Mission 'Don't get killed'

Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

For a moment I just stand there, thinking about how good of a friend she was to me. Then I get myself back together and get to work. Which is waiting. And waiting. It's only been a few minutes, but it feels like hours. What if Jenn doesn't find me in the panic rooms? Will she get out and start to explore the building, looking for me? I can see her doing it and even though I love her for caring so much about me, I sincerely hope that she's not going to do that. What if Tegan is still out there and finds me while I'm making my escape? Or even worse, Vic? Or just someone else in general? What if the man whose mindscape in broke into is onto me? My story was weak, but he seemed to believe it... Or he was just acting that. Stop worrying. Stop stop stop. I tell myself over and over. It's not going to help you. But should I think through some emergency plans? Just in case... No! I tell myself. You shouldn't worry about anything but the task at hand. And that's waking up Sara and Zac. Sara is already a little awake, her eyes are half open and she seems to take in more and more of her surroudings.

'Hey.' I tell her. 'Please wake up as quickly as you can.'

'I'm trying but I'm so tired.' She says and she yawns.

'We're going home.' I tell her and it seems to help. 'How's Zac?' She asks.

'I don't know.' I tell her honestly. 'He seems to be awake, his eyes are open, but that's all. I'm afraid it's going to be hard to get him out.' This really worries me because it's true. He wakes up way slower than Sara and we don't have a lot of time anymore. It's six thirty now and in less than an hour the second party is leaving and then we'll have to take our chance.

Sara tries to sit up and she seems to get a bit dizzy while doing so but she doesn't lay back down. Then she swings her legs over the bedside and gets up. Only to collapse almost immediately on the bed again. O no, please don't tell she's not going to be able to walk.

I reach out to help but she holds up a hand to stop me. 'I'm fine.' She says. 'Just getting used to things here.'

I move back to Zac again. He is more alert now and I tell him to try and sit up.

'What's going on?' He asks and I feel so bad for him. He just looks so lost. I know that's due to Sara's destroying and I know that he can be fixed, but it just looks so sad.

'We're going home.' I tell him while I gently try to pull him into a sitting position. He collaborates, or at least he tries, and when he's sitting up he looks like he's more awake, which is a good thing. Sara has already moved on to the next stadium, which is walking around. She doesn't really get very far, partly because of the IV's stuck in her hand and elbow and partly because she's still drowsy.

'Wait!' I tell her when she's about to rip the needles from her arm. 'I don't know what's going to happen when you do that!' It can be that an alarm is being set of somewhere, Barbara hasn't told me and I forgot to ask. Stupid. Maybe Barbara didn't know about it herself either. I tell myself to quit cursing and just focus, because I keep getting distracted by things I can't control.

'How are you feeling?' I turn back to Zac.

'Bad.' He says bluntly. 'I want to sleep.' He almost lays back down but I stop him.

'Don't do that.' I say. 'You don't want to sleep. You want to go home.'

'I don't even know where that is.' He says stubbornly. His childish behavior and speech is also due to the destroyed mindscape.

'I'm sorry I made it so difficult.' Sara says.

'Don't be ridiculous.' I tell her. 'It's not your fault. This saved his life.'