Chapter 51 — Best Laid Plans

Julian and the Guard medic rushed Meg to a table in the medical tent. The medic grabbed something and strapped it onto Meg's face, covering up her mouth and nose. The faint hissing sound of oxygen rushed through the room, as onlookers watched from every direction and the rain continued to pound the tent canvas above them. Alden stood stock-still, torn between trying to get to Meg's side, and knowing it wouldn't be any good. Meanwhile, a few steps away, Grey-eyes seemed to be doing the same.

Why… why?

Alden, with nothing else to do, turned to her. "Why?" he echoed his own mind, desperate for an answer.

She shook her head, bushy brown hair flying wildly. Her face was buried behind her hands, grey eyes peeking through the cracks, utterly terrified.

"Help her," Alden pleaded, as the medic continued to work on Meg. Julian slipped out the side of the tent, obviously feeling he couldn't do anything more. Alden didn't blame him—he only blamed one person, and she was the most powerful awakened in the whole world.

He didn't care. He grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Help her!"

"I can't," Grey-eyes whispered. "I already tried. She's… Unless I… but I can't…" Her voice trailed off, a pained whimper as she stared at Meg.

"You're supposed to—"

"I didn't want this!" Grey-eyes shot back, her voice suddenly harsh. The medic looked up, while another soldier in the tent rushed across the room for something out of the boxes at the end. "Everyone just… assumed I could handle it! I'm just a nobody. I'm a dropout. I can't do this!"

"You're her," said Alden desperately.

"I don't know what I am," she whispered.

Alden turned back to Meg, who was still making horrible gasping sounds through the oxygen mask. One of the soldiers had started calling in a helicopter to airlift Meg out—they didn't believe they could do anything more with their limited resources.

"She's still breathing, but it's rough," the medic finally reported to Alden, wiping the sweat off his brow. "We gotta get her to the clearing so the helicopter can pick her up. Can you help?"

Alden started to nod, though his arms felt dead tired, but Grey-eyes spoke up.

"Tell me where."

The medic raised an eyebrow. "...North clearing. Take a left going out."

Grey-eyes nodded. She walked forward and put her arms under Meg, lifting her as easily as if she were made of air. The medic held the mask in place, and Alden carried the tank. Together, they walked out of the tent and back into the ongoing downpour. More gasps as they emerged—as Grey-eyes emerged, Alden reminded himself. Somebody in the medical tent isn't anything new right now… this isn't even the only medical tent, either.

The helicopter was already bearing down on them. The medic briefly explained they'd had life flights on standby all night and morning, and airlifted more than a few gunshot victims out to nearby hospitals. They'd be going to the nearest one over in Shelton, a little northwest of Olympia.

They hurried to get to the helicopter, but the camp wasn't exactly clean of the aftermath from the battle the night before, and they were sloshing through puddles of rain quickly forming into a muddy bog. As they rushed, Grey-eyes' foot caught on an exposed metal pole from a collapsed tent.

She stumbled in the mud. Meg started to fall away.

Without thinking, Alden threw magic forward—time magic. Meg slowed down in mid-air, a block of slow-motion in the middle of them. He could see her starting to gasp already, but Grey-eyes reached in to catch her before she'd fallen even a few centimeters.

As her hands reached in, Alden felt a strange sensation. She was affected by his magic, but she managed to push herself through anyway, her skin in what felt like a cocoon of protection. As Grey-eyes withdrew, Alden let the spell go, gasping a little himself as he did it.

"...Shit," muttered the medic. "Stick with her, kid. They could use a trick like that at the hospital."

Alden nodded, catching his breath. The helicopter was down on the grass. Wind buffeted them as they approached. The whole field was flattened by the constant pressure of the sweeping blades. The medic helped Grey-eyes strap Meg down on a stretcher lashed to the bed of the helicopter, while one of the EMTs showed Alden how to belt himself in.

Moments later, the medic waved them off, before turning to rush back to his own duties. In the distance, Alden saw a fresh commotion brewing in the pilgrim camp, but he couldn't think about it anymore—because Meg was still half-choking at his feet.

The EMT put a fresh mask on her, fed directly from tanks built into the cabin. A huge jerk pulled up at Alden's navel as the helicopter lifted into the sky. They lifted up above the canopy, trees bending away as the blades cleared the highest branches. The helicopter tilted forward, and they sped off to the west, diving through the rain toward the city in the distance.

"Meg," Alden said again, grasping her hand. "Wake up."

"Call… call your parents," said Grey-eyes, her voice caught in her throat. "Tell them where we're going."

A shock of panic shot through Alden's entire body. His eyes widened. "She's not going to—"

"I don't know."

Alden scrambled for his pockets and dug out his phone. Trembling, terrified he might drop it out of the open helicopter window, he scrolled desperately through his contacts for his mother. He tapped the icon, and it started ringing.

One ring.

Two rings.

Three.

Four.

Five.

"Mom…" Alden whispered, hand clutching Meg's tight. They were just passing over the thickest part of the forest now, Shelton already in sight in the distance. "Come on…"

After ten agonizing rings, someone answered—someone definitely not his parents.

