The Power Within [Narry]

--Chapter 9--

“H-hey, this is isn't funny.” I kneel down to shake his shoulder and once my fingertips touch his skin, I retract my hand. His skin is cold as ice.

I crawl away from Jay's body, staring at him with fear-filled eyes.

Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck. What's going on?! I tug my hair in pure frustration and I just want to cry from it all.

Is he dead?! Did I kill him? But that's not fucking possible...I just pushed him with my hands. That's not enough to leave a bruise, much less kill him. Oh god, but he's not moving at all; it's almost like he's frozen.

“Niall! Are you hurt? Is anything broken?” My two mates rush over and kneel down to fuss over my beaten body even though they're not better off, my eyes flickering to the cuts and bruises littering their arms and faces. They stop firing questions when they notice my horror-stricken face, finally noticing Jay's body sprawled a few feet away from us on the ground—his face still stuck in mid-yell.

“Did you really knock him out that hard?” Ryan asks, furrowing his eyebrows. I can't find the voice to answer him; a heavy lump is lodged in my throat and I'm suffocating from a thick cloud of fear. The dull stinging sensation on my back abruptly intensifies to the point where it actually hurts, as if flames of white-hot fire are maliciously licking against my back. I break out in a sweat and have to grit my teeth to keep from screaming out.

Ryan cautiously moves over to Jay and touches his still shoulder, and just like me, he quickly pulls his hand away. “What the fuck?!” He gasps. He looks at us with a look that mirrors mine but he nevertheless does something that I should have done in the first place: he checks for a pulse.

The next few seconds last an eternity and I feel like I need to duck tape my chest to prevent my heart from jumping out. The pain between my shoulder blades is killing me right now; I actually have to bite down on my fist to muffle my pained groans. Next to me, Nick is stiff with terror but he's nowhere as afraid as I am. What if Jay's actually dead and it's my fault? I would never be able to live with th-

“He's alive,” Ryan says in a shaky voice. “There's a pulse; a strong one.” With that, I let out a huge breath of relief.

“I-I'll call for an ambulance,” Nick volunteers, pulling out his phone and standing up. I move to stand as well but I hiss when a wave of pain sends me collapsing back to the ground, face-first.

“Niall!” They appear by my side in an instant. “What's wrong?”

“M-my back,” I manage to grit out, my eyes screwed shut. I feel my t-shirt being lifted up to my armpits but I can't bring myself to utter out a protest.

“H-holy shit. W-what's..I m-mean..h-..Oh my g-god Niall, are you okay?!” Ryan's voice hits an ear-piercing octave at the last two words. It isn't that bad, is it?

I move to tilt my right side an inch above the ground but that's a big mistake as the minimal movement causes a sharp, burning sting to sear across my upper back. My hands reach out to grab clumps of dirt and grass, wanting to hold onto something that could distract me from the pain—from the chaos whirling in my head.

My breath comes out uneven and fast. “Just peachy.”

“Okay, don't move. I'm calling 999 right now, we have to get you to the hospital,” Nick says firmly.

“No! No hospital. I-”

“WHY?!” Ryan snaps, shocking both Nick and me. His wide eyes convey downright fear, flickering back and forth between my injured back and my face that's covered with specks of dirt. His jade-green eyes soften when they meet mines again. “Why? Niall, you need immediate medical help or else this,” he gestures to my back, “will get infected.”