Nothing Would've Ever Happened

Chapter 16

The Odyssey rolls up to an abandoned warehouse as the echoing police sirens fade away, slowly rolling to a stop inside. Immediately the side doors slide open and Justin carries Elaine to the floor, where Isabel placed a jacket for her head. Mavis and Drew bend on their knees, hugging each other in an attempt of comfort. Justin resumed his moment with her, trying to wake her up.

"Elaine, baby...?" His voice cracking from his crying. "Please wake up, come on..."

"Dad...?" Mavis's voice shook as well. "Is mommy going to be okay?"

"I don't know, sweetheart..." He said unconfidently. He shook her, trying anything to return his love to him.

"It's no use." Isabel said quietly. "There's nothing we can do."

Silence came across the warehouse, broken only from Justin's sobbing. Mavis and Drew stayed silent, afraid of what was going to happen next. Isabel sits next to Justin and hugs him, tears also starting to fall on her cheeks.

"Brustin... I-I'm so sorry..."

He continued to sob, not moving at all to her gesture of compassion. Isabel, wanting redeem his brother's trust, rushed to the van and grabbed a suitcase, opening it next to Justin. Curious, he looked to notice Isabel setting up a machine hidden inside the metallic suitcase, filled with vials and wires.

"What are you doing?" Justin said, clearing his tears.

"Remember that movie we watched that made people go into dreams within dreams? The Inception Theory we keep talking about? Well during my time at OWCA, I did a side project without consent and finished this. I was able to test it with Audrey, and it works."

She looked at Elaine, lying on the floor. "Maybe we can get her out of her subconscious state of mind."

Isabel handed Justin a circular pad that was wired into the machine. As she warmed it up, she placed two similar pads on Elaine's temples. She started to pour a liquid into a little bottle, which she gave Justin.

"Drink it. It'll keep you sedated for a long enough time for you to save her."

Justin held the drink in his hand as he placed the pad on his temple. He looked at Mavis and Drew, smiling confidently at them.

"Are you sure this will work?" Justin asked.

"We only got one shot." she replied.

"What are the risks?"

"It was only tested the one time, so there's like so many possibilities that it could go wrong..."

Justin paused for a moment, understanding the monumental risk he had to take.

"Let's do this."

"Okay, lie down. We don't have much time."

He began to lie next to Elaine, getting ready to drink the serum. Mavis and Drew crowded around him, worry expressed on their faces. Mavis placed her jacket on his head for comfort.

"Now you're only going to have a week when you go under to try to save her. You need for her to understand where she is and what's waiting for her when she wakes up. The most important thing is that you naturally let her understand, okay?" Isabel explained.

Justin nodded in agreement.

"Dad, what if you don't come back?" Drew said, almost in tears.

"You're gonna have to trust me, okay?" Justin said confidently. "Now hold my hand."

Mavis and Drew reached for his right hand, holding it together. Justin took a deep breath as he drank the whole vial, immediately getting sleepy.

"Good luck, Brustin." Isabel's voice began to echo and dissipate as his vision darkened. Just as he blacked out, he reached out and held his wife's hand for the last time, an effort for possibly the last time of his life.