"Hello?"

"...Kelly?" said Alden, his mind landing on the right name after a few moments hesitation. Meg's best friend… Oh god…

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Why do you have my mom's phone?"

"Oh, is this Alden?" Kelly sounded annoyed, almost. "You know, you really had Meg super worried the last couple months. I don't know how many times I saw her stressing out about you. Not that she told me, obviously, because she's a way better person than y—"

"Kelly, give the phone to my mom, right now."

"She's not here."

"What?"

"Yeah, I came over to 'grab some things' while Meg's off doing whatever." Kelly's voice got faint, as if she'd walked away from the phone a bit. "Since, you know, Meg's 'staying over at my house'."

"Kelly!" Alden practically screamed into the phone.

"What?" She walked back to the phone. "You know, you sound like you're in a wind tunnel. Your phone sucks."

"I'm on a helicopter being flown to…" Alden glanced at the EMT.

"Mason General."

"Mason General Hospital in Shelton," Alden repeated for Kelly's benefit. "Meg is… she might be…" He choked up. He couldn't bring himself to say it.

The helicopter banked suddenly, and Alden nearly dropped the phone.

"...Holy shit," gasped Kelly. "What the…"

"Kelly, please," Alden begged, while Grey-eyes watched him with pain and fear filling her eyes, exactly as Alden imagined Kelly must be feeling right then. "Find my parents. Right now."

"I'm on it."

The phone clicked off. Alden dropped it back into his jacket pocket, just as the helicopter came in over the city to a spot near the hospital. Mason General didn't have any kind of helipad, but it looked like they'd cleared out a space in the parking lot for the time being. The helicopter landed with a soft thump on the pavement.

A team from the hospital was already on their way out, wheeling a gurney across the smooth asphalt. Grey-eyes helped lift Meg out of the helicopter and onto the gurney. One of the nurses recognized her, eyes wide—but still, professionalism overtook him, and the nurse jumped back into action right away. They rushed Meg back into the hospital and straight to the emergency room.

Alden followed as close as he could, his mind spinning, barely hearing any words around him. Grey-eyes was right next to him every step, looking just as afraid, but she barely registered to him. Nothing was getting through to Alden anymore. All he could think about was Meg.

Every moment she'd spent on the floor of his bedroom all summer.

Every time he'd woken up screaming, and she'd grabbed him and helped him calm down.

All the times he'd shown her magic, told her it was dangerous, but still exciting and fun.

Hanging out with Hailey and Jessica late at night, Meg barging in, forcing her way into their little club—and them laughing it off afterward.

Alden ran into the ER, catching up with the disappearing group. He saw gunshot victims from the night before, those who had made it out of surgery or had been triaged to the back of the group. One of the nurses from Meg's group walked back toward Alden, startling him. She had a clipboard in hand.

"That's your sister, right?" she asked.

"Y-yes," said Alden quickly.

"Does she have any allergies?"

"I don't…" I don't know. Why don't I know that? That feels like it's important.

"No," said Grey-eyes suddenly, her voice cracking slightly. She still looked upset. Alden wasn't sure what to make of it, now that he was finally calming down a little. They were in an emergency room. There wasn't much more for him to do now—and apparently the goddess herself was taking over from here.

The nurse turned to Grey-eyes. "And you are?"

"I'm…" She trailed off, obviously unsure how to answer.

"She's our sister," said Alden quickly, not wanting to delay any further. Grey-eyes somehow knew his name, her name, and so many other things besides. He didn't doubt she could know anyone's medical history instantly. She was the most powerful person in the world.

"Okay." The nurse nodded. "Family history of medical problems?"

"Dad has sleep apnea, mom's side has a history of high blood pressure," Grey-eyes rattled off without blinking an eye. "She's currently on birth control and she takes a vitamin D supplement, but nothing else."

"Our parents are on the way," Alden added, desperate to feel useful. Why didn't I know any of that? Meg could die. They need to know everything they can so they might save her.

The nurse nodded again. "Okay. Thank you. You can wait in there," she added, pointing at a room nearby.

"But—" started Alden, desperate to keep Meg in sight.

"You want him nearby," said Grey-eyes, nodding at Alden. "He's awakened. He can slow down time for the patient. It may help if something serious happens."

"You can what?" asked the nurse, raising an eyebrow.

Alden nodded. "Just tell me when. I can try to slow things down if she's…" He stopped, still terrified to voice it aloud, as if that would somehow make it come true.

"...Okay. Can you do anything else?"

"Nothing that would help," said Alden. "Other magic can't be used directly on people."

"Right." The nurse nodded. "Come on then. Stay to the side and don't touch anything unless directed, okay?"

"Okay."

As Alden walked forward with the nurse, Grey-eyes vanished. Nobody else seemed to have noticed, but he felt something brush against his side. She was still with him, just invisible. They both went inside the curtained area where a team was working on Meg, getting her stabilized—keeping her alive.