LIGHTNING • wdw

066; they can't kill me

Jack's POV:

"Jack?"

I looked directly to the person standing across from me, someone who I hadn't seen in forever. I mean, I didn't think finding his room would be this easy or happen by mistake.

I didn't know what to say, "Hey."

He stood very still, not moving a muscle. I didn't know how he would react. By the looks of it I think he was in shock, shock to see me.

"Zach? You okay?" I asked him, still not responding to me. He was watching me up and down, probably trying to understand if this was real or not. Even though he was moving, a few small tears fell down his face and he took a quick second to wipe them away.

"No, this isn't real." he whispered, turning away from me and rubbing his hands through his hair. All I wanted to do was give him a hug but he was torn inside his mind right now.

"I'm real Zach." was the only thing I could think of saying.

He looked over his shoulder, eyeing me up and down before turning back around and grabbing his head. He took a seat on a bed that was not made, "No, I must. . .have the serum in me. Jack's dead."

"Serum? What? No, Zach it's me, Jack. I'm not dead." I told him, taking a step forward. He looked up at me when I moved. I could see his eyes filling up with the water works.

"No, no, no. They told me you're dead. That, Jack's dead. You're just a hallucination." he said, mainly trying to convince himself of what he was saying.

It hurt me to see my best friend contemplating over whether I was dead or not. He looked tried, different. Just like Jonah, he was slimmer. Bags laid neatly under his eyes like he didn't get much sleep. His hair was longer, but still the fluffy mushroom I would always make fun of him for.

If he wasn't rubbing his hands through his hair, he was fidgeting with the rings he had on his fingers. I picked up his nervous habit when I first met the kid. Alexa would also be able to calm him down, but now she wasn't here.

It was just me and him.

"Zach, I'm real. They told you that stuff to mess with your head. I promise I'm real. Trust me." I tried convincing him what was real but he mumbled to himself occasionally, of course I could hear him though.

"No, it has to be the serum. They stuck it in me again, changed it to see hallucinations. I don't remember. . .I miss you." he cried to himself. I felt tears pricking in the back of my eyes. I walked over and sat down next to him, pulling his body into a hug.

"Zach. Listen to me. I'm not dead." he said slowly. For the first time he looked me in the eyes longer for a second, as if he was reading my thoughts.

"Jack?" he said once again. I nodded and he started crying, in which I hope was happy tears. He leaped on me, tackling me on the bed and pulling me into a tighter hug then before, "I thought I wouldn't see you again."

"Nah, they can't kill me." I joked and removed myself from the hug, "We have to-"

I was cut off by rattling of the door. Both of our heads whipped towards the door. We both realized it would be the guards checking on Zach.

"Quick. Bathroom." Zach told me as he wiped the tears from the eyes and tried to make it look like he wasn't crying seconds ago.

I listened and ran to the small bathroom that was attached to the room. When I closed the door to the bathroom, the door entering the room opened.

I sat on the floor, not moving a muscle while I listened to the conversation the guard and Zach were having.

"Do I need to go into questioning?" Zach asked. I couldn't hear the guards response but I'm guessing he shook his head, "Okay, then what do you want?"