Chapter Thirty-Nine

Choices

"FUCK!" Jade let out the furious shout as she slammed her hand against the wall. She, Carol, Naomi and Tanzi had reached the end of the collapsing corridor, separating from the other four but a pile of rubble had blocked the fire-exit that led to the stairs.

"Calm yourself," Naomi said though the nerves were showing on her pale face. "We have time to think. The floor has stopped falling." It was true that the floor had stopped crumbling down but there was only about three meters of space left for them.

"How is your head?" Carol asked Tanzi in concern, leaning the injured woman against the wall. Tanzi managed to smile painfully.

"I don't think… words could adequately describe the pain…" Tanzi muttered. Her eyes seemed slightly unfocused as she looked around the small space, shakes running up and down the walls.

"We have to move this rubble," Carol suggested, moving over to the large chunks of concrete. She tested the weight of one and barely managed to move it a centimetre off the ground before dropping it again.

"They're too heavy!" Jade paced back and forth. "I can't believe this… I can't believe I got wrapped up in all this." She was breathing heavily, though whether from her anger or her fear the others couldn't work out. "I can't die here, I can't even think of it!"

"You're not going to die," Carol said firmly. "Come on, help me with these. If we lift them together then we can move it out of the way. If we work quickly we can move before this building starts falling again."

The three woman worked together to move the rubble, with Tanzi watching from the side, too worn out to help. Each piece of concrete was a struggle to move to the side but after a number of tense minutes they finally stood back, sweating but successful.

"Good work," Carol breathed, trying the handle of the stairway door. "Come on…" She pushed but the door wouldn't budge.

"The hinges are twisted," Naomi noted, peering at the side of the door. "It seems we are still trapped—"

"Out of the way," Jade demanded, standing in front of the door. Carol moved out of the way just as Jade slammed her shoulder hard into the door. It moved slightly but refused to open. "Come on!" She tried again, slamming herself into the door with reckless abandon. Once again she bounced off and rubbed her shoulder.

"Jade, stop, you'll dislocate—" but Carol's warning was interrupted by Jade running full speed into the door with her shoulder. With a great BANG the door was forced open and Jade plummeted forwards. She hit the railing of the stairs with her stomach and nearly went up and over had Carol not managed to grab her legs and pull her back down. Jade clutched at her stomach but was grinning triumphantly.

"Got it!" She breathed, shakily getting up to her feet. "Thanks for the save, though… Ah!" Jade winced and clutched at her shoulder, hissing in pain.

"What did I say?" Carol scolded, quickly looking over the shoulder. "Yes, it is dislocated."

The building shook again and the four of them fought for their balance, using the walls and the rails of the stairs to their advantage. Jade cursed again as her shoulder hit into the wall while Tanzi bent over, clutching at her head.

"Tanzi?" Carol put a hand on Tanzi's shoulder and Tanzi looked up, shaking.

"W-W-What's…" Her eyes flashed in fear as she looked around the stairway. "I-I-"

SLAP!

The sharp sound echoed around the stairwell as Naomi's open palm struck Tanzi's cheek.

"What are you doing?!" Carol was quick to turn to Naomi but Naomi ignored her, kneeling down to check on Tanzi.

"Tanzi?"

"Yes… Thank you…" Tanzi's cheek was already turning red but she took Naomi's proffered hand.

"I did not have time to talk her out of it," Naomi said to Carol as if that was any kind of explanation.

"Lacey is next," Tanzi confirmed, feeling as if a bell was being rung between her ears.

"Does that mean… Jeffrey?" Naomi asked.

Tanzi could only shrug. "I don't know… I just know that, whether saved or not, his turn has gone by."

"Then let's move," Jade said, leading the way down the stairs, clutching her arm tightly. "Let's get the fuck outta here."

Following her lead, Carol, Tanzi and Naomi made their way down the stairs, noticing it growing hotter and hotter as they reached the ground floor. Opening the stairway door they found why. A great fire was burning across the reception and waiting area, the flames reaching against the ceiling as if trying to make its way through. The intense heat was almost too much and the black smoke attacked their eyes.

