Duskwood - Who are you?

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓞𝓷𝓮

Ruby POV

Was this really Jake? Why was he not breathing? Did he inhale too much smoke? He had a laceration on his head, it must have come from falling against the wall.

I kneeled next to him and shook him while calling his name.

"Jake?! Can you hear me? Jake! Come on! Don't do this to me!"

I didn't even know if it was Jake but who else would it be? This part of the mine had no visitors.

I put my fingers on his neck and checked if he still had a pulse. My heart was beating way too fast. I heard nothing but my heart that was about to jump out of my chest in pain. I was scared to death that he was no longer alive.

I didn't feel a pulse! I tested other places and pressed a little harder. Damn, I couldn't concentrate! My heart was beating too loud. I removed his black face mask so he could breathe normally in case I found out what was wrong with him. I took a few deep breaths and closed my eyes and gently placed my hand on his chest. My left hand on his chest and my right hand on his forehead. 

His forehead was so cold.

Please don't.

I felt my inner fire spread inside me and a comfortable warmth flowed down my arms to my fingers and into Jake's body. I scanned his body with my left hand. I put a little more pressure on his chest and I saw his inner body. Pure relief filled me when I saw that his heart was still beating. 

Weak, but it beats!

I focused on his lungs and soon understood why he wasn't breathing. His lungs were full of smoke, he inhaled too much. I had to use my powers, otherwise I wouldn't be able to help him. I actually never wanted to use my powers again for fear someone might see me using them. I didn't care now. This was my last chance to save him.

I took my hands off him and took his head softly in my hands and laid him straight on the floor. I took a deep breath and I opened his mouth slightly so the air can enter his lungs. I stroked his cheek and spoke up, "I'm sorry but that will hurt a little. Please don't leave me," I whispered.

I took a deep breath and didn't breathe out anymore. Holding my breath, I pressed my right index finger on his chest and saw his lungs again. I saw all the smoke and I concentrated on it. I felt his heart beating and I began to draw little circles on his chest. I drew the circles bigger and bigger until they were one big circle. I saw the smoke following my drawings. I lead my circular movements higher and saw how the smoke flows towards his throat. I stopped and squeezed my index finger and thumb together as if I was grasping something thin and pulling it. I squeezed my fingers even tighter and pulled the smoke out of his throat. Jake's mouth opened slightly, and the smoke still followed my movements and then disappeared into the air.

He was out of air in his lungs now, it's time for me to exhale. It should be enough air for a man his size for two breaths and then he would breathe on his own. I took his head in my hands and tilted it back a little and pressed my lips on his lips and did a sort of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, except there's a spark of revival in the air I breathed. 

Thanks to my powers.

Again, I laid my left hand on his chest, and it really worked! His chest was moving slightly. Up and down. Tears of joy flowed from my eyes, and I smiled in relief. He was still unconscious, but the relief that he was breathing again was great. It would be some time before he woke up again, but I'm staying here until he's back among the living. 

Even if he's not Jake, I saved a life!

I sat here for hours, and you could hear the city slowly waking up. I could hear cars, honks and trains. I looked on my phone it was 9am by now! I was sitting here for almost four hours. But Jake was worth it. And I couldn't get found here, it was a safe place. My heart was still racing because he was still not awake. I took a look at his head every ten minutes to make sure it was not bleeding. When he started breathing again, I laid his head onto my legs, so he didn't have to lie on the hard floor. I leaned with my back against the wall and watched him breathing peacefully. Who knows? Maybe he was sleeping because with one look at his eyes you could tell that he didn't sleep often, if he ever did.