Left Behind -Gally-

Chapter 12

"But where is it," Emma questioned the Builder.

"A little to your left, I think."

"You think?" Her fingers searched for the screws in the cracks of the roof. Dmitri had asked her to get the screws because of her fingers. They were smaller than his. Gally had been furious when he said that he had lost them between the bamboo. They would have to wait until the next box came up to get more. "I think I feel one." Her fingers skimmed over the metal. It was buried deep between the bamboo. "Hold on."

The ladder was wobbly. Dmitri had to hold it steady to keep her from falling. It wasn't a ladder they were allowed to use anymore, but Gally would notice one of the others if it was missing. Dmitri didn't want to get in trouble. Gally had told him to leave the screws. It wasn't worth it. They couldn't get them out without taking the roof apart. Dmitri didn't listen. He wanted to prove he could fix the mess he caused. "Okay," he grunted. "Hurry, please."

"Nearly there." Emma had no idea that they weren't supposed to be doing this. Dmitri had simply asked for a favor, and as a friend, she said yes. She had no idea the ladder was incredibly unstable or that the bamboo would be too hard to pull anything out of. "Come on." Her fingers ached. The screws were nestled between the bamboo. They wouldn't budge.

"Hey," a voice screamed. Gally marched toward them angrily. He had forgotten his glass jar and didn't want to dirty another. That was how he stumbled upon the scene.

"Shuck!" The panic Dmitri felt was like any other. He whipped his head around, his entire body tensing. His hands unintentionally jerked forward, causing the ladder to falter. Any other ladder would have remained sturdy, but this one was different. It was discarded for a reason.

The jerking motion caused the unsteady leg to give out. Within seconds, Emma was hurdling toward an unforgiving ground. She let out a high-pitched scream, hitting the ground hard. The air was ripped from her lungs. She had hit her head, the world spinning around her. At first, she felt nothing. No pain. Then she tried to breathe but found herself struggling.

As Dmitri went to help, Gally forcefully shoved him back. "Don't," he hissed as he dropped to the ground. "You've done enough. Go get help." The boy didn't move. "Go!" Dmitri took off in a wobbly sprint. Gally moved closer, never hesitating. "Hey," he looked down at the girl. "You okay?"

She opened her eyes, muttering one word. "Ow." Emma blinked a few times. Gally inspected her body. She was covered in dirt, with a few leaves in her hair. Moving slightly, a horrible pain appeared in her ankle. She cried out but could barely see straight.

"What hurts?" Gally wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't a Med-Jack.

Emma breathed slowly. She had been able to regain her breath. "I hurt my ankle."

His eyes went down to her ankle. Her pants covered it. "Shuck, okay. Okay." He was scared. Emma could tell by the way his voice wavered. It was uncharacteristic for him. She was under the impression that he hated her. "You probably need a Med-Jack."

The pain was getting worse. "No shit."

Gally couldn't help the breathy laugh that escaped him at her words. It didn't sound like her at all. "Gally," a voice bellowed. He glanced over his shoulder to see Minho. "What the Shuck happened?" Newt, Alby, and several others were racing toward them. They had heard the scream. It echoed through the Glade.

"She fell off the ladder," Gally explained. "Shucking Dmitri." He should have known he wouldn't listen when he said to leave it. "Stupid Shank."

"Emma," Newt bent over. "You okay?" She nodded. The reality of the situation hadn't set in. They noticed the dazed state she was in. "She hit her head?"