"Down to the floor," Carol commanded and the others followed suit.

"Shit!" Jade cursed again. She peered at the fire and could clearly see there was no way to get through. It seemed as if even the floor was burning. Trying to get to the main doors would result in a very fiery and very painful death. "SHIT!"


Panting heavily, Zach wished that he worked out more. Feeling his legs aching he pushed the pain away and pressed himself to move faster. Nearly there! Zach told himself as he followed the road down to the hospital. As he ran he passed by burning buildings, injured civilians, and gaping holes in the road but he couldn't stop for any of it. He had to make it to the hospital, had to make it to Naomi and the others.

"Help!" A man suddenly came from nowhere, grabbing Zach's shirt. Nearly falling facefirst into the tarmac, Zach managed to force himself to a stop to face the man.

"I-I can't, I need—"

"My son!" The man wailed, motioning desperately to his home that was burning brightly. "He's in there! Help me!"

"I'm sorry!" Zach cried, forcibly pushing the man's hands away. He closed his eyes as he sprinted away, suppressing the intense guilt rising up in his stomach. The man's wailed curses drifted away in the distance as Zach ran. It just wasn't fair – he had the key to a person's survival in his pocket but there was no way he could stop for anyone. Ruby was one thing but the rest… the rest weren't on a List. They had a chance. That boy in that house may make it out. The survivors in the hospital wouldn't if Zach didn't get there in time.

At least that was what he told himself, to stop the guilt from overcoming him.

He reached the carpark of the hospital and saw a massive crowd of patients, staff, and visitors. Nurses and doctors were doing their best to treat the injured, as did a number of the other injured people. As he ran through the crowds he could hear crying, pleading, and screams of pain. The bright allure of blood forced Zach to see a number of horrible injuries. An arm bent the wrong way with the bone sticking out, a man with lacerations across his face, a child with horrible burns…

Then he forced himself to a halt, sucking in air, facing the fire on the ground floor, a terrible feeling rising within him. "No, no, no, no…" Zach got closer, feeling the warmth of the fire. He held the pouch in his hand and peered through the fire. "Come on, come on! This isn't…"

"Hey, you, get away from there," A man grabbed his shoulder. "It's too dangerous."

"My friends are in there…" Zach breathed helplessly.

"I know," the man comforted. "But you can't play the hero. No-one can get through those flames."

Zach stepped back away from the man and looked at the pouch in his hand. It was true, those flames would tear at him in an instant and then there would be no hope… As he could see it there was only one way to get the Nectar to the others and it was something he had been hoping not to do. His life wasn't worth theirs; that was what he had told himself.

He pulled one of the four remaining golden capsules from its pouch and peered at it. He couldn't wait anymore; it was the only way. He threw the golden capsule in his mouth and felt it dissolve and then a strangely warm liquid run down his throat.

It was like a drug working in his system. Zach looked down to his hands and saw the veins of his wrist glowing slightly with gold. However, unlike Ruby who had felt intense anger, Zach felt… confident. Yes, this was the right decision. With this he could save them. Then Zach took off again.

"Hey!" The man cried out again but Zach dived straight through the doors of the hospital into the depths of the fire.

The flames grabbed and tore at his skin but Zach watched in amazement as the blackened skin seemed to instantly heal as if the flames were nothing but an illusion. He could feel the heat, feel the pain but knew that it wouldn't stop him. He pushed forward and finally exited the intense fires, skidding to a halt. He patted out a number of small fires on his shirt and grinned triumphantly. This feeling was amazing!

"Zach!?" The disbelieving voice came from the side and Zach turned and was elated to see Naomi standing there, with Tanzi, Carol and Jade next to them.

"You got balls, Dryer!" Jade grinned widely, slapping Zach on the shoulder. "Running through the fire? Badass, man!" Then her grin faltered slightly. "Though I don't see how that's gonna help us."

"This," Zach raised the pouch. "This is Nectar. It will save us."

"Nectar?" Naomi asked, confused.

