Estela descended from the elevator first, her every sense alert and spear at the ready. Somewhere within the glowing red caverns lurked the oryctoraptor, and there was little doubt that it would respond strongly to a rare intrusion into its domain.
Following a few steps behind, Taylor was quietly grateful for Estela's courageous and capable presence by her side. It was now down to the wire, and there was no room for emotion to dull their response to the danger they faced. She moved carefully, aware of every foot placement, knowing that a clatter of rocks could be enough to get them in hot water fast.
Letting out a breath that she'd been holding subconsciously, Estela put a hand on Taylor's arm. "The crystal was down that way, right?" she whispered. "It looks like we're clear for now."
The passageway that had been opened up by the placement of the clawprint orb remained. As she passed through, at Estela's heels, Taylor found herself overwhelmed by the drumming of her own heart. There could be no more denial, no more delaying. She focused her mind, reaching across the island.
Varyyn.
The sleeping elyyshar's mind connected with her own, and Taylor spoke to him.
I am returning my essence to Vaanu. Bring help to the caverns beneath Atropo; we might need it. She shared with him a vision of their surroundings, calling him. I might not be human enough to go on living. This could be the last thing I ask of anyone; get Estela home safe.
Closing her mind to any response, Taylor trained her senses back to her surroundings, listening for the slightest hint of movement in the caves. From behind came a faint sound of disturbed rocks, and she froze, feeling Estela become still beside her, coiled up to strike.
Estela smoothly slipped behind Taylor, facing back in the direction from which they'd come. She raised her spear. With a glance, she encouraged her companion to keep moving forward. If the demon reptile wanted to harm Taylor, it would have to go through her first.
Taylor crept onwards on light feet, choosing a path that took her close to geysers in which they might hide themselves should the raptor emerge. Suddenly, she felt herself nudged towards one. Taking the hint, she shrouded herself in the spray, with Estela pressed up against her, hiding. She felt a shift behind her as Estela pulled her arm back, ready to take out the threat.
The oryctoraptor stalked into view, its head cocked, listening for the source of the movement that had drawn it in.
Taylor held her breath.
Long toe claws clicking against the hard earth with each step, the raptor came closer, slowly passing their hiding place. Its rump now facing them, its keen eyes trained on the movements of a small lizard on the other side of the cave, Estela struck. The raptor shrieked as the spear connected with its thigh, driven deep into the flesh by the force of the throw. It whirled around, squalling, its bright eyes flashing with rage. With its attackers still out of view and utterly silent, it turned and fled, the spear still buried in its leg.
With a gasp, Taylor stepped out of the flume. She could only hope that the injury would be enough to keep the raptor at bay- especially as they'd now lost their most effective weapon. Joining her, Estela took out her obsidian dagger.
"If it comes back, I'll be ready."
Taylor nodded shakily. Focused as she was on the sacrifice she was about to make, she'd not quite been prepared for the threat that stood between her and the crystal pillar. The path forward was now clear, but it was obvious that they couldn't linger. Her time was up.
In Elyys'tel, a sleeping Diego was disturbed by Varyyn stirring around him. He blearily opened his eyes to see his husband hastily gathering supplies and squirrelling them into a satchel.
"What… what's going on? Are you all right?"
Varyyn turned, and the fearful look in his eye unsettled Diego. "I'm sorry, Diego. There may be trouble. I didn't wish to wake you; you've had so little sleep."
"Trouble? What kind of trouble?"
"I think Taylor seeks to unite her spirit -her being- with Vaanu. To restore the earth and all those lost in the fires beyond La Huerta."
Diego gave a shuddered gasp, wide awake as though someone had thrown a bucket of ice water over him. His Taylor, his best friend… she was sacrificing herself. "Varyyn, you have to stop her! She'll be gone… No! W-where's Estela? She wouldn't let Taylor do this-"
"They're together. Diego, you must trust me." Varyyn strode across the room in a smooth stride, his eyes filled with concern.
"Of course, I…" Diego's voice shook. He should have known. He could tell that something was going on beneath the surface with Taylor. Why didn't he realise? "I… I trust you."
"I will take several warriors to the chasm. We must be prepared… the Deep Guardian will not welcome intrusion. And you… must stay here, my love."
"Stay? No! Varyyn, I can't!"
"Diego…" Varyyn put his hand on his love's shoulder and squeezed.
