I wake up and stretch, Ash's sleeping body still wrapped around me until I break free of him. He doesn't budge. I decide we should stay another night. We're all so tired and we need a good rest to be able to put up a good fight. One more night won't hurt.
I look down at our entangled limbs and realize that we're naked. Did we sleep together? Memories of the night before flood my brain and I blush slightly as I slowly stand and begin pulling my clothes on. Just as I'm pulling my panties to my hips, I hear a catcall from the other side of the room.
"Keagan!" I jerk my panties and bra on quickly and wiggle into my shorts.
He laughs so hard he's trembling. "Sorry, Mercy. I had to."
I pull my shirt over my head and torso in a jerky, angry fashion. "Don't even talk to me, Keagan."
"I'm sorry, Mercy. Care to explain why you were naked? You never sleep naked." He runs a hand through his hair.
"Don't make me answer that. It's my business; not yours." I walk to the tiny, broken mirror in the corner of the room and rake my fingers through my hair.
"Why does it matter how your hair looks? And why won't you tell me anything anymore? We're best friends...." He looks hurt.
"Keagan, I don't want to hurt your feelings. I just want to keep some things to myself." I look at him sternly, my lips tugging themselves into a frown.
"You slept with him." He looks away from me.
"Again, that's none of your business. If I wanted you to know something, I would tell you. I didn't tell you anything, therefore I don't want you to know whether I did or didn't sleep with Ash. So, stop trying to turn this into a guessing game." I stomp away, looking for my bag.
"Mercy, I'm sorry, okay? But do you not see that I'm head-over-fucking-heels in love with you? Is it really not as obvious as I feel it is? Or are you just that naïve?" He grabs my arm gently, turning me to look at him.
I look at him in disbelief, my mouth hanging open slightly. "You what?"
"Mercy Louise Nightlock, I'm in love with you. I always have been and I always will be. My very last breath will be your name. That's a promise." He touches my face gently.
Tears fill my eyes, but it's hard to decipher why I'm crying. Am I confused? Am I angry? I know it isn't because I'm in love with him as well. Ash is my love.
"Keagan, I-"
The sound of breaking glass fills the room and warm liquid splatters across my face. It takes only a second to realize that it's Keagan's blood as he slumps to the ground. He's been shot in the back. I drag him to the wall, out of range of the windows. Then, I crawl to Ash and pull him out of bed, covering his mouth before he can scream. "They've found us."
He nods and we crawl to Keagan. He's still breathing, but it's slower. He's dying and I can't help him this time.
"Keagan, please don't die. You're my best friend...." I hold his body in my arms, my shirt soaking in his blood.
"Kiss me before I die. Please." He clutches my shirt weakly.
I look at Ash for an answer and he nods, looking away. I bend to him and press my lips to his gently. "Keagan, you can't die. I kissed it all better."
"If only it worked that way, Mercy." He touches my face gently, caressing my cheek with a trembling finger.
Tears spill down my cheeks, washing his blood from my face. He chokes a little, gasping for air, and it makes me cry harder. Seeing him struggle is killing me inside. I should've saved the spray. It would've healed without using it all.
"Keagan, no...." I sob, holding him closer to me.
"Mercy...." My name escapes his lips with the hiss of his last breath.
Ash crawls to see if they've left yet. He nods and stands, pulling me to my feet and wrapping his arms around me. I sob into his chest, holding him tightly against me. My best friend is gone and it's my fault. Why am I so stupid?
I pull away from him and grab a sheet, wrapping it around Keagan's corpse. I'd give him a proper burial, but it'd be too risky, so we lay him in one of the hospital beds.
I press my lips to his forehead through the sheet and it sticks to his face from a couple of tiny water spots. I can't help but want to hold him forever but I can't. We have to leave.
I grab a couple of sheets to lay on in case we have to sleep outside and tuck them away in my bag. Ash does the same. Then, I linger for a moment, staring into space because I'm afraid to leave. What if they come back and kill Ash? What if their motive is to kill everyone I love and leave me alone to suffer?
I shake the feeling and walk slowly to the light switch, flipping it off, then back on, then off again. I'll probably never have the opportunity to do that again. I unlock the door and swing it open, sucking in fresh air. The sun shines brightly and reminds me of a garden in spring. It's so beautiful and warm, which feels odd after what we just experienced.
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