A man’s voice cut through the daze. ‘Can you come this way, sir?’
‘No,’ she heard Cyrus say roughly. ‘I’m staying with her.’
She tried to grasp for him. He couldn’t leave her. She didn’t want to be alone. Someone forced her back down, pushing her shoulders onto the bed. A machine right by her ear was beeping faster and faster.
‘Who are you? Are you a relation?’
Please let him stay.
‘No,’ he hesitated, ‘I’m – I’m her boyfriend.’
‘Only relatives are allowed any further I’m afraid.’
‘Please. I need to be with her.’
‘Sorry, you need to wait here. Do you have a number for her parents? Someone we could call?’
She was being jolted around. The bed was moving. She tried to turn her head but she was paralysed and then his fingers were torn from her hand and she was back on the waves.
NO, she tried to scream but no sound came out.
Doors banged, a breeze stirred the thin cotton gown they’d thrown over her. She was cold. And she was alone. And she was afraid. And then she was gone.
Some time later she tried to open her eyes but it felt like they’d been sewn shut. She could hear someone groaning nearby. Then it stopped all of a sudden. Had it been her?
It’s OK, it’s OK.
It was his voice again. It was Lucas. She forced her eyes open. She was in an empty room. There was a faint beep beep beep somewhere by her head and the light was bright – dazzlingly bright. Her breathing was so loud in her ears it sounded like surf crashing onto a beach. She tried to move her hand so that she could pull at the oxygen mask covering her mouth and nose, but a warm hand closed over her own and pushed it back down to the bed.
Shhh.
She turned her head. She wanted to see him. She could feel the sob building in her chest. She could actually feel his fingers stroking her cheek, pushing back a strand of hair, lingering on the tip of her torn ear. It wasn’t real. It was a dream. Tears rolled down her cheeks and she felt him press his thumb against one. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Lucas is dead.
And she was still alive. That’s what the beeping meant.
It couldn’t be him in the room, stroking her hair. It had to be Cyrus. The Valium had made her foggy. She was seeing things, confusing things. They must have let Cyrus back into the room. How much time had passed?
‘Cyrus?’ she croaked.
Nothing. No answer. Just silence. A breeze, as if a fan was blowing directly on her, and then she heard the sound of the door clicking shut.
She turned her head, wincing at the stabbing pain that shot up her neck.
The room was empty. The corridor outside was blurred by opaque glass.
What had happened to the others? What about Flic and Jamieson and the girl and RJ? What had happened to them? And to Victor?
Victor. She remembered him standing there now. In the garden. He’d saved her. He’d killed that Original. The only reason she was alive was because of him. Her breathing was hiking, the mask was fogging up, the machine by her head was beeping so loud she wanted to rip the wires out of it and make it stop.
The door suddenly flew open. She twisted her head to see. Victor was standing in the doorway. His black suit was stained with dark blotches.
He stepped into the room and shut the door behind him. Evie’s fingers fumbled along the edge of the bed, trying desperately to locate the call button. She wished she could breathe freely; she wished she could sit up.
She finally tugged her hand free, feeling the rip of flesh as the IV in her wrist tore out. She snatched off the oxygen mask.
‘Get out,’ she hissed, falling back onto the pillow.
‘I came to see if you were OK.’
‘I’m fine,’ she panted. ‘Now get out.’
Victor paused by the side of her bed, studying her. Then he nodded. Why was he here? Why had he saved her? He knew that she was only going to try to kill him as soon as she was on her feet again.
Victor stared at her for a few more seconds before he turned and walked back to the door.
‘I don’t owe you,’ Evie called to his departing back, hauling herself onto one elbow.
Victor turned slowly to face her. ‘I know.’
She fell backwards onto her pillow again, struggling for breath. The room had