"Look, look," Zach pulled out all three glowing orbs. "Eat this and death won't be able to claim us anymore!"

"What are you talking about?" Carol looked the orbs sceptically. "How could you say—"

"I'll show you!" And with the bravado that Zach felt in his chest he thrust his arm into one the close fire. The fire licked and tore at his arm, blackening the flesh. Then Zach brought his arm out, shook out the flames, and held the limb in front of the others triumphantly. The black of the skin slowly disappeared before their eyes and just like that Zach's arm was healed as if it had never been born.

"I don't know what the fuck that was…" Jade said, open-mouthed. "But I want some of it!"

"Here," Zach didn't give it a second thought as he gave Jade one of the capsules. Jade threw it in her mouth and shivered as the liquid ran through her.

"Oh man…" A glint of gold in Jade's eyes confirmed the effects of the capsule. "That feels good,"

"Zach!" Naomi grabbed Zach's arm tightly. "Tell me there are more than those three… two you have now."

That statement instantly brought Zach back to his senses and he felt that bravado and confidence disappear as quickly as the burns had to his arm. He looked at the two capsules and then to the three survivors in front of him. "No… There… There are just these two."

Carol immediately took a step back. "Naomi, Tanzi… you two should take that."

"What about the others!" Tanzi immediately said, looking around the flames.

"Others?" Zach started to feel even worse. He had hoped – grimly so – that Jade, Carol, Tanzi and Naomi were the only survivors left. "Who?"

"Jeffrey, Jeremiah, Lucas and Lacey, they are still inside. We had to split up," Tanzi said wildly. "We have to get them, we have to – AH!" She doubled over and clutched at her head. Then she spun on her heels without a word and ran towards a different set of double doors.

"Tanzi!" Carol quickly ran after her, leaving Zach, Jade and Naomi to look at each other.

"Guys," Jade said as gold ran through her veins. "I hope you don't mind… but I'm getting the fuck outta here." And with that she ran through the fires that way Zach had come in, disappearing and leaving Zach alone with Naomi.

Zach offered one of the gold capsules to Naomi. "Come on, take this."

Naomi eyes the capsule uncertainly. "If I take this then there will only be one left… I believe it is very likely that those who do not take this… Nectar of yours will die."

"Yes," Zach could give no other answer. While he wanted to save the others, even if temporarily, he had no idea how and time was ticking. "Naomi… we have the here and now. You can take one of these Nectars and we can save your life now…"

"That would be selfish of me to do that when the others…"

"Just ran back into the hospital." Zach bit his lip. "I wouldn't… I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't ensure your survival. If you want to talk selfish then hear this… I came here to save you, Naomi. I want to save the others but you… you're the most important to me." Zach pushed the capsule into Naomi's hand, his eyes looking firmly at her. "Take it, Naomi. Take it and get the hell out of here. I will try to save the others… try to get them out of here. Please…"

"I suppose we cannot make the choice between human life," Naomi said slowly. She closed her eyes and thought back to when her parents crashed the car. Back to when she thought she was going to die and woke up without her legs. If she didn't take the Nectar that Zach preferred now would mean almost certain death and could she really risk that? After all, she hardly knew Carol, Tanzi and Lucas… and while Jeremiah and Lacey were both at school she couldn't say that she knew them either. Was it worth her life to offer one of them the Nectar?

Then she realised that while she would risk her life in the heat of the moment she couldn't do the same when she had time to think about it. At the end of the day the simple fact was that she didn't want to die. With her mind made up, Naomi opened her eyes and popped the capsule in her mouth, letting the liquid flow down her throat.

Then both she and Zach looked at the last remaining capsule in his palm, wondering if the choices they had made were the right choices.


A/N:- This is it, guys! The final countdown, so to speak. Three more chapters to go. Ruby, Naomi, Jade, and Zach have all taken the Nectar and have guaranteed survival from unnatural death. The question now lies in the survival of our five remaining survivors in the hospital: Lucas, Lacey, Jeremiah, Tanzi and Carol. Thanks as always for reading, and see you next time!