Stonebrook High School

Chapter 63

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For the next month, there was only military and medical units going in and out of Southern California. Everyone who had been affected by the Witherstorm had clustered into temporary evacuation centers consisting of businesses and large buildings that were offered as shelter.

In every corner was a busy team of volunteers taking care of injured people, organizing resources and rations, passing out mail, and even assisting with those who had Wither sickness. Jesse and Olivia were frequent visitors to these centers due to Jesse's severe burn damage and Olivia would help with volunteering as she watched over him.

Luckily, Jesse had not been burned everywhere and was eligible for skin grafts, so he had skin from his thighs grafted. Even though he couldn't feel pain in his burn areas, the grafted areas he could, and he spent a lot of time trying to hold in his groans. However, with the help of Isa, he had access to some of the best plastic and cosmetic surgeons and was mostly back to normal. Of course, the scars would be everywhere, but at least he didn't look like something out of a horror movie.

"Jesse, do you have water for your painkillers?" Olivia piped up, holding a bottle in the air. He shook his head and told her he had drunk it all earlier. She nodded and said, "I'll get you one," leaving the room.

As his friend went to retrieve the water, he reminded himself of the date. The sixth of October. The only form of communication with the outside world they had for a month was through the military and medical staff that would appear once in a while with resources. Only recently had Jesse heard about Hurricane Matthew sweeping through the Haitian islands and Florida going under a state of emergency. Not only had his side of the world suffered but others were as well, and he knew there was even more damage outside the Americas.

How saddening.

On a related note, Jesse had learned that Gabriel was in a medically-induced coma for about two weeks now. The Witherstorm had made him so weak he was unable to even rest and restore energy, so the nurses had to force sleep onto him. Apparently, he was looking better, but Jesse held his doubts.

Petra was still under observation by the Guard. From what he heard, they were performing tests on her to try and find a solution to their amnesia. Olivia was able to visit her once in a while and would deliver messages from Jesse, asking how her day was and if she was doing fine and other stuff like that.

However, his sister... was barely holding on. The fall had broken many of her bones but the remaining rocks and rubble crashing down on her almost brought her to her demise. Jess was alive but, as Isa had told him, could pass any moment. Not to mention the Wither sickness eating away at her - due to her injuries, it made it easier for the sickness to weaken her and take her body over. They needed a cure and quickly, or else Jess wouldn't make it.

"Ughhhh," he groaned out loud. He was so tired of being tired. Nothing was more frustrating than dealing with problems that were outside his reach.

"I'm back," Olivia popped in, holding up a brand new bottle. "You okay? I could hear you from a little down the hall."

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just irritated at the current state of our issues, you know? Like, why can't I just abracadabra some magical relic and fix everything? Ugh."

She sighed and sat at the foot of his bed. "Yeah, same here. I'm just always so worried inbetween being busy now. I have to help Ellegaard, check on Gabriel and Petra, get what I can about Jess, and make sure Axel is okay."

Ah, yeah. Axel. He had also watched Jess fall from an opening in Soren's base. When he arrived at the hospital with Ellegaard and Magnus, he screamed for her and Magnus had to restrain him. He had been sitting in quiet shock in the helicopter and it hadn't hit the large teenager until they landed. Poor Axel. He didn't deserve this either.

"Everyone's just not having it, huh?" Jesse opined.

"Yeah. It doesn't help that Ivor and Soren are still missing." Olivia sighed again. "A whole month and those two haven't dropped by. I wonder if they're okay."

"Is Ivor really an okay person?"

She nodded. "Apparently he is now. Jess seemed to get along with him fairly well before the fall. And besides, if it weren't for him, maybe everyone would still be running from the Storms right now."

Jesse frowned. "This whole thing should have never happened in the first place."

"It shouldn't..."

"But what's done is done, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Hey," he poked her back with his foot, "can you call Isa in here? I need to ask her something."

"Your aunt-that-you-just-learned-was-your-aunt? Jesse, I don't even know how to call her. Isn't she busy doing Key and Aether stuff right now?"

He tapped his chin and then glanced over at the wall, his eyes gliding over the posters and pictures. "Then... how about I borrow your phone?"

"You can just call her?" Olivia took out her phone and handed it to him. "Do you even know her number?"

"No, but I can send her an email using the one she has on the official Key and Aether website."

The apprentice engineer slapped her forehead and sighed. "I... guess that's one way to contact her."

As Jesse tapped away on Olivia's phone, she laid down beside his legs and closed her eyes. She yawned and covered her mouth. He smiled, saying, "It's been a long day for you, huh?"

She nodded and dug her head into the mattress. "I need a break. I'm just... gonna take a small nap..." And with that, she dozed off, snoring softly with a gentle cadence. Jesse pulled the blanket over her and went back to his email. He was thankful that Olivia was still around, stable enough to care for him. He realized that she hadn't said much about her own thoughts, about her family, her other friends, herself... all the while Jesse had been pouring out his own to her, overflowing her cup with what she already had. He made a mental note to himself to give her the best massage when all of this was over.

"And... sent." Jesse pressed the paper airplane icon and set her phone down on the end counter. Feeling strain as he stretched his arm out, he decided it was time to drink more painkillers and grabbed the water bottle. It was hard, dealing with the pain 24/7. Sometimes he wished he could just lay down and cry for hours like he did when he lost Reuben. He sat in front of his therapist, whom they had made an appointment with to check on his mental stability, and would cry, wiping his tears on his shirt as the lady waited patiently, comforting him with her soft gaze. 

But - it wasn't like that anymore. It had been years and since then, he learned a lot about himself and the world around him. The past month had been the same. Jesse had changed, whether he wanted to or not, and had matured to the point where he understood his place. He needed to be strong for his friends and family. Olivia needed his help the same way he needed her. Isa needed his guidance the same way he needed his aunt's. Jess and Petra needed his strength the same way he needed their's. It was a balance he needed to protect and he understood now. This was what it was like.

There was no need to protect them. They were able to comprehend that with him. All they did was hope and believe, and so he would do the same. Jesse didn't have to grip Jess's hand anymore, and in return, the others would let go of his. If she needed to leave, then leave she would. It was her choice. If her conscience wished, her spirit obliged - Reuben likewise.

Letting go of life is the only way to live, in fact.