Leo's POV
For one second, I couldn't think. Couldn't move. Couldn't do anything. For one second, all I felt was shock.
Then panic.
I dropped to my knees and grabbed her hand.
"No," I whispered. "No."
She smiled weakly at me. I could feel her body shaking in her efforts to breathe.
"No. You can't die. Please. Y-you can't. Not for me," I said. My hand was shaking, which made her whole arm shake as well.
I heard the door burst open, but barely acknowledged it. Brynn was dying in front of me. Tears had started to fall from her brown eyes.
"I-if I die," she said. She started to cough up blood, which stained her lips bright red.
"Shh, don't talk," I said. I could feel something hot and wet on my cheeks. Tears? Was I crying?
"I want you," she tried again. "To remember me."
"Always," I said. I brushed tears of her cheeks, which made her smile stronger. Her eyelashes started to flutter.
"No. Stay with me. Stay alive, please!" I screamed. Her grip on my hand began to loosen.
Someone knelt besides me. The head of the guard.
"You Highness, there might be a way to save her," he said.
My head snapped up. "What? What is it?"
"If we get to the hospital wing fast enough, we could save her life."
I looked back down. I could see the life leaving her fluttering eyes. Her eyes shut.
"Let's go."
I gently scooped Brynn in my arms bridal style. Her body was limp and still warm.
I quickly glanced back at the Selected and my friends. The girls looked so scared, most of them were crying. I would love to comfort them, I hated seeing them crying. But I had to go.
Tristan ran over to me.
"Don't worry about them, I'll keep them safe," he promised. I nodded.
"If any of them get hurt I'll kill you," I said. He smiled grimly.
The head of the guard picked up Kalliope and swung her over his shoulder.
"We have to go!" he yelled.
We ran. I didn't think. I barely heard the gunshots or explosions. More guards joined us along the way, shooting the rebels in our path. I thought the last rebel attacks had been bad, this one was even worse. I could see bodies of rebels and guards in the corner of my eye. I didn't focus on them though. I had to save Brynn.
It felt like hours. My breathing became labored. My legs burned. But we finally reached the hospital wing.
There were a couple people in there already. One doctor ran up to me and asked me, "Your highness, are you hurt?"
"No," I said. "Help her."
She saw Brynn in my arms and sucked in a breath. I gently placed her on a gurney and felt her pulse. It was weak, but it was there. Thank god.
Another doctor ran up the the female one. He wheeled her off into a separate room. A sudden wave of exhaustion hit me, and I collapsed into a chair.
I glanced at Kalliope. A doctor was quickly looking over her.
"Will she be okay?" I asked tiredly.
"She'll be fine. She's bleeding, but she just needs bandages," the other doctor said. He quickly wrapped some around her head, and then ran of. I moved so I could sit next to her.
The number of people in the hospital wing was quickly growing. I could smell blood, which was disgusting. I couldn't believe how the rebels could do this. How they could stomach to do this?
How could Ari do this?
The head of the guard grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the chair.
"What?!" I snapped.
"I have to get you to a safe room," he said patiently.
"I'm not going."
"You have to, Your Highness."
"One of my sisters and a nearly dead Selected is here!" I screamed. I took a deep breath. "I'm not going anywhere."
"I assure you, they are in safe hands-"
"Brynn was shot in the chest! I'm not leaving until she's okay!"
He rolled his eyes. "I have to keep you safe!"
"I don't care. You also have to listen to me, and I'm telling you to go protect the rest of my family and the Selected!"
I took a deep breath like he was about to say something, but he didn't. Instead he glared at me.
"If you get killed, I'll murder you."
I laughed without humor. He ran out, cocking his gun. I sat back down.
I must have fell asleep. I woke up because someone was shaking me. The doctor that I saw earlier.
The one that was with Brynn.
I jumped up so fast I almost hit the guy in the face. He stumbled backward.
"Is she okay?!" I asked desperately.
He cleared his throat.
"She isn't dead. She was severely injured, since the bullet his her in the chest. We had to perform surgery. She flat lined a couple times, but she'll be okay."
I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"But there is bad news."
My stomach plummeted.
"She's currently in a coma. We don't know when she'll wake up. We've decided to move her to Angeles City National, where she'll get better medical attention. We've already called her family, they'll be flying in tomorrow."
Silence.
"Y-you don't know when she'll wake up," I said helplessly.
"We do not. Now, forgive me Your Majesty, I have other people to treat."
He walked away. I noticed they wheeled Brynn back into the main room. I ran to her.
Her blonde hair was spread over the pillow like a halo, and a bandage was wrapped around her head. Her mouth was slightly open, her eyes were shut. Her skin was a sickly pale. A blue blanket covered the rest of her body. I grabbed her hand. It was cold.
Her being in a coma was better than dead. Right?
But they don't know when she'll wake up. She could be in the coma for months.
Brynn might never wake up.
Suddenly overcome by anger, I punched the wall as hard as I could.
The rebels would pay.
