The Altered.

Chapter LV.

Miles woke to the sound of his name on repeat, coming from a different source each time.

When he first opened his eyes, he couldn't move. Pain started returning very slowly to eat of his injuries first and then to his whole body, an odd buzzing feeling worse than he'd ever experienced.

When he lifted his head, the world was spinning and full of stars.

"Miles." He heard the word a little clearer this time and could detect the tone of it, filled with fear and grief.

He was about to ask, What happened? but then he remembered on his own.

Immediately, Miles started to cry. He latched onto Ty's shirt and didn't let himself acknowledge how cold and limp Ty's body was at this point. His vision was clearer now, but he almost wished it wasn't. "Ty," he choked, grabbing the boy with both of his hands even though one of them was burning with pain. "Wake up!"

Ty remained helplessly unresponsive despite Miles' furious shaking of him. Lia and Percy exchanged solemn glances while Eira wrapped her arms around Aaron and clung to him. Miles brushed Ty's sweaty hair from his forehead and lifted the boy, heart breaking a little more at how easy it was to lift the light body. "Ty," he moaned urgently, clutching Ty close to him and tucking the boy's head under his chin, "please wake up. Please wake up. Please." He couldn't let himself think about the nauseating hole in the back of Ty's neck that he'd inflicted - or that Ty wasn't even breathing.

Aaron said very gently, "Miles," and touched Miles' arm. At once, Miles slapped Aaron's hand away, not ready to accept the reality of what had happened just yet. Aaron, not deterred by the violent reaction Miles had given, crouched down beside Miles. "Miles, we need to get out of here."

"I can't leave him," hiccupped Miles, casting his watery gaze to Aaron. "I can't leave him here."

Aaron glanced at Ty pitifully. "He can't come with us."

Miles let out another choked sob and pressed his face into Ty's hair. "I didn't kill him," Miles promised through an unsteady voice - a lie. "He'll wake up. He will."

Aaron reached for Miles' hand to pull it away from Ty. "Okay," Aaron said softly. "Okay. But we don't have time to wait for him to wake up. And he won't be very happy to see us."

Miles let Aaron take his hand, but only because the blond was trying so hard to let Miles keep believing that Ty wasn't completely dead.

"Shit, Miles," Aaron breathed, eying the jagged wound that was deep in Miles' palm. "We really can't stay."

From somewhere behind Miles, Eira was collecting all of the first aid items she could find on the shelves and shoving them into a backpack; an activity Miles had failed to do before Ty had found him first. All of the group members had backpacks with plenty of contents. Except Miles.

"Please cooperate," Aaron muttered, starting to get to his feet and attempting to help Miles up too.

Miles fought against Aaron's gentle tugs encouraging him to stand for about a minute before he finally lost the last of his strength and will to protest any longer. With Aaron's help, Miles managed to pry himself away from Ty.

Almost instantaneously, Miles collapsed against Aaron and lost control over his tears. Aaron caught Miles before he could crumple to the floor and held him like a fragile doll as he wept. Miles didn't have the spirit to feel embarrassed about crying or guilty about wetting the shoulder of Aaron's nice shirt.

They stood like that for what felt like, to Miles, hours, but must have only been a few minutes. Aaron didn't seem to mind that Miles was sniffling or crying onto his shirt, and if he did, he didn't say anything.