"I trust you, but…"
"We'll need to move swiftly. Taylor is fearing for her life; I may need to carry her to safety. My love, you could not be expected to keep the pace."
Of course, he was right, but it hurt Diego's heart to accept it. There was no doubt in his mind that Taylor run to his side if ever he were in danger. He put his arms around Varyyn. "What can I do?"
Varyyn looked down into Diego's pleading eyes, his expression one of determination. "I will seek the mind of our chief healer if we need it, but I want you to prepare Michelle. If they're hurt, she'll be of help."
"Okay… okay…" Diego's heart was hammering. That he'd been sound asleep just moments ago seemed impossible; he'd never been more alert in his life. "I'll… I'll find Michelle." He staggered toward the arched door of their sleeping quarters. "Varyyn…"
"Diego, I will care for her life as if it were yours. I will care for both of them."
A lump in his throat, Diego nodded. A deep fear settled in his belly. If Taylor was giving herself back to Vaanu, there could be nothing left of her to save.
The glowing crystal called to Taylor, drawing her in. The cavern seemed to ring with silence, even as she kept putting one foot in front of the other. All she could hear was the thundering of her own heart. She walked close to Estela, so that their thighs brushed with each opposing stride; a small comfort to carry her those last agonising steps.
"Taylor," Estela breathed, barely audible. "I love you. I… I'll stay with you, 'til the end."
"I love you too. I love you… I love you…" Taylor spoke in whisper, her face fast becoming wet with tears against her wife's neck.
Estela held her tight, easing her towards the crystal pillar and crouching down in the ethereal light that radiated from it. How could something so beautiful cause so much pain? Even as she felt fury bubble up within her, she forced it down. It was unfair… horrifically so, but anger wouldn't give Taylor what she needed.
Tears streaming down her face, Taylor crouched before the pillar, feeling an overwhelming pull towards it. She gave a little sob. Vaanu. I'm giving you what's yours. Let me go. Let me go.
"No more crying now…" Estela tenderly lifted Taylor's face towards her own. "There's all the time to be sad. But right now, you have me, and I have you. And you're about to save everyone."
Except for us, Taylor thought. Except for you. Under the sweet caress of her love's fingers, she became calm.
"Estela, I'm so-" she croaked, only to be cut off.
"No. Don't do that." Estela's voice was firm, but unmistakeably loving. She ran her thumb across Taylor's cheek, reassuring her that there was nothing to apologise for, that there was no need for regret in these last moments.
Taylor gazed into her eyes, just inches from her face, and felt them staring into her soul, burning with affection. She let the feeling, of total, blissful connection, fill her up, giving her all the courage she'd ever need. "I'm gonna touch it now…" Her voice came out far steadier than she'd expected. "Will you hold me… kiss me?" Kiss me goodbye…
Estela took Taylor's face in her hands and drew it to her lips, kissing her slow and lingering, pouring the love that was breaking her heart into that last goodbye. An arm around her torso pulled her closer, while Taylor's other hand reached out, offering herself. Finally, she could no longer hold back the tears, and she let them fall.
Even while her heart soared as she responded fervently, desperately, to the most breathtaking of kisses, Taylor kept reaching. Vaanu. Please, don't take me away. She laid her hands upon the brilliant crystal pillar, and a familiar glow began to overwhelm her. Let me stay with her.
The light was blinding, and in its wake came pain, burning through every inch of Taylor's body, a pain unlike anything she'd felt before. She doubled over and tried to scream, but no sound came out. Even though she knew Estela was there, she couldn't see or even feel her. She tried to reach out, to call for her, but she was totally lost. She felt herself slipping away, the light giving way to darkness as her body writhed in agony. Her every cell screaming, it became all too much. Taylor slumped forward and became still, falling into nothingness.
The night- or rather, the early morning, had become still, blaring music, shouts and laughter having finally ceased. The revellers- in various states of intoxication- had returned to their homes, save for a few who'd simply crashed on the beach.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzztttt!
A phone vibrated noisily beside Craig and Zahra's bed. Ignoring the groaning beside him, Craig reached out and tried to make sense of the writing on the screen. Easier said than done for someone who that night had come close to replacing every drop of water in his body with alcohol.
"Yo, Z-"
"Volume. Down. Or I will stab you," came a muffled voice from beneath the covers.
