Worlds of Waves and Shadows

Fifty Two

The world seemed to go still, devoid of all sound except for the loud thumping of blood rushing through his ears.

Everything played out in slow motion but he couldn't tell whether it was his doing or not.

For a moment, his brain went numb.

He watched Kaenisa aim her gun at the monster that was gnawing at Sasha's hand. Her muffled screams continued to wash over him.

"Rolan."

Someone was calling his name.

"Rolan."

Sarina. It was Sarina. But...she seemed so far away.

"Rolan! Get a hold of yourself!"

It was as if a switch had been flicked, his senses suddenly coming back to him.

"Sasha..." Rolan breathed, staggering forward.

She could not even scream anymore. He could see the muscles of her neck strain, her jaw clenched tight as she gritted her teeth against the pain.

He sank to his knees, beside her convulsing body, reaching for her with trembling hands. Everything about Sasha, every moment and every memory of her. It was all hitting him hard.

"No. No. No. No." He mumbled, eyes shifting from her wan face to the brutally chewed-out flesh of her hand, "Sasha, please. You have to be alright. Please."

He choked on the growing lump of emotions lodged in his throat, trying to keep her imminent fate out of his mind.

"She has already lost a lot of blood." Kaenisa observed, crouching down beside him.

"Save her." Rolan said quietly, turning to his friend, "Please. You're the only one who can save her Kaenisa. You and Sarina. You...you guys can come up with a cure, can't you?"

"Rolan...." His best friend began, a troubling look in her amber eyes.

He scuttled up to Sarina, grabbing her by her arms, "Sarina, you'll...you'll help me right? You're gonna save her aren't you?"

He could feel the desperation spilling through his eyes. It was obvious enough from how his girlfriend was looking at him.

It was as if she was afraid of him. As if she couldn't understand why Rolan was acting the way he was. And he couldn't blame her.

He knew it was strange, appalling even but he seemly couldn't let Sasha die.

She was the last link to his old self. Proof, that a simpler version of himself existed. She was the only one who knew what he was truly like.

And most of all, Sasha really didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to die like this.

"Rolan, you need to calm down." Sarina urged gently, but he could see the unpleasant expression on her face despite the darkness.

By then, the rest of them had arrived, equal parts confused and dismayed.

"There's only one way she can be saved." Kaenisa began, "But I can't guarantee that it'll work."

"To put her under a medically induced coma until a cure can be discovered." Zaira ventured from behind, then after a slight pause she asked, "But who is she?"

"Doesn't matter because it doesn't change the fact that it is a hypothetical solution. We don't know how long it'll take to find a cure, do we?" Deimos interjected.

Rolan's heart twisted. Not because his words were harsh, but because they were true. There was no telling if and when a cure would be developed.

"Besides, its not like we haven't tried it before." He continued, "Most of the people we've tried it on....they've either died without getting turned or...the process was slowed due their comatose state."