𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 ✞𝑡𝑜𝑚 𝑘𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑧✞

part thirty-nine

The sound of running water filled the silent room as the teenagers crowded around Robyn. Between Tom's legs, she lay lifeless as Jay pulled her boots off, tossing them to the side before hesitating on her white dress. He glanced towards the crowd of teenagers behind him.

"Close the door" Tom instructed, flicking his eyes seriously up to the group. They nodded in understanding, all taking one final glance at Robyn between the boys before they slid to the floor outside the door and Bill closed it gently.

Jay stared back at Tom, his eyes heavy with shame.

"I told her she would freeze. Her skin is like ice" Tom spoke, seeing how the cool blue veins branched out over her skin as Jay removed her dress carefully.

"She shouldn't have been outside" Jay mumbled slightly shaking his head.

"She was outside? Where did you find her?" Tom questioned, his eyes fiery as he stared at Jay. He pulled Robyn closer to him rubbing his hands across her bare arms to generate friction and heat.

Tom rose to his feet slightly and hooked his arms beneath Robyn's, watching how Jay did the same with her legs. The two boys both lifted her cautiously and lowered her into the bathtub; she was almost as transparent as the water.

"She was lying on the sidewalk beneath a street lamp passed out." he paused, his words catching in his mouth. "she had a duffel bag. I think she was running away"

Internally, Tom wanted to scream and punch him for his actions, yet, he swallowed, flicking his gaze down to the girl in the water.This wasn't worth fighting over. She needed both of them.

He combed his hand over her forehead, delicately dropping beads of water over her complexion.

The two sat in silence for several moments, watching patiently as Robyn submerged in the water, seeing how peaceful she appeared floating in it's warmth. A rosy tinge developed over her skin, now making her seem less ghostly and transparent.

"It's working, her pulse is stronger and she's warming up" Jay observed, pressing two of his fingers to her wrist and then to her neck. He exhaled, pressing his lips together sheepishly before he spoke. "For what it's worth, thank you" the words struggled out of his mouth.

"For what it's worth, I still hate you" Tom replied sarcastically, a slight chuckle tugging on his lips as they sat alongside each other.

"Tom?" Bills voice sounded from behind the door after several moments.

"Yeah?" he questioned, his hand not leaving Robyn's skin as he softly brushed over it with the pad of his finger.

"Mom's up. She has the narcan and I have all your clothes. How's Robyn?" he spoke quickly, anticipating his reply. Tom could hear his anxious tone.

"She's warmer. Send mom in" he instructed, hearing how the door rapidly creaked open and the worried face of Simone appeared hurriedly rushing in. Pulling her robe tighter around her, she knelt down beside the two boys, her tired eyes wide as she assessed the situation.

Worry welled in her eyes, a motherly pain jolted in her heart seeing the limp teenager bare and unconscious in the water.

"Aw, poor baby." she soothed, running a shaking hand over her forehead and feeling her temperature "she's warm enough- She needs narcan now"

Hearing this, both Tom and Jay lifted Robyn from the bath, gently placing her down on one of the towels and wrapping the other one tightly over her bare body. Tom pulled her into his frame, remembering all of the times he had done this when she was conscious.

"Dress her and I will administer it" Simone spoke shakily, her hands wearily unzipping the small first aid kit and rummaging through its content.

Jay lifted an over-sized grey hoodie from the pile Simone had brought, tossing it over to Tom. Like a doll, Tom lifted her limp arms and slid the thick fabric over her bare torso, carefully pulling it down until her head poked out from the neck. He adjusted it to compliment her frame, pulling her braids from the neck and sliding the long arms up her arms to fit her. As he did so, Jay slid some grey sweatpants up her thighs, securing them comfortably around her waist until she looked like a bundle drowning in grey cotton. At least she was warm.

Tom pulled her upward into him, sitting her up slightly as he rubbed comforting circles across her shoulders and arms. His afraid eyes watched as his mother turned to her with the narcan.

Seeing the fear in her son's eyes, she offered a small reassuring nod to him, her lips sliding up into a brief smile. She was proud of how he was being so strong, but she could see how much he feared and cared for the girl in his arms.

She carefully leant down over the girl, seeing how her eyes fluttered rapidly beneath her pale lids- an indication that she was still somewhere in there.

"Lift her chin Tom" she instructed. Tom nodded, snaking his hand beneath her jaw and lifting her head back to expose her nostrils. After a deep breath, Simone slid the cylinder nozzle of the narcan up her nose and pressed the dispenser hard. After making a hissing sound, the narcan administers a short burst of air into Robyn, causing her to rapidly exhale a held breath.

Her eyes shot open, blinking rapidly in the light as she looked around in confusion. Her breaths were dry and shallow, Robyn panicking slightly as she couldn't find enough breath.

Tom shuffled up slightly, rubbing her back in soothing circles and breathing slowly against her.

"Breathe Rob," Jay spoke slowly, sliding closer to her side as Simone held her hand.

"Breathe" Tom whispered slowly down her neck, "Breathe with me"

She remained this way for ten minutes or so, her eyes vacant and rapidly searching for answers as to why she was damp, in Tom's clothes, on the bathroom floor and with a crowd of people looking above her.

She continued to hyperventilate, feeling her lower stomach burn with a stabbing pain.

"Why isn't it working?" Jay spoke frustratedly over to Simone who was rapidly scanning over the instructions and the packaging. She shrugged, her eyes welling with tears in panic.

"Mom?" Tom barked, his hands still brushing over her skin as her shoulders shook beneath him. Gasps and struggling noises escaped her lips as her body writhed uncontrollably.

In that moment, the door flung open and the teenagers piled in, eyes darting down to Robyn to see her condition. They all fell to their knees, crouching around her with worried expressions. Tears fell from Lena's pale eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Georg pulled her into him, his eyes still fixed numbly on Robyn's shaking body. Gustav placed a gentle hand on her forehead, feeling how her skin was flushed hot beneath his touch. Bill swallowed, filling the space between his mother and twin and expanding his arms across them in comfort.

"Why isn't it working?" Jay repeated, more agitated and aggressive at the lack of answers or solutions.

"I think we have to go to the hospital" Simone spoke, raising her gaze worriedly to the teenagers around her.

Tom nodded to his mother, his heart aching as he saw her eyes gloss with tears. He carefully lifted Robyn up and manoeuvred her into his arms, carefully cradling her head as it repeatedly spasmed to find breath. He watched in shock, seeing how her once cat-like eyes were wide and wildly panicked.

"Okay, call Alicia" Jay instructed, rising from his position and pulling Robyn's phone from her boot and tossing it to Lena. He hesitated, "and her dad"

Lena and Georg lead Tom down that stairs, cautious of Robyn sprawled in his arms as the remaining teenagers and Simone followed closely behind.

Outside, Simone quickly locked the front door and tossed the keys to Bill, him catching them carefully and sliding into the drivers seat. Beside him, Jay aided Tom into the seat, lying Robyn carefully across his lap before he joined the others in the pickup bed.

Shadows cast down on her face, he stared at her in pain, his insides shifting seeing how she struggled. It wasn't until Bill placed a comforting hand on his knee that he could pull his gaze from her and stare back at his brother. He offered a small smile, his eyes speaking a thousand words to his twin.

He could see his hope was fading.