Bzzzzzzzzzzzztttt!
"I think I've got missed calls…"
"From where? The afterlife?"
Craig's eyes grew wide. "D'you really think…?"
"No, asshat! Just shut it off and let me sleep.'
Bzzzzzzzzzzzztttt!
"That actually sounds like a really good idea…" Craig's words were slurred. "I feel like this buzzing is gonna make my brain explode. You're so smart." Clumsily mashing the buttons, he managed to turn off the offending phone before slumping over the bedside table. "Ugh… night, Player One…"
Zahra responded with just a little grunt but edged into his side of the bed so that her back was against his side and her head resting on his outstretched arm. Within seconds, she'd succumbed to a deep slumber, thinking nothing of the phone going off for no reason at all. At the very edge of humanity's survival, a malfunctioning mobile had little meaning.
A lone figure amid the now-deserted party decorations and discarded bottles that were strewn far and wide between Elyys'tel and the village, Diego was growing increasingly frantic. For a good half hour he'd been hammering on Michelle's door to no response. Knowing how much everyone had been drinking, it would have been reasonable to assume that she was home but pretty much dead to the world. Doubting himself, Diego had wandered by Quinn's place and knocked on the door there too, having seen the two of them side by side for most of the night, but still, nothing.
Running his hands through his hair, he tried to calm himself. Michelle was somewhere in the village, he'd just have to try every hut. Jeez, Taylor- of all the nights to do this, it had to be the one where everyone was off their face drunk. He turned to head up the hill, to start searching his friends' places one by one -surely someone would know where to find Michelle- and was stopped in his tracks as his eye fell upon the expanse of sea before him. The orange glow on the horizon, the endlessly burning fires… it had all gone out. Taylor had done it. And he'd lost her.
The crystal pillar was gone, and Taylor lay crumpled on the rocky ground. Her heart pounding in her ears, Estela searched desperately for a pulse, but found nothing. Through her tears, she began chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth. God, Taylor, why did you have to do this?
"Come on, come on… don't you dare leave me…"
She had no idea how long it was -it felt like an eternity- but finally she caught a faint pulse. Estela leant over Taylor's chest. She was breathing… just.
She gave her a little shake, but the body in her arms was limp and totally unresponsive. "Taylor? Taylor! Can you hear me? Taylor!"
"I'm gonna get you outta here… I'm gonna get you home. Just stay with me, okay? I can't lose you… I can't…" Estela hauled Taylor over her shoulders, holding onto her with one hand, while the other gripped the dagger. The oryctoraptor was somewhere in the caverns and no doubt in a foul mood after being injured. She crept forward in the direction that she knew would lead out towards Elyys'tel, but moving quietly was near impossible while carrying such a heavy dead weight.
After a little way, she stopped to check on Taylor. She could feel her breathing, shallow, laboured, but was nothing else… not a twitch or a flicker of the eyelids to suggest that she was still there. That face had been so full of life, but now… nothing. Panic began to grip at Estela's core, the relief of having revived Taylor dwindling away rapidly. By all technicalities, Taylor was still clinging to life, but was there even any of her left in that hollow shell? Estela tried desperately to wake her; pouring water over her face, shaking her, slapping her, crying out for her, losing all concern about keeping quiet as a frantic need to get some kind of response -anything- consumed her. The devastating reality hit her like a train, and she sobbed against Taylor's chest.
The strangled cry of an animal in pain startled Estela to her senses. Her blood ran cold. Emotion had made a reckless fool out of her. There was no space here to feel; however strong the pull to dissolve into anguish, she had to stay sharp. She simply could not face down the beast with a limp body in her arms; the raptor had to be dealt with. Keeping one eye on the dark corners of the cavern, she hauled Taylor up onto a ledge, just above head height. There was no doubt that the raptor could scale the rockface with ease, but she could only hope that it would keep Taylor out of its line of sight.
