Inhabited

Chapter 4

The pressure pins me to the ground. An unsurmountable amount that I don't want to feel. I want it to be over with, but as it races through my back, I know that won't happen. My fingers curl into the ground beneath me and I let out a ragged breath of air.

My lungs burn, and I struggle for every breath.

Maisie drops at my side, the rattling of something in my ears looking at her.

"Here." she prompts, holding out an all too familiar device to me.

I wrinkly my nose. "That's my inhaler." I breathe out. "I haven't – I haven't used that thing—"

"In years, I know. But I still bring it with us on trips. You know, just in case." Fear sparks in her eyes at the words leaving her mouth.

I flinch. We went to the zoo when she was eleven and I was nine. I'd had an asthma attack from all the pollen and fur and everything else floating in the air. I'd had to be hospitalized for almost a week because of it. I haven't had an attack since then. But just like then, Maisie is looking out for me. She's always looking out for me.

"You're having trouble breathing." She tells me, as if I already didn't know that. "Come on."

Arguing with her is pointless and I know that. My lips part as she puts the mouth piece to me. Closing my mouth around it, Maisie presses down and squirts the oxygen into me. As it hits, soaring to my lungs, I take in a deep breath. She squirts again and I heave another one, feeling the fiery embers begin to die now.

Maise reaches around my shoulders and helps me sit up. I rub at my chest, grimacing at the pain searing in my back.

"Fawn!" Sullivan gasps as he returns, dropping to his knees in front of me.

I blink until his face focuses in front of me. His fingers press against my cheek and I pull away as throbbing pain ignites from his touch. I don't think it's directly from him though.

"There you are!" Nate chastises gently, but when I glance up, his eyes are on Maisie. "You keep disappearing on me."

Right behind him are Grayson and Seth. Turning my head as slowly as possible to not cause any whiplash or anything that'll cause more pain, I finally take in the sight before me.

"Oh god." I breathe.

"No." Sullivan demands, gripping my chin to pull my eyes away from the sight. "Don't look there, alright? Everything is fine. We're all here."

My eyes find his and shift to my brothers and sister, finally taking each of them in. Nate has a deep gash in forehead that's streaming blood.

"We crashed?" I asked, my eyes meeting the oldest.

He nods, swallowing hard. "I – I – Grayson, come help me. We need to locate the transmitter."

He turns and I finally glance at the third oldest. His eyes aren't on me, but on Sullivan. Stony and cold, his shoulders squared, jaw set. A long gash runs along his cheek and down the side of his neck, trickling blood that's pooled into the collar of his shirt and seeped a little further down.

He glances at me and his nostrils flare. Instant guilt curls through my stomach, but I keep my gaze on him. He turns on his heel and follows Nate without a word.

"Fawn." Sully coaxes quietly and draws my eyes back to him. "He'll be alright."

"This is a rotten way for him to find out." I say softly.

"Yeah, well, he was bound to find out." Maisie says and pulls her purse from her side, shoving my inhaler in it.

I blink at her. She's covered in dirt and blood herself. And frightened, definitely frightened. But we're all together. That's what counts, right?

"You knew?"

"We all knew." Seth pipes up and I look up at him. "Except Grayson, though I don't think he was completely oblivious. Just didn't want to admit to it until now." He shakes his head. "Seriously, Fawn, anywhere else that hurts?"

"No." I flinch as I shift. "Just my back mostly."

Seth nods. "It isn't a fatal wound, but it will hurt for a little while. At least it isn't worse."

At least it isn't worse. I nod at his words, because he's right. It could be so much worse. I could be so much worse. I could be dead instead of sitting upright.

I could be dead. the voice whispers through me and a trickle of fear runs alongside the pain. My eyes shift to Sullivan and the words are blurted before I can stop them, because panic is taking over.

"I love you too. I'm sorry I didn't say it back at the airport. You took me by surprise and I didn't mean to not say it. I want to live with you, I do. I said no because it scared me when you asked and Grayson would find out – but I mean, now he knows and—"

"Breathe." Sully cuts in. "You have to breathe, Fawn. Calm down. Slow down."

Maisie's hand flutters back to her purse, clutching as she watches me with wide eyes.

Seth clears his throat. "Maisie, we should probably give them some space."

My cheeks flare with heat and I shift my gaze to my brother who gives me a small smile as my sister scrambles to her feet, holding her hand out. Sullivan reaches up and I glance in time to see him take the inhaler from her.

I don't object as the two go to find Nate and Grayson, probably to try and smooth over the situation before he can even attempt to kill Sullivan.

"Fawn—" Sully starts and his words falter for a moment. "You really mean that?"

I look at him again and give a curt nod, hissing as the pain sears down my neck. Reaching up, I press my fingers against the back of my neck. "Yes. I love you and I want to live with you."