In the Deep *Book Two* Water Trilogy

Twelve

My head rested against the edge of the hospital bed. My arms were numb from laying across Audrey's body for so long. I could feel the imprints from the wrinkled sheets on my cheek and forehead. I looked up to see Audrey sleeping peacefully. Part of me wished she would wake up so I could hear her voice tell me she loved me but I also knew that her waking up would bring her pain sooner. The bruises lining her body were clearly visible between patches of bandages. I fought the vomit that wanted to spill out of me at the fact that my own sister had been the one who had nearly destroyed her. I had brought her so much fear and pain; she deserved better. 

I couldn't help but feel that she was going to wake up and tell me she was sick of it, of everything, and she wanted nothing more than for me to disappear so she could live a normal life where she could worry about normal things. I wouldn't be able to blame her if she did. 

"Audrey," I whispered as I laid there, feeling the warmth that meant life radiating off her skin. Even though she was asleep I had to tell her all the things on my mind. I needed to get it out. "You're everything I have ever wanted, everything I have been wishing for. I wish I could have saved you from all of this. I feel like I have failed you and I want you to know I'm so sorry, so sorry... I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to see me again." 

"I love you, Finn. Don't be an idiot," a sleepy voiced Audrey snapped. She tried to turn towards me, probably to scold me more, but she groaned in pain before laying back into her originally position. "My face is killing me." 

"Do you need more medicine?" 

"No." She said with a little too much force. "I don't want to fall back asleep."

"Audrey, you're in pain-" 

"I said no." 

"Okay," I put my hands up in surrender. "Okay." 

She stared at me, not saying in a word, and smiled. "I've missed you." 

"I've missed you more," my voice cracked with raw emotion. A tear rolled down her cheek and I wiped it away quickly. If there was one thing I never wanted to see again in my life time it's Audrey crying. "I'm never letting you go." 

"Good because I never want you to." 

I leaned in and kissed her softly. She smelled like the ocean. My hands ran through her blonde hair that had grown a few inches since summer as her fingers traced a swirly pattern on my arm playfully. My heart skipped a few beats as she sighed and leaned into the palm of my hand. 

"When you get to go back home I'm going to sneak into your bedroom every night," I whispered and she giggled. "And every morning I'm going to tell you how beautiful you are so you never forget." 

"I love you." 

"I love you too." 

"You know what I also love?" 

"What?" 

"Food. I'm starving and you should get me some." 

"You want me to go on the hunt?" 

"Yes." 

"And what would you like?" I said, jumping up to please her. 

"Something squishy and sweet. Like jello or pudding." 

"Jello?" I asked. I understood what she meant by pudding but I had no idea what jello was. I shook my head. "You humans have the strangest things." 

"Says the guy with the fish tail," Audrey mutters. 

"Hey! You love the tail!" I yelled before leaving for Audrey's food. 

I managed to find my way through several hallways and down an elevator only to have to ask how to get to the cafeteria. The hospital was ridiculously large and I had no idea what to do when I reached the cafeteria. I ended up grabbing several squishy looking foods and paying for them. 

*Audrey's P.O.V* 

I sat in my bed, in more pain than I would ever let Finn know. My whole body ached and I wanted to take medication to relax but I didn't know how long I had been asleep the first time and couldn't bare the thought of being unconscious for that long again. The thought of not being able to defend myself from the world scared me. Nahla was still out there and the news of Audrey the missing girl being found probably spread faster than wild fire. 

"Knock, Knock," a sickly sweet voice slipped through ruby red lips as they entered the room. I held back the scream that wanted to erupt. 

"Stay the hell away from me," my voice, meant to be powerful and commanding failed me, coming out as weak and pathetic. 

"Oh, but didn't you miss me Audrey?" She laughed and shut the hospital door. Nahla leaned against it and shook her head. "What is with you and never dying? I do not understand why you work so hard to live. There's nothing special about you; you're just a useless human."

"And you're just a crazy bitch." 

"That might be true," she said pleasantly as she pulled out a knife from behind her back. "Or maybe you're just not seeing things my way, the way it should be." 

She took a step towards my bed and I ripped away the blankets, throwing myself off the mattress and onto the cold hospital floor. She took a step forward as I ripped out the IV and other cords that were attached to my body. I was dressed in a thin hospital gown. 

I had no escape. Standing between the doors and I was Nahla and a very sharp knife that she was dying to use. Behind me was a wall of windows and a three story drop. 

"I said stay the hell away from me, Nahla!" I yelled, praying that someone would hear and end this nightmare. 

"I don't do so well with orders," she snapped before lunging. The tip of the knife grazed my arm as I jumped away from her. My back slammed into white cabinets and I groaned. Nahla let out a growl. 

"Where's your little boy friend?" I mocked as she attempted to corner me at the windows. 

"I got rid of him," she smiled. "No reason to keep someone around who fails me." 

"Working alone now, huh?" I asked, trying to buy myself time. Finn had to be coming back soon.  

"I'm never alone. I will always have those who follow me." 

"Not if you keep killing them off you won't," I muttered. "You don't have many to begin with." 

"Shut up," she lunged at me again only this time I grabbed her wrists. We shoved at each other as Nahla came closer and closer to pressing into my neck. I felt the blade touch the base of my throat and I knew that I was about to die. It was either life or death. I had to kill Nahla. 

Now the windows were behind her instead of me and I gave one last forceful shove with all of my strength. The weight of her body flew away from me and we both started screaming.

*Finn's P.O.V* 

Screams from Audrey's room made me run. I dropped everything I had been carrying and shoved anything in my way to the side. I grabbed the door handle and flung it open. I looked to see Audrey standing with her arms out and Nahla falling backwards into the wall of windows which shattered as she hit them. 

Nahla fell through. 

I ran to Audrey's side as she walked up to the edge of broken glass and looked down. Three stories below was my sister, splattered on the concrete and surrounded by shards of sparkling glass. 

"I killed her," Audrey wailed as she fell down. I grabbed her before she accidentally fell out the window and pulled her into a chair. 

"It's over," was the only thing I could say. "It's over." 

"What is this?" A nurse busted into the room as she looked at the broken window. She ran over and looked down. She started screaming before running out of the room.