Still, even with the blood transfusions, her body won’t heal. The wounds she sustained from her initial injuries break open, and she develops an infection. It is one thing after another. I overhear the medical team say over and over how they have never seen anything like it.
Her body endures so much. She was doing so well, but now she took one giant leap backward. She’s back on a breathing machine, this time with a tube down her throat. Heart monitors beep at us, and IV bags hang from a pole. No one can figure it out.
I think the only piece keeping her alive is, at every chance, Sodie uses his healing magic on her. Even he can’t understand why it isn’t enough.
I sit at her bedside and hold her hand, just like I did when we brought her home from the Whitemore plantation, internally praying for some kind of miracle. Is it too much to ask for another one? She already survived the first time.
A loud argument starts in the hall. I kiss the back of her hand before standing from my chair to check outside.
“No!” Jeremy shouts.
“I’m sorry, boys. I think we have done all that we can. Without the machines…” Shakti’s voice breaks.
The doctor gently squeezes Shakti’s shoulder. Anders turns around, swiping both hands through his hair. Fat tears fall down Ean’s face. This must be fucking bad if Ean is crying. I can’t even look at Charlie or Chris. I might lose my shit if I do. Elias tilts his head back, staring at the ceiling.
“You can’t. Mom, please,” Justin whispers. Shakti breaks down into tears, turning into the doctor’s embrace.
Jeremy’s face turns an angry shade of red. His breathing is labored, and his hands ball into fists at his sides. “Are you goingto call Luke? Will you to tell him that all his efforts were for nothing because we gave up on her?!”
I can’t listen. She is not dying! I feel like someone stabbed me in the fucking chest. Heat radiates off my body. My chest heaves. My vision goes red, and I’m on the brink of losing control. But I don’t fucking care. I’ll burn this whole fucking place down if she dies.
A giant hand wraps around my throat, and my body slams against a wall. I roar in anger. My fist hits a solid object, but it doesn’t budge. Their hand squeezes harder, cutting off my air supply.
“Get it together!” a harsh voice whispers in my ear. “We have enemies here. I will not lose you, too!” My rage blinds me, and I grasp for anything to grab a hold.
The hand loosens, and I’m pulled into a strong bear hug. I succumb and wrap my arms around a large body, gripping the back of his shirt. “She can’t!” I sob. “She can’t die.” As soon as I let myself fall apart, I recognize Ean.
Sodie is the last one to hear the news. He loses it as badly as the twins and I, if not worse. We hang our heads, silently crying, as we witness one more person who cared about Jessica lose faith. It’s amazing how much of an impact she made on all of us in such a short amount of time.
When Sodie calms down, we follow the doctor into the room. We solemnly watch as the nurse, with shaky hands and flowing tears, unhooks the IV lines, shuts off the breathing machine, and removes the tube from her throat. However, the doctor stops her before she turns off the heart monitor.
Shakti’s mate, Nathan, wraps his arms around her, gently kissing the top of her head as she sobs into his chest. He also rests his hand on Justin’s shoulder. Justin in turn reaches for Jeremy’s.
In sixteen hours, there have been no changes in Jessica’s vital signs. The rhythmic beep of her heart echoes around the room. Nathan convinces everyone to take a breather. Sodie and I volunteer to stay and notify the others if anything changes.
Earlier, we pulled Jessica’s bed to the middle of the room and situated chairs around it so everyone could sit with her. Sodie occupies the chair across from me. He looks like crap. I can only imagine I must look the same.
Emily strides into the room, her long black hair tied in a high ponytail, arms crossed over her chest, lips pursed, like she’s ready to tackle anything in her way. Her dark eyes, nearly as black as Elias’s, roam over Jessica’s body. Her eyes widen in shock before they soften and then shine with unshed tears.
“Why didn’t anyone call me sooner? I had to hear about this from Luke, who is in another country. My own brothers are here every day, and I didn’t receive a single phone call or text. You look like shit, by the way. Do you need a break? I can sit with her and let you know if anything happens.”
She sighs, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I don’t have the energy for Emily’s ramblings, but the irritation brewing inside of me isn’t her doing. I open my eyes to meet her questioning gaze and release a long breath.
“You hadn’t met her. And you were at summer school in the city.”
“That’s not fair. I wanted to meet her as soon as I heard she was here, but every time I asked, I was told it wasn’t a good time. I drove here as fast as I could without getting another speeding ticket.”
My heart softens. Knowing her, she must have dropped everything as soon as she heard from Luke to be here. “I’m sure your dad appreciated it.”
She nods and plops herself in a chair next to Sodie. “Yeah, except this is the one time I think he would have been a little more forgiving,” she jokes.
I offer her a halfhearted smirk. Sodie hasn’t looked up or acknowledged Emily since she walked in. He just sits there, eyes vacantly staring at Jessica’s still form.
Emily gently nudges his arm with her shoulder. “I’m Emily, by the way.”
He slowly rotates his head and tips his chin. “I’m Sodie, one of the recruits.”
“I assumed so. It’s nice to meet you. I heard you’re one of the highest ranking recruits, aside from this guy.” She points her thumb at me. “The leads are quite impressed with your work ethic and perseverance. They have high hopes for you as a guard. That’s why you were assigned to VIP detail.”