"Hang on for me, please, just… I'll be back… I promise I'm not leaving you…" Estela's voice was hushed as she nuzzled close to Taylor's face. Her protective instinct flared up, the only thing powerful enough to drag her from her wife's side. "Hold on… hold on…"
She stalked further along the ledge, back in the direction they'd come from, her dagger tight in her grip. Hissing with rage, the raptor rounded the corner. Even with a noticeable limp and a spear hanging from its thigh, it was swift and agile. Once again, Estela held her breath. From her vantage point above the reptile's head, there was a chance she could maintain the element of surprise. In obvious pain, the raptor walked with its head down, oblivious to the whereabouts of its attacker. Finally, it moved beneath the ledge, and Estela vaulted down to its side, yanking the spear from its hide before it knew what hit it. Blood gushed and the raptor screeched. It spun on its haunches, jaws snapping. Estela masterfully leapt out of the way, but the spear was knocked down into a deep crevice by the beast's tail as it swung through the air. It was a blow, but she still had her dagger on hand. She danced around the raptor; even with it grievously injured, she could only just stay ahead of its jaws and talons as she searched for an opening. If she could just keep it up for long enough, the raptor would surely succumb to the gaping wound that continued to pour blood from its side. The only trouble was, it wasn't the only one that was exhausted. Even as the raptor slowed, Estela did too, and her focus waned as unbidden thoughts of Taylor slipping away, alone and abandoned, crept into her mind. She'd been away too long- she had to finish this, and fast.
Taking a chance, she threw herself back up onto the ledge, scrambling to get a foothold while swinging at the raptor. Her aim was true, and her blade sliced open the beast's shoulder from above, narrowly missing swiping talons that reached out, clawing the air. Enraged, the raptor jumped, catching Estela's leg in its maw and sinking razor sharp teeth down into her flesh, ripping, tearing. She gave a single yell of shock and pain, and held onto the jagged rock for dear life as the raptor tried to drag her down. Estela could feel a wet warmth spreading down to her foot but didn't let it distract her- she had to keep fighting until the monster could cause Taylor no harm. The cavern appeared to swim around her, colours blurring together. With every ounce of strength she had, she drove her dagger down into the raptor's skull with her free hand. It gave an ear shattering shriek, releasing the searing pressure on her calf, and fell away. Estela panted heavily as she struggled to crawl forward, but she managed to drag herself back to Taylor, leaving a trail of blood dark against the earth. Blood loss and fatigue left her mind sluggish; she couldn't get a sense of who or what the figures coming towards her were, whether it was the raptor returning or some new threat. All she knew was to drape herself protectively over Taylor's frail, unconscious form, shielding her with her last ebb of strength before succumbing to the darkness herself. "Tayl-…"
Nestled in against the soft skin of Quinn's shoulder, Michelle was sleeping soundly when a resounding bang on the door jolted her to her senses. She sat up, realising that she wasn't home; she was at Quinn's place. She was sure she'd heard some idiot yelling her name earlier, but being rather hammered and with a sporting a splitting post-party headache, she'd put a pillow over her head and blocked it out. Whoever it was out there was now too loud to ignore- and she prepared herself to give them a piece of her mind. Not wanting to wake Quinn unnecessarily, she crept to the window to see who it was that was bothering them at such an ungodly hour. Probably, she imagined, one of her friends, wasted after the party. To her surprise, the figure that peered up at her was Vaanti, the head healer, Ravyya.
"Canis and I have been searching for you. I'm afraid it is urgent, Pavo. I have received word from Varyyn that friends of yours are in critical condition. You must hurry."
The bottom seemed to fall out of Michelle's stomach. "What? Who- who's hurt?"
"The Catalysts Draco and Andromeda. We must be ready to meet them as Varyyn's scouts return from the caverns of Atropo. They can cover the distance swiftly, but time is of the essence."
"I'll just be a moment- thank you."
Suddenly wide awake, and gripped by a cold fear, Michelle hurriedly gathered her clothes and dressed herself. What the hell is going on? Tentatively, she nudged Quinn's shoulder. "Quinn… I'm sorry, you've got to wake up."
"… Michelle…" Even with her eyes bleary and filled with sleep, Quinn could see that something was wrong. "Wha- what's happened?"
"I honestly don't know. Taylor and Estela are hurt, or sick… I don't know what's going on, but I know it's bad. I'm going to the med centre."
"I'm coming with you."
They hurried out the door met, with Diego, who'd caught up with Ravyya.
"Diego! Please tell me you know what's going on here…" Michelle felt sick. Diego looked utterly bereft, grief-stricken. Whatever this was, it was serious.
Quinn put her arms around Diego, and he cried into her shoulder. "Diego… what is it? What's happened?"
