Adopting Tragedy

Chapter 17

I had fallen asleep yet again on the floor in the bathroom. I hadn't really left the room I was sharing with Niall in over three days. Every time I would engage in physical activity, this chemical within my body would react and grow stronger so I decided I would take it easy and just stay inside my room.

Niall would come in every so often and check up on me. He would bring me food, kiss my forehead, and leave the room again. He doesn't sleep in here anymore. I don't really know what he does to be quiet honest. All I know is that he's safer away from me. It breaks my heart that I have to do this but it's what is for the best.

I sat up from the cold ground, my head pounding. I had to go see Rose today to do more testing. I promised I would. If it can get me closer to some sort of cure, I have to be willing to do things I don't want to.

I walked into the room, TV blaring the news. It was about some new boyband that had taken storm of the world. I sat down on the bed and smiled. I remember when that was One Direction, Harry, Niall, and the other boys were so famous and so loved by everyone. They haven't been a band for so long yet they are closer than ever. Maybe that is the only thing I am actually good for, keeping this boys together.

I ended up putting on a white shirt and a pair of skin tight leggings. I slipped on some slippers and tied my hair up, due to Rose's request. I walked out into the hall way, Liam standing there waiting for me. "You ready?" he questioned. I nodded, following him down the hall. As we came up to the elevator I finally spoke.

"Hey Liam. Do you remember when we first met?" He looked at me and a small smile appeared on his face. "We didn't talk much but you were always so nice to me."

"You were so shy Carter," he laughed. "Then when you warmed up to us, it was like a whole new person. You were loud, energetic, crazy." We both entered the elevator, doors closing behind us. "It was a blessing to have you come into our life." I looked up at him, arms folded, hugging himself. "That was my favorite day. I mean, yeah we've all been through a lot of hell ever since you came into our lives but it's been worth it." He never once made eye contact with me. He just let those words fill the air.

I kept quiet for a while until we came to a halt with the elevator. Before we exited, I grabbed his hand and held it tightly. "Thank you, Liam." He smiled and squeezed my hand back.

"There you are." Rose smiled at both of us then turned back around at her computer. "Nice to see your smiling face for once." I hit her shoulder, making the situation a little bit lighter. She turned around and handed me a face mask. "Alright, I'm going to need you to wear this." I put in on my face, letting the outside world become muffled.

The purpose of this experiment was to see that if my mind is awake but I am not, we can find the source of where the chemical is. I had to lay in a tank of water, letting my mind leave my body. I would be fully conscious but my body would not.

"Alright Carter. Let your mind be at ease," I could see Rose and Liam standing outside the tank. I saw Liam wave at me, letting a small smile come across my face. I closed my eyes, letting the world around me become dark.

When I opened my eyes, I was face to face with the huge tank in front of me. I could vividly see my body inside the tank but the world around me was black. I turned around and began to walk. I had no destination but I was determined to find one. I eventually came up to a small house. Just a house in the middle of nowhere. I walked through the front door to come across a cozy little home.

I could hear loud thumping coming from the upstairs which startled me. I shot my head to the ceiling where I thought the noise was coming from. When I looked back down, the house was dark and old. There was a single light coming from the upstairs which I was drawn to.

I knew I shouldn't go but I did anyways.

**

LIAM'S POV

Rose and I watched the screen which showed us Carter's brain wave activity. It was a mellow flow, just as we would see if she was sleeping. Everything seemed normal for the time being which was good but wasn't helping us much with the research we were doing.

"We need her to find that source," Rose mumbled under her breath. She began typing away at her computer, looking at Carter's heart rate and brain wave activity again. I was curious as to how this was actually going to work but it wasn't my place to really say anything so I kept quiet. That was, until my curiosity got the best of me.

"What happens when she finds whatever she's looking for?" As those words left my mouth, the brain waves started to spiral. The heart rate monitor began to beep loudly, causing Rose's smile to grow. "Rose what's happening?"

"She's come into contact!" She pulled up a picture of Carter's brain and a bright purple light glowed throughout the whole picture. "Oh god.."

"Rose why the hell is that?" Her expression concerned me. "Rose! What's going on!?" The beeping had gotten louder and more violent. I looked over at Carter who was thrashing in the water, trying to untangle herself from the chords. "We have to get her out of there."

"No! We have to wait!" Rose stopped me from going over towards Carter. I looked back on the screen then back to Carter. She was trying to escape. She needed help.

"Rose if we don't detach her she's going to stop-" I was cut off by the heart monitor coming to a dead, monotone, beep. My heart dropped. I pushed past Rose and ran for the huge tank. I jumped in, scooping Carter in my arms and brining her to the surface. I set her down on the ground, trying to feel if she had a pulse. CPR wasn't my strong suit but at this point, I needed to try my best to bring Carter back to us.

I was almost certain that Carter wasn't going to wake up. "Wake up damnit. Wake up!" I could feel the tears surfacing as I tried to save the lifeless girl below me.

Nothing.

"Carter!!! Come on damnit!!!" I tried again and again, but nothing was happening. "Rose!"

Niall burst through the door only to see his wife laying limp in my arms. His face turned a pale white as he rushed over towards us. He took Carter into his own arms, moving the strands of hair away from her face that had fallen. "Come on Carter.. Wake up. Baby wake up."

I turned towards Rose who was just typing away at her computer. She didn't seemed fazed whatsoever by what had happened. "What the hell did you do to her?" I got up from my spot and made my way over towards rose. She didn't budge from her spot. "I said, what did you DO TO HER!?" I slammed my fist against the table next to the computers. Rose adjusted her glasses and turned towards me.

"The chemical was already killing her," she replied. "When she found the source, the chemical reached it's breaching point. I had a window to get it out but there wasn't enough time. I'm sorry." I looked over at Niall who was quietly singing to Carter in his arms. My heart began to ache with the loss of a friend. I didn't want it to be real. It couldn't be real.

"So she's..." Rose removed her glasses and wiped away her own tears.

"Carter's dead."