to the hospital takes forever, I just keep picturing Drew and Clare. How they looked right before they were taken, we're still on the drive when Bianca's phone rings.
"Hey Audra, Owen and I are headed to the trauma center to see Drew and Clare…good tell them we'll meet them there…no just me and Owen but Eli and some others were okay at the site…Yeah see you soon," Bianca says, hangs up and looks at me. "Dallas got a pretty nasty cut they gave him some antibiotics but he's been released. Adam has some cracked ribs and a few bruises but he's physically okay, they are worried about him though. Audra and Omar are picking them up and then they're heading to the trauma center for Drew but no word on him yet," Bianca says.
I nod, I don't know what to say but we've arrived at the trauma center anyway. We thank the cop as soon as he's opened the door and we run into the hospital emergency entrance.
"Our friends were brought in; they were in the bus crash. A guy in a girl they were the first two brought in, Clare Edwards and Drew Torres," I tell the nurse behind the desk.
"There's a waiting room upstairs but if you aren't family we can't release any information," she says.
"JUST TELL US HOW BAD IT IS OR LET US SEE THEM!" I scream at her and see security approaching as Bianca puts her hand on my arm.
"Owen," Dallas' voice makes me turn and I see the Torres parents coming in with him and Adam.
"I'm Drew Torres' mother and Clare Edwards parents are on their way, they went to pick up her brother from the other hospital I need a status on both of them," Audra says with an authoritative voice and the nurse actually listens.
"Both children are in critical condition and both are in surgery right now. That's all I can tell you, if you'll go up to the trauma center and into the family waiting room a doctor will come speak to you as soon as they can," the nurse tells us.
I tense up ready to yell but Audra grabs my wrist and pulls me with her, we find the elevator and go upstairs.
"I know you're angry and scared Owen but yelling at the nurse isn't going to help," Audra tells me as she takes me with them upstairs.
Katie's parents are here with Maya but they're the only ones besides us, I already know Clare's are on their way and I would assume the Baker's and Fiona's family is on their way. And anyone else that got air lifted must have family on the way. Maya sits between her parents looking at her hands. We all sit down and Adam looks like he might break at any minute, not that I blame him three of the most important people in the world to him are at this trauma center and were flirting with death when we last saw them. When the door opens I think it's a doctor with news but it's my family, my parents and my brother. I'm not even hurt but I leap up and run to them, embracing my entire family and just glad to be with them. My parents hug me tight and Tristan is clinging to my waist, crying a little and holding so tight it's like he's afraid to let go. He hasn't clung to me so tightly since he was five and I was eight and I saved him from a couple of kids trying to push him off the playground.
"We didn't know if you were okay, they just said the bus crashed, we thought you might be dead," Tris tells me.
"I'm okay Buddy, I'm not even hurt," I assure him.
"I saw the Baker's on the way in, Owen Becky's dead," Tris practically whispers.
I feel a lump in my throat and look over at Adam who's barely keeping it together as it is. When he finds out Becky's dead he just might snap, if I were in Adam's shoes I would snap.
"Don't say anything, Drew and Clare are both in this hospital and we don't know if they're okay yet," I tell them and they all nod.
We walk over and sit down, Adam, Dallas and Bianca acknowledge Tris but he goes over to sit with Maya. My parents exchange hellos with Audra and Omar and then we sit silently while we wait for news and all I can do is pray that no one else dies.
No I am not so cruel that I would leave a one shot like that, if you've read my page you should know that I consider anything less than 4 chapters a one shot. Why? Because I'm crazy like that so this gets another chapter obviously, possibly even two and the next chapter will be October 17th and picking up from around here.