Ravyya spoke. "See for yourself." She pointed a long, muscular arm out towards the sea. "Earth is restored. Time has been healed by the gift of Andromeda's essence back to the source- Vaanu."
Michelle looked completely bewildered, but Quinn gasped, tears raining down in an instant, knowing exactly what this meant. "Taylor… sacrificed herself?"
Diego nodded shakily. "I think she's gone…"
"What has come to pass is not important!" said Ravyya impatiently, already beginning to stride towards Elyss'tel. "It does not matter why we have patients, only that we heal them. If you can talk and move hurriedly, you may do so, but there is no time to linger."
They walked quickly, with all bar Ravyya trying to wrap their heads around an impossible situation. It had been mere hours since they'd seen Taylor and Estela- laughing, dancing, just as though it had been any other of the Catalysts' wild parties. When Michelle looked out onto the horizon, she could see for herself that the early morning sky had changed. Could it be true? Could the world be… back? And how?
"What do you mean, Taylor's gone?" she asked, her voice quivering. "How could she return to Vaanu? She's… she's human now!"
"Andromeda has never truly been human," Ravyya said. "We expected that, having given herself to Vaanu, she would disappear, leaving with the rest of the entity to the world from which they came. But her body remains."
Diego looked up, eyebrows knitted in confusion. "Do you mean she's… dead? That was never supposed to happen-"
"Ack! There is no 'supposed to'. You must have learned by now that the mysteries of Vaanu, of the universe itself, can never be truly understood. We have made guesses, predictions… that is all. And no, Canis, she is not dead. Varyyn gave message of two Catalysts found. Alive, but unconscious and in grave peril. Why would I gather healers to tend to a corpse, stupid child?"
Falling quiet, Diego dared feel a glimmer of hope. Taylor was still with them.
With the arm that wasn't around Diego's shoulders, Quinn reached out and took Michelle's hand. She looked positively shell-shocked. "'Chelle… whatever this is, we'll take care of them. Miracles have worked for us before…"
Michelle sniffed and gratefully squeezed Quinn's hand. There was no miracle-cure island Heart now. All they had was themselves; an ambitious pre-med in over her head, and the Vaanti's traditional healers. But she'd be damned if she was to give up. As she trudged purposefully onwards, she couldn't help herself from glancing out to sea again and again. That everything had returned after all this time… it wouldn't sink in. It couldn't feel real next to the friends she'd fought, cried, laughed and lived with for the past year. Compared to the overwhelming need to get to Taylor and Estela, to keep them safe, the saving of the world was almost inconsequential.
After what felt like an age, they arrived at Elyys'tel's medical centre. For the past months, the small facility had been Michelle's baby. Her dreams for the future had been dashed, but her ambition was too much for her to be held back. She'd led a team to MASADA, sourcing medical equipment and pharmaceuticals from Rourke's extensive laboratories. His fascination for medicine served her well, for the library also turned out to be a treasure trove. With Varyyn's blessing, she'd started a small clinic, where she assisted the traditional Vaanti healers, all the while studying late into the night. Even so early in her education, her medical knowledge outstripped that of anyone else on La Huerta, and she'd grown in confidence treating the minor illnesses and injuries that cropped up in the small population. This, though, would be her first major challenge.
Between Michelle, Quinn and Ravyya, they brought out a pair of beds and gathered supplies. Not knowing what they'd be faced with, they prepared for the worst, and the room was soon set up with monitoring machines, ventilators and drips. Diego could only look on, at a loss as to how to help. As she finished making one of the beds, Quinn noticed him looking lost and reached out to him.
"Do you need a hug?"
"So much." Diego let Quinn wrap her arms around him. Of course he'd needed a hug. He just wished it was coming from Taylor.
Ravyya approached them. "They are here. It is best you wait outside. We will let you know if they are ready for visitors."
Hand in hand, Quinn and Diego walked out and faced the morning. It looked like any other day on La Huerta, but everything had changed.
Varyyn walked past them, Taylor in his arms, and Diego felt his stomach do a somersault. She looked so fragile…
Michelle was immediately at Varyyn's side, helping him settle Taylor onto one of the beds. She began examining her and was alarmed by her pallor and feeble vitals. He hastily hooked her up to the monitors. "She was unconscious when you found her?"
