Sobs were filling the room, people were exchanging hugs and checking over one another. All the friends had just had their hospital assessment and police interviews. Every one of them were stable in their health despite being cut and bruised and in pain, however some of them were mentally affected and they were going to need psychiatric help. Jessica was one of the main few who would need the most help as she sat quiet in the corner of the large hotel lounge where the friends had been taken whilst their rooms were arranged.
The doctors at the hospital, for both physical, and mental health, had decided it would be best for the friends if they stayed together in a hotel for both sanity and order as it would be easier to reach certain people if one became endangered. Mike and Jessica were to share a room together, as well as Chris and Ashley together. However Emily and Matt had decided they wished to have their own separate rooms.

Jessica was huddled sobbing in both relief and pain as Mike clutched onto her tightly relieved she was alive. He had been one hundred percent certain that she had been killed by the Wendigo, but he was overjoyed to discover he had been wrong.
Mike left the interview room furious, the police had tried to twist his words and he knew they had done it to everyone else also. He was far from being the right mood to talk to anyone. He'd just lost his girlfriend; Jessica as well as his friend Sam who died whilst saving him. Shutting the door forcefully behind him, he looked up to see all the friends sat in the waiting room. Emily had her arms folded and was muttering to herself, she sounded pissed. Chris and Ashley were wrapped around each other, refusing to let go as if their lives depended on it. Mike knew they'd depend on each other a lot after the events on the mountain. Matt was hunched slightly and was comforting a blonde girl who was covered in cuts and bruises, most of the blood had been wiped off her. Mike was surprised to see Matt as he assumed he was dead from Emily's description of the tower. Blonde hair… That had to be either Sam or…
"Mike?" A familiar soft voice came from the blonde girl who looked up, her battered face which was stained with tears and sadness formed a weak smile, a brief moment of happiness within her. Jessica.
Mike's heart began beating fast as he hurried over to Jess and wrapped his arms around her beginning to sob himself as Matt told him what happened with him and Jessica in the mines.
Jessica's mind was full of all that had happened that night, she couldn't come to terms with any of it, she wanted to sleep and block it all out, but feared that even then the night wouldn't let her escape it.
Mike tried his best to reassure her, whispering softly in her ear, focusing completely on how Jessica was instead of even processing things himself.
"Don't worry, I'm here. No Wendigo or anybody is going to hurt you again Jess." His words were full of determination, and Jess managed a weak smile through her sobs, and in that time she chose to believe him.

Chris and Ashley barely spoke to one another as they lacked energy to, but instead were intertwined through arms and legs, the warmth of each other insulating both. They listened to each other's breathing and heartbeat becoming one whole person. Every now and then they'd call out the other's name to ensure they weren't dreaming, and that they were truly safe, and together.
Chris' head was aching, the memory of the flamethrower guy's death stained on his brain. He was completely fixed on the one memory as he left his interview room. None of the other friends were out of the room yet, so he sat alone drowning in his own thoughts. Pushed abruptly out of his thoughts when he heard someone call his name, he looked up to see Ashley standing in front of him, her arms folded and shuffling her legs awkwardly. She was biting her lip and she still looked dazed and afraid.
"Oh, Ash…" For the first time, he didn't pause whilst going to embrace her, instead he pulled her into his arms and she wrapped her own arms around him in return, burying her face into his shoulder.
"We made it Ash, we're alive." Chris murmured words of support, and they took their place on the chairs, wrapped within each other's arms.
Ashley glanced up at Chris. "Thank you."
Chris didn't even have to ask what she was thanking him for, instead he returned her gaze. "It's what you do when you love someone."
Through all the pain and the terror they were still suffering through in that moment, they still managed a blush and a smile at one another.

On the other side of the room Emily sat alone, thinking to herself. She knew deep down that Matt had tried his best to save her, but the emotions she felt were pushed down by the emotions that lay plain on her face. She was not happy. Matt had placed himself near Jessica and Mike as he had been the first one to comfort to Jess before Mike had entered. He wanted to ensure she was okay after what they had both encountered together. After he had explained to Mike what had occurred, him and Mike were on alright terms. They'd never be good friends as such, but at least the tension was over… With Mike at least.
"Em, can we talk… Please?" Matt tried to get through to Emily as they both went to sit down. Emily purposely sat herself down away from Matt, an annoyed expression painted onto her face.
"I don't want to talk Matt." She scowled, her face sour.
Matt opened his mouth to talk again when Jessica entered the room limping. Dropping the conversation, he hurried over to Jess' aid and sat her down, wrapping his arms around her and making sure she was okay.
Matt's eyes wandered over to Emily, and he smiled at her in hope of a response. She'd been a bitch to him, but he couldn't stop his feelings towards her. Emily's lips formed a thin smile, but it was only short, and Matt couldn't tell the emotion behind it.

Hours passed, through that time the friends had begun to talk to one another more, and reassemble into one large group. No one had dared bring up the subject of either Josh or Sam, wanting to try and keep the mood of the group stable and happy. Despite everyone desperately wanting to stay awake and together, they eventually admitted to themselves that they had to go to sleep. Separating from one another, they split into their groups and cowered into their rooms.

Emily groaned as she pulled on the spare night clothes the hotel had given her, they were a disgusting beige colour and were itchy and uncomfortable. She straightened her hair and pulled back the duvet of the bed, climbing into it. As she settled down into bed, she plugged in her phone to the charger which again, the hotel had supplied to her. Feeling relieved and at least a little more comfortable, she shut her eyes. As the darkness swallowed her up she realised how alone she felt.

Matt flicked through the television, the signal was poor and so therefore the quality was terrible, his room was quiet apart from the faint sounds of voices on the TV. He felt strange being without Emily, yet also felt relaxed to have some time to himself, the silence both comforting and disturbing. Sat at the end of his bed, he sighed.

"If you wake up from any kind of nightmare or anything like that, you wake me, okay?"
Jessica nodded as she pulled the duvet around her and pressed her body against Mike's. She was almost certain that she was going to suffer from nightmares, and was terrified to enter sleep, but Mike was a comfort to her. Mike placed a soft kiss on her shoulder and Jess managed a weak giggle.

Chris and Ashley were nervous to be sleeping in the same bed as they weren't officially a couple, but they preferred it as to sleeping alone. Ash pulled off her beanie and threw it aside along with her jacket deciding to sleep in her t-shirt and tights. She unzipped her shorts, and pulled herself into bed. Chris had tried his best to look away blushing, but it was difficult for him to look anywhere, but towards Ashley. Eventually he distracted himself by taking off his glasses and jumper.
"I-. " He considered how he was going to sleep.
"Just get yourself comfortable." Ash's head was peeking out over the blankets. "As long as you're not naked." She laughed, a little more cheerful than before.
Chris laughed as he pulled off his shirt and trousers, remaining in his underwear, and taking his place beside Ashley. They were both blushing, but neither mentioned it.
"Goodnight Chris."
Without a second thought, he planted a kiss onto Ash's forehead.
"Goodnight."

Being suffocated by sleep and night terrors, the friends fell victim to sleep, not knowing what was yet to come in the days ahead and how their lives and friends were going to be shaken up dramatically in the upcoming days.

-

A/N – Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! This chapter was mainly for the purpose of explaining how the friends are now they've gotten off the mountain. A few chapters on and things will really start picking up, I promise! For now, these first couple of chapters will have many couple moments within them. (Demonstrated by this one! If you enjoyed this please leave a comment !)