Ellie: THE AUTHOR OWNS NOTHING BUT THEIR OCS AND THEIR CRAZY PLOT TWISTS! *panting*

Meg: Was that necessary?

Ellie: YES! YES IT WAS!

Jamie Hill: Okie dokie, Phineas.

Ellie, Brooke, Rebecca & Sarah: GET BACK TO YOUR OWN STORY!

Meg: *Rolls eyes* I need a new job.

"On the ground I lay, motionless, in pain. I can see my life flashing before my eyes. Did I fall asleep? Is this all a dream? Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare." -Time of Dying, Three Days Grace.

"She's been poisoned."

Brooke watched in horror as her best friend was stolen from consciousness. She was shaking, watching as the blood trickled from the gash and staring at the ugly black fluid that poisoned her only tie to the world that was her home.

"Meg?" Murtagh took her head in his hands, but she was unresponsive. "Meg, stay with me."

He worked fast; cleaning the wound and mixing a few herbs he had handy into a salve to try and counteract the poison.

He picked Meg up and hoisted them onto Tornac, gesturing for Brooke to do the same. "We need to find a healer. I have done what I can, but I fear it may not be enough and then there is infection to worry about..." He shut up when he saw how pale she had become at his words.

"How far is the closest village?"

"Three days, at the least." He replied regrettably. He urged Tornac forward and they began their long and worrisome trip to the nearest town—Teirm.

"We can not stop, Murtagh." Brooke called. He glanced over and found her cheeks stained with tears. "Please do not give up on she who did not give up on you."

"I won't, Brooke," He assured her. "I give you my word that we will." And so they rode.

Meg felt as though she was being kicked repeatedly. She felt as though something was trying to drill out of her head and as though her arm was on fire. She knew that Ellie would scold her for being so stubborn, but she ignored the pain to the best of her abilities and opened her eyes.

"Ugh, why is it that every time I open my eyes something bright it trying to blind me?" She groaned, rubbing her eyes. There was a chuckle at her statement which shook her completely awake.

On a whim, she shot up from her sleep, only to wrap her arms around herself and hiss in pain.

"Try not to move, child." A woman suggested. "You will be sore."

"Yeah, I got that." She muttered. "Where are my friends?"

She raised an eyebrow and smiled warmly. "They have not left your bedside since they brought you to me." She gestured to her left where both Brooke and Murtagh were passed out in chairs. Brooke's head was propped up by her hand and drool was sliding down her chin. Murtagh's chin was on his chest and, even in his sleep, was clutching her hand; pieces of curled wood upon the floor by his feet.

"Oh," She grinned, biting her fist so she didn't burst out laughing and gently pulling her hand away from his. "I wish I had a camera."

"I will wake them to let them know you are well."

"No!" She said. The healer eyed her suspiciously. "I have a better idea."

Brooke yawned awake to find her hand coated in a layer of saliva. "Well, that's attractive." She murmured, rubbing it off on her pants.

She looked up and found that the healer had left and the blanket had been drawn to cover Meg completely. She gasped and shook Murtagh. "What Brooke, what's wrong?"

She pointed to the bed and felt him tense. He stood stiffly, staring at the body for a moment before walking to the window and leaning against the pane.

Brooke felt the tears hot in her eyes, but the words that tumbled from her mouth would make a sailor run for the hills. "Darn it, Meg! You stupid, horrible, son of a-"

"Brooke, watch your tongue!" A hand reached out and grabbed Brooke's wrist. The surprised girl yelped and the voice made Murtagh turn around faster than Sarah could react to a shoe sale.

Meg had a smug grin and felt laughter come uncontrollably as realization dawned on her friend's face. "Meg Jackson, I thought you were dead! I'm going to kill you!"

Brooke pounced on the hysterical zombie and pinned her onto the bed. "I was going to go after those Urgals and-"

"And what? Shout, 'my name is Brooke Grace, you killed my best friend, prepare to die!'?"

"HELL YEAH!"

Meg laughed and wrapped Brooke in an embrace that nearly killed the girl. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. It was the perfect opportunity!"

"I'll remember this for later!"

She looked up, the smile on her face fading when she saw him leaning against the wall. "Murtagh?" She asked. "Are you alright?"

He stared at her as though she was a ghost and stammered a reply, "I-I thought you were dead. And if you were, it would've been my fault."

"What are you talking about?" She questioned. Being her stubborn self, Meg tried to stand and struggled to maintain her balance until Brooke offered her support.

"You saved my life, and very nearly sacrificed your own in doing so, why?" He seemed surprised that she had done so and she could not help but wonder why.

"You would have done the same for us. Despite what you say and how you act, I refuse to believe that you are of no value to this world." She replied, her eyes and voice ringing with truth that he could not deny. "There is a reason you are here, and it is not to get killed the moment we need you."

He smiled, a rare, but happy smile. "Perhaps we shall find that reason, Meg. Together."