"They both were. Her heart stopped on the journey; it was a fight but she came through. We would have been here sooner."
Just then, Seraxa entered the room, her front stained with blood, and put Estela down onto the other bed.
"Oh my god! What happened?" Michelle put her hands to her mouth as she saw the jagged tear down Estela's calf. It was partially closed, but oozed blood.
"The Deep Guardian," said Seraxa solemnly. "the most wily of Vaanu's servants. She would not have welcomed their trespass. We healed as well as could be done with the leaves, but this is too deep a wound for the treatment to be effective."
As Ravyya hooked Estela up to a drip, replenishing the fluids she'd lost, Michelle collected herself. She was way out of her depth- she was just a pre-med- but friends needed her to hold it together.
"This is gonna need stitches," she said shakily. She'd not dealt with such a large wound before. She gave Estela's fingers a little squeeze before taking her scissors and beginning to cut away the pants from the bloodied leg.
Sean strolled out his front door, blinking in the sunlight. A little hungover, he could not say he envied the headaches that some of his friends would be sporting when they woke up. Desperate for fresh air, he headed down to the beach, picking up discarded bottles and cans as he went. Just another morning after. Or at least… it seemed that way. Until he saw a small dot on the horizon. If he didn't know any better, he'd have said it was a boat in the distance, but that simply wasn't possible. He wandered idly, but couldn't stop looking back to the sea, to the dot that wasn't a boat. Humouring himself, he reached into his pocket for his phone, which for the last year had functioned only as a camera. As he glanced down at it, Sean wondered how much he had been drinking. He had reception. More than that, he had ten missed calls and three text messages… from his mother.
Tears sprang to his eyes. These must have been from when she'd been caught up in the catastrophic eruption… final goodbyes. He slumped down onto his knees in the sand and tried to find the courage to press 'play', to hear his mother's final words. And then the screen lit up- an incoming call. His heart in his throat, Sean answered, and the voice that spoke to him made him break down in sobs.
"Momma?"
Struggling to control the nervous tremor in her hands, Michelle pulled the edges of Estela's lacerated calf together and sutured them closed. She'd had Ravyya take an x-ray- one of the many godsend pieces of equipment that Rourke had left behind- and had been relieved to find that no bones had been broken by the raptor's strong jaws. The lower part of the leg had, however, been ravaged. Muscle was left torn and ragged, a tendon ruptured, and the damage trailed down the ankle. The leaves had worked to prevent Estela from bleeding out, but Michelle had needed to disturb the partially healed wound in order to effectively sew it back together. The whole thing was a mess and the pressure near overwhelming.
Sensing her colleague's insecurity, Ravyya gave Michelle an encouraging smile- a rare thing for the stern Vaanti. "She has recovered well from bleeding. It looks as though the danger has passed."
"If this doesn't heal properly, she could lose the leg…:
"Nonsense! What you cannot do, our herbs will. This leg will heal."
Michelle almost allowed herself to feel heartened when a high-pitched alarm pierced the air. Taylor was arresting… again. Frantic, Michelle put her bloodied hands to Taylor's chest and began compressions. It was everything she'd dreaded. The cycle felt endless; compressions… mouth-to-mouth…compressions, over and over again. Tiring, she let Ravyya take over. Thirty minutes… forty…
"Pavo, I think we should stop now."
"Let me keep going." Michelle didn't know how she managed to get the words out. But she had to try, just a few minutes longer. Even as her whole body shook with fear, she kept fighting. "Come back to me Taylor… come on!" she growled. Light-headed, falling deeper into a terrified daze, a voice in her head told her that it was over. She knew it, but she didn't know how she could accept it. Taylor's life was in her hands.
"Pavo!"
Michelle ignored the admonishment and put her mouth to Taylor's, giving rescue breaths for what she knew had to be the last time. And the monitor's intermittent beeping resumed, reading a pulse. Feeling as though she was going to faint, she put her hands on Taylor, checking her vitals once more. "We've got her back."
Ravyya gave the smallest of smiles. "It seems your judgement was correct. But you should not let ties of the heart interfere with your decisions. Come. Finish tidying this up. I will observe Andromeda myself."
