[Okay, so I'm not saying much this time, just warning you that this is not a very happy chapter. I'll give my reasons at the end!]
Belinda sank, the world going white. Strange, she'd always assumed it would be black, an infinite darkness. Maybe she was imagining it. Maybe this was all in her head - maybe this was something - a gift? - from Maggie. She didn't even think it hurt that much. But something was bothering her. Something was tugging at her peace, tearing it apart. She thought she could hear someone calling out to her, pulling at her arm. Did she even still have an arm?
"Belinda, come on!" Keith begged, holding her head above water, she didn't seem to be breathing, her lips - those beautiful red lips - were tinged with blue. He was trying to power to the edge of the pool, trying to make sure she was breathing, trying to do so much that he thought his head would explode. And then Jack was there, pulling them both out of the water.
Keith coughed up a lot of water, clutching his stomach. When he looked up again, Jack was giving Belinda CPR, his hands pumping on her chest ferociously. Even as her lips turned less blue, she didn't awaken. After about three minutes of chest pumping, Belinda started to gag, water trickling out of her mouth. Jack pushed her roughly onto her side, letting the water rush out in a tirade.
"I think she's breathing again!" Jack exclaimed, looking relieved. He was leaning down, right next to her face, listening intently. "But- why isn't she waking up? If she's breathing, shouldn't she wake up?"
"They- they don't always come around straight away Jack," Keith said, cautiously. "Most of the time, you need to take them to hospital. So we have to get moving, get her out of here. The longer we're here, the worse it'll get."
"Fine, let's go!"
Jack hoisted Belinda into his arms, his eyes burning with determination. He half-ran towards another hill, racing for the crest. Keith kept up with him easily, wondering if he should take Belinda. Not because he didn't like Jack touching her - although that did contribute - but because he was shaking her around a lot. There was a chance that she was brain damaged, from the lack of oxygen, and shaking her around could make it worse.
They reached the top of the hill and Jack looked at Keith intently.
"This is it! This is where we got in. Now we need you to tell Maggie we want to get back in."
Keith looked briefly at Belinda again, biting his lip. He didn't like the idea of leaving them defenceless while he was in that in between thing. Not that he had been much help up to his point, but it went against everything in him to leave Belinda like this. But he turned away from Jack and Belinda to reach for Maggie. It took a lot more effort than usual to concentrate on Maggie, what with Belinda right there, but he did it somehow.
Maggie was watching a silvery spot across from her. She recognised it instantly, as the smudge Belinda had described to her, not too long ago. She smiled in relief, going into a trance of her own, muttering a spell. Her lips were moving in a blur and Keith let himself phase back into the other world. Jack was looking just past Keith at the portal that was opening there.
Jack and Belinda were the first to come through the portal, Belinda still limp in Jack's arms. He was shouting something, but all Maggie heard was white noise. No, no, no, no, NO! she thought desperately. This isn't meant to happen! They were all meant to come back safe! Keith was coming through now, grabbing at the telephone next to Maggie.
"Hello, nine-one-one, what can I help you with?"
"Help, it's my friend, I think there's something wrong with her! She- she's not waking up, what do we do? She was drinking some water, sh-she started choking, she collapsed, what to I do?!?!" Keith cried, the anguish in his voice bringing Maggie out of her shock. Well, partially anyway. "No, my friend got her breathing again, but she didn't wake up! What do we do?!"
Ten minutes later, there were sirens going off. The portal was closed and there was a smashed glass of water by the sofa. Keith had done it, to give his story credibility but only because Jack had ordered him to. Maggie had insisted she was the one who knew Belinda best, and she was the one getting in the ambulance with her. Jack and Keith both leapt onto their bicycles, leaving a brief note for Keith's mother.
At the hospital, Maggie was trying to give Belinda's details, looking towards the door of Belinda's room every few minutes. The nurse who was taking the details was being awfully patient, letting Maggie talk at her own pace. When she had all the vital information, she asked if Belinda had an adult they could call, to come and sign paperwork, to give confirmation that the girl lying on the bed was indeed Belinda Godfrey.
"He-her mum's in here too," Maggie stuttered. "But I can get hold of my mum. She's been staying with us, you know? Just until her mum gets better..."
Keith and Jack burst through the doors then, both frantic to see Belinda. Jack was the one who reached the room first and he sank into the chair next to Belinda's bed. Keith stayed with Maggie, helping to answer the questions Maggie hadn't been able to. It wasn't much, but he tried. Eventually, the nurse let them go to be with Belinda, letting them all into the room at once.
Maggie just started to cry, little sobs until Keith hugged her tight, trying to calm her. This is all my fault, he thought. If only I'd listened to her. She said she didn't want to walk there and I didn't fucking listen! Jack just sat there, staring at Belinda. He looked like he was in so much pain, so torn up by this. Keith felt the guilt double.
Hours later, Gina arrived, taking control of the situation. She embraced Keith briefly before letting them explain the whole thing. Her eyes sharpened when she heard about Andrew but she let them continue. When they were done, Jack was staring dumbly at Belinda, evidently trying not to cry. Keith barely ever even saw him upset, but to see him cry? That was definitely new.
When visiting hours ended, there was a short argument about who would get to stay with her. Eventually, Gina decided that it would be best if everyone just went home, leave Belinda to rest. Both Maggie and Jack disapproved of the idea, of course, but Gina won in the end. Keith was quiet the whole time, just staring at Belinda. Even when it was time to go, he didn't say a word. Maggie knew him well enough that she kept clinging to his hand, knowing that he needed some support. Keith just held back tightly, numb.
[Okay, I KNOW there are probably a lot of you who wanted her to wake up miraculously. But that sort of stuff just doesn't happen. Okay? So don't be mad. But PLEASE comment. I need to know what you guys think! ^_^]
