The 4th Subject

Chapter 39: He's Different Now

"Wait, why would you give yours to Woods, he destroyed his!" Sam said, slowly standing.

"Because that's my job!" Matt cried.

A second of silence weighed down the atmosphere. Matt suddenly leaned forward, bumping into the desk.

"Matt, are you ok?" Sam asked, her arm in his.

"I'm fine," he stuttered, slurring his words. "It's just...it's...spinning. Everything..."

"Just breathe." Sam said.

"Everything..." he kept muttering, "it's dizzy, I..."

He dropped to the ground.

"Matt!" I cried, crawling over to his body.

"Quinn, put the camera down." Woods said as he came up next to me.

The four of us quickly sprang to action, calling his name.

"He's out," Woods muttered.

"He hit his head!" Sam said, motioning to the desk. "He hit his——"

We were cut off by a loud clunk. The vault door swung open.

"Why did it just open?" Sam questioned, her eyes darting from the door to us.

"Doesn't matter," Woods said as he put his arms under Matt's. "Quinn, come here! Help me!"

"Sam, grab the other camera," I said as I picked up Quinn's rig.

Woods and Quinn carefully lifted Matt's unconscious body, revealing a puddle of red.

"That's so much blood!" Sam cried as she looked away.

I gently pulled her arm and guided her out behind the guys. As we got to the door, I passed her the camera I holding. After a quick glance around, I picked up a fire extinguisher.

"Woods, stand back."

The sound of the metal canister against the wood of the door echoed in my head. But after several attempts, ramming the extinguisher into the door wasn't doing much.

"It's not working!" Sam cried.

Then, a new idea. I lifted it high above my head and slammed it down on the handle with all my weight. It bent. Again. Almost there. Once more...

"Whoa!" Woods and Quinn yelled as the handle sat mangled on the floor. I pushed the door open with my shoulder and dropped the fire extinguisher.

"Let's go."

I dialed 911 as we slowly climbed the stairs. Minutes later, Matt was loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital. The four of us stood there for a moment, watching it drive down the road.

"Matt might die," I heard Woods mumble, "and it's my fault."

I quickly turned to him.

"Woods, this was not your fault."

"Yes it is!" He retorted. "If I hadn't destroyed my antidote, Matt would still be here."

"You didn't know, you couldn't have."

"Matt literally said this in headquarters when we were arguing. He said, "what if you get hit". I did. I should be in that ambulance right now."

"Woods," I said calmly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "I know this probably isn't what you want to hear right now, but this is what needed to happen. I have a feeling Matt will be fine."

Woods, Sam and Quinn looked at me.

"Are you sure?" Sam asked, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Yes," I restated.