Mid-morning, and with both her patients finally stable, Michelle retreated into the waiting room, completely drained. She collapsed into a chair and buried her face in her arms. The path she'd chosen… sometime or another, she'd lose someone in her care for the first time; it was unavoidable. Emotion couldn't get the better of her. But Taylor, Estela… they were her sisters. She'd been a second away from accepting that Taylor was gone and giving up. That kind of decision… it was too fucking much.
"Hey…" Quinn called to her gently, her voice sweet and soothing to Michelle's ear. She knelt in front of the chair and let her friend cry into her shoulder. "You were amazing in there, Michelle."
Michelle could only weep. "What the hell were they thinking?"
"They said… they said that Estela's through the worst now, that she's gonna be okay. You did that. That was so much put on your shoulders, but you did it."
"I'm no hero, Quinn," Michelle hiccoughed. "Fuck, I'm barely keeping it together."
Quinn stroked Michelle's dirty blonde hair, which was damp with sweat, and reached up to kiss her cheek. "Honey, you don't have to. You're allowed to be a human being." She exhaled, her breath trembling. "You… you've always been a hero. To me."
Tears came anew, and Michelle buried her face in her friend's hair. She held Quinn tight, as if she was the only thing that could possibly keep her afloat.
Sometime later, the sobs became whimpers, which faded into shared silence.
"Is it really true? They're saying we've had contact. They're saying that… it's like the world was never lost. That's why Taylor did this… god, she did this for us, Quinn."
The slight redhead nodded. "I can't believe it. But, but it looks like… they're all alive. Everyone we left back home. We're even getting phone reception, internet, you name it, like there was no storm to begin with. Everyone's been calling family. It's real."
"I just… it doesn't seem possible." Michelle was trembling. Exhausted from the fight to save the lives of two of her closest friends, the thought of something so miraculous was jarring to her. She'd grieved for so long, come to accept her new lot in life, built something on La Huerta that she could be proud of… and now once again the world turned on its head.
"I can lend you my phone? Is there someone you want to call?"
Her insides turning to ice, Michelle shook her head. The only true friends she ever had were there on the island. They still needed her. "We need to get a doctor out here, someone who can be discreet. I've got them this far, but I… I can't shoulder this one alone. There's gotta be a way to get someone to help; between us we can come up with whatever money we need."
"Should we try and evacuate them out of here?"
"And take them where? Who knows what they'll find if they get a closer look at Taylor? She's not a normal human. She's got no documents to say she belongs anywhere, and I don't know how the hell we're supposed to answer those kinds of questions. Even if there wasn't any of that… Quinn, she's so fragile. At least here she's safe. If I make the wrong call and she…" Michelle's voice broke.
"Hey…" Quinn rubbed her back. "We'll take care of them right here. Where we can all stay close. I think… I think you're right. I feel like we all need to be around Taylor. It's almost like… she has a better chance if we're all here."
It should have sounded crazy, but nothing else made sense. Taylor's being revolved around her friends; she would not survive if she were taken away.
"I'll talk to Grace and Aleister. They'll have useful contacts."
"Thanks, babe." Michelle tentatively leaned forward to kiss Quinn's brow. From somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered where it all left the two of them. Home was another lifetime ago almost, and in that lifetime, Michelle worked to a plan… a plan that never would have included falling in love with a woman. With the world back as it was, old insecurities swooped in. No. Don't give in to that bullshit now. "I should get back in there, sit with them." She took Quinn's hand in her own. "Would you… would you come with me? I don't think I'm strong enough to do this on my own."
So much of Quinn's young life had been spent in hospitals. She'd made friends, kids like her with terminal illnesses. And then, almost without fail, they would be gone, leaving behind nothing but empty beds and a sobering understanding of mortality. Those days, she'd been so sure, were behind her. Quinn squeezed Michelle's hand and looked into her eyes, willing her to feel every ounce of adoration that she felt for her. Making calls could wait. "I've got you, 'Chelle."
Quinn placed two chairs between the hospital beds. She sat down, and laced her fingers through Taylor's, tenderly stroking with her thumb. As Michelle hesitated in the doorway, clearly affected by the trauma of the fight she'd faced when she'd last stood in that room, Quinn offered her other hand, inviting her into a secure embrace. Collecting herself, Michelle sat in the second chair, her fingers entwining with Quinn's on one hand, while the other gently took hold of Estela's.
"Deep breath…" Quinn whispered encouragingly.
Michelle squeezed her fingers and exhaled shakily. Deep breath…
