Other half -The fallout

Healing with you

Vada pov.

I was suffocating.
All my healing was destroyed by that one notification. The more I continued to gasp for air, the harder it got. The world started to spin around me.
It felt like I was dying. But what about Mia? I couldn't let her see me like this. It was too late for me to get away though. I had already collapsed.

Mia pov.

I was finally out of dance and I began to walk over to where Vada was in the picture she had taken. As I was walking over, I heard a commotion coming from the direction Vada was in.
"Some girl passed out over here!"
"Should we call an ambulance?"
I heard these things and panic shot through me. I suddenly started running. I pushed people out of the way to see who it was. To my horror, I saw a passed out Vada on the ground looking exhausted.
"Oh my god... VADA!"
I lifted her head and checked her pulse. Thankfully she was still breathing.
"Oh thank god she's alive," I said, relieved.
I told everyone that I knew the girl and that I was her friend and I'd take her home. I piggybacked her over to my car and I put her in the back seat laying down.
Thankfully, my dance studio wasn't far from home, so we got there in under 5 minutes.
I carried her to my bedroom and put her down on my bed. Making sure to cover her with blankets and have water next to her for when she awoke. I sat by a chair near my bed and I waited for her to wake up.
While sitting, my mind started to swirl.
'What happened? I wonder if I did something to cause this? Did someone say something to her? I'm so worried I wish she would wake up... was she stoned? Drunk? On acid?? Was she-'
My thoughts were interrupted as I heard Vada groan and slowly open her eyes. She looked confused and she immediately tried to stand up but I stopped her.
"Hey, hey, take it easy Vada. You had a pretty bad fall," I whispered to her.
"How did I get here?" She asked, confused.
"When I got out of dance, I found you passed out. I freaked out so I just took you here where you'd be safe. I'm sorry I should've taken you home but I panicked." I replied, my voice shaking.
"Oh no, thank you so much Mia. Literally what would I do without you." She took a sip of her water and she laid down again.
I decided to get on the bed with her, so I climbed up over her and laid down beside her.
I decided to ask the question that I've been asking myself for the past hour now.
"Why did you pass out?" I bluntly asked, slightly afraid of her reply.
Vada looked hesitant, but she eventually replied,
"well here just check my phone and look at the first notification..."
I cautiously took the phone and looked at the notification.
'12 students shot and killed in Ohio High School shooting' is what the text read.
It felt like a bullet went straight through all my healing progress. Destroying and burning every last piece of it.
My eyes widened and my eyes began to sting with tears. I then looked at Vada. I noticed the fear and tears welling up in her eyes and pulled her in for a tight hug.
"It's okay Vada we're safe, okay? We're safe."
Vada quietly sobbed into my shoulder as I rubbed her back gently.
"It was so scary to see that notification Mia... I thought right then at that moment I was gonna die. I- I didn't feel safe, I was all alone," Vada choked out. She shook in my arms, and my heart broke seeing her this way. I haven't seen her shake so badly since the actual shooting. I also felt terrible that she literally felt unsafe. I wish I was there to help her.
"I'm so sorry Vada... but we're safe here okay? We'll get through this together. We'll heal together, okay?"
I tried to have my voice not break while talking but it was too difficult. I gave into the tears in my eyes and I silently sobbed with Vada. I could feel my swollen puffy eyes get worse and worse but I couldn't stop it and neither could she. Vada held me tighter every time she realized her grip was getting loose. It made me feel very safe so I did the same for her.
We both held each other and cried until my vision started getting blurry. I noticed my exhaustion and I let my heavy eyes fall while Vada and I held each other to sleep.