The Island

Part 10 - 2

Two:

"Just walk across and try to be quick." Emma removed her dirty t-shirt to speak. She was standing at the top at the outlook balcony, just in view of the fainting Wyatt. Across from her by his room was JT. In her pajamas, Emma stood ablaze. "This hallway is going to give-" "No it won't. Trust me." He stood at the hall by his door, feeling afraid of the floor. Or what was left of it. Before his feet, the hallway outside the bathroom door sported a giant crack. A crack so large it extended through the hall and onto the opposite wall. JT feared if he took a step with all of his husky weight the floor would collapse beneath his feet. Before she came out to witness the damage of the tree, Emma made sure to grab an dirty t-shirt on the floor. Since her dad worked in construction, she knew there'd be dust if a house was ripped apart suddenly. "JT, our friends need help!" She pointed from her stance to the foyer below. JT didn't reply, he just feared the ground in front of him. JT hadn't felt so scared in his life; with the tree nearly missing his room, the fact he might be looking at death in the face of a foreboding floor, the entire situation scared him like nothing else before. Before Emma was not a physical obstacle, but a mental obstacle. In front of her, she had two choices; wait for her love to come, or help her seemingly dying friends. Thoughts of memories with JT flooded her mind. The first time they met, in the library at school. JT was looking for a book to help him with a research project in his English class. Emma still never knew what JT saw in her, but a simple of question of "Hey, do you know where the poetry section is?" sparked an unlikely friendship that followed them all the way to this day. Another memory floated by; the first time JT and Emma spoke on the island. The conversation they had wasn't very significant, but it was the first time Emma was alone with JT, away from all the stupid jocks at school who teased "Mr. Hardbacker-Linebacker" about hanging out with the pudgy nerd. Emma also realized during that conversation her true feelings for JT; not friendship, but love. The thoughts flashed in and out of her head in seconds, but they felt like entireties. Still maintained a good grip on her dirty shirt, she looked at JT really hard. He stared back in absolute fear. Emma hesitated, and took a step back. "Hurry!" She pulled her shirt away to say. It was obvious we wasn't going to budge. Emma kept looking down and over the balcony, seeing Wyatt's eyes and consciousness fading. Emma felt so much pity at the sight of Logan's unconscious body next to Wyatt's as well. In one of the most difficult decisions of her life, Emma decided. Taking one last look at the frightened JT, Emma ran for Wyatt and Logan. She raced down the eleven stairs, skipping the last two in a leap of desperation. She flew down the rest, still managing her dirty t-shirt in hand. Emma reached the foyer's hardwood and slid on her knees to Wyatt. She looked over his pale body. His chest rose and fell with a wheeze. "Good. At least you're breathing." Emma said to herself. She laid two fingers down on his cold neck. His pulse was slower than an average person's, concerning her deeply. "Hang in there." Emma moved onto Logan, who looked much worse. Her hair was flailed about in the slight breeze now blowing through the foyer. Emma tilted her head and saw she was bleeding from the forehead. It wasn't critical, but Emma knew it had to be treated soon. She reached down to Logan's neck, feeling even colder than Wyatt's. Her pulse was about the same as Wyatt's. Emma saw Wyatt leaning his head over to Emma, blinking slowly and opening his mouth. He tried to speak but no words came out of his damaged lungs. Emma leaned up on her knees and dropped her dirty shirt. Emma wrapped her fingers around Logan's wrists. Pulling her somewhat light body to an upright position, Emma relaxed a grip on one of Logan's wrists and got her underarms, similar to what Wyatt had done. Emma hoisted her up and got Logan to her limp feet. Emma slung one arm around Logan's upper body and placed the other under her hamstrings. With that, Emma was carrying all of Logan. She brought her past Wyatt, who had watched her this entire time. He tried to crack a smile, but all that came out was a trail of blood. "JT!" Emma screamed. "JT! HELP!" Wyatt's mouth closed, leaving his lips and a trail from the side of his lips pure scarlet. Emma looked in terror as Wyatt began to slip away once more. "JT!" The final call of his name got him to come. Heavy footsteps pounded the floor as JT propelled himself forward into a brave savior instead of a lousy craven. Emma had to stop looking at Wyatt and focus on getting Logan to fresh air. Emma saw the library like Wyatt did and went immediately for it. The dust was starting to get to her, so Emma picked up the pace. With a somewhat free hand she managed to get, Emma twisted the knob and miraculously opened the door. Quickly, Emma got to her knees and rested the unconscious Logan inside. Emma closed the door swiftly and turned back to the now-present JT. "What happened-" "Move Wyatt to the library NOW!" Emma pointed to Wyatt's body behind JT. He dashed for Wyatt's body. JT easily scooped up Wyatt and held him close. Emma opened the door and let JT step inside. Placing him right by his girlfriend's side, both Wyatt and Logan were now safe from the toxic air particles. "My God-" JT leaned over and coughed. "Use your collar." Emma demonstrated by bringing the collar of her night top to her lips. JT copied her. "Alright, now what?" "I think we need to give them-" Before Emma could finish, a noise came from within the rubble. It sounded like the rubble was being moved aside. By footsteps. "Hello?" Emma called to the ruined hall. From the dust and rubble, Emma and JT observed the first to live through the falling oak.