Sixteen (ON HOLD)

4.2 Aftermath

4.2 Aftermath

There was a quiet moment, fleeting but impermeable, that hung in the air with great suspense in the short time it took everyone to figure out what the hell had just happened in front of them. It began with the blast of a handgun and ended with a collective gasp followed by a rush of aggressive action.

Tanner saw blind rage flash across David Sellers face and instinctively grabbed him and wrestled him to the ground, holding him down to keep him from drawing his own weapon and killing Briggs where he stood. Sellers was spitting obscenities and struggling for freedom against the Chief’s weight. Air was heaving in and out of his lungs as he used all the force he could to push himself back up off the ground. The Chief, although older, out weighed him by a fair bit though and Sellers stayed stuck to the floor, panting and swearing.

Tanner looked up at Briggs, who hadn’t moved a step. The man watched the events around  him with an  unsettling calm. There was a sickening smiling teasing the corners of his mouth. He looked almost delighted with himself which made Tanner’s stomach turn. Catching him looking, Briggs nodded to the Chief, as if they were partners in this. Tanner couldn’t think of one good reason he was going along with everything Briggs did, and yet he didn’t let Sellers up off the floor either.

Briggs slowly stomped across the room, the heavy soles of his shoes echoing against the hard hospital flooring. His shadow fell over the men and loomed there. He knelt down in a swift movement and said in a steady clear voice, “I’m sorry David, but you had to see. I had to show you what she really is.” He turned Seller’s head in the direction of Kate’s body which lay stone-still and bleeding on the cold floor and forced him to watch.

The other kids stood in a semi circle surrounding her. Ginny had rushed to her side and sat with Kate’s head in her lap, tears streaming down her face. The kids looked frantically from one to another but said nothing. Then Cole finally moved towards her, kneeling down and putting his face right next to hers.

Cole could feel a warm sensation coming off Kate’s body in waves. It was the force of life, fleeing from her human body. It was bleeding out of her much like the blood oozing out of her wound but it was still present and that was all Cole needed. He put his hand across her chest, partially covering the hole the bullet had tore into her. He pressed firmly and closed his eyes, feeling his own energy unite with hers.

Everyone in the room was now watching and waiting, although not everyone knew what they were waiting for.

“What the hell?” Sellers, who had resigned from struggling, was one of the few in the room who didn’t know exactly what was about to happen. He watched as Cole put his hands on his daughter, an action that would have infuriated him in the past. Now he took note of the gentle touch, and intense concentration in his eyes. For no understandable reason it filled him with hope.

Cole’s brow creased and he opened his mouth to breath in more oxygen as he apparently struggled to complete his task.

“What’s wrong,” Sadie whispered, not bothering to conceal her words. Her oldest friend lay dying in front of her.

Cole didn’t answer her, didn’t dare break his concentration on Kate. He didn’t need to. His emotions were clearly being transmitted to his peers as they huddled around him to lend support. This should have been easy for him, healing broken bodies was not complicated. It was his human host’s feelings that were getting in the way, making it hard for him to focus. Fear, anxiety, anger and love; all things Cole had no experience with whatsoever, all mixing together and swirling about in his head. It made it hard to think. His cheeks were wet with tears for the first time. Finally he felt something inside of him reach out and take hold of the waves of life escaping Kate’s body and forcefully shove them right back where they belonged.

Kate’s eyes flew open and she took a long loud breath, filling  her lungs with necessary air for the first time in minutes. Her chest burned and confusion filled her with dread. The first person she saw was Cole, whos face was wet with tears and so very close to hers. He kissed her lightly on the lips and then stood up.

“My God,” gasped Ginny. She wasn’t sure if she would be relieved or terrified. She stood up as well and backed away from the girl.

Feeling it was finally safe enough, Briggs and Tanner released Sellers who sat up slowly in a trance-like state. He watched Kate’s skin turn from pale back to pink and looked with disbelief at the hole in her clothes that gave him a clear view of the fact that the bullet hole was no longer there. Kate touched her chest where the wound used to be, blood from her shirt seeped through her fingers but the hole was no more.

“Kate,” Sellers choked out her name and the girl turned her head towards him. Sellers realized that he was grateful she was alright, regardless of who or what she was.

Briggs stood by, looking not the least bit shocked. The other two men in black had advanced on the scene and stood with their weapons drawn and pointed at both Cole and Kate. They also did not look surprised, only determined.

Sellers stood up and took a step towards Cole, holding his hands out in front of him in a stopping pose, trying to look intimidating. Still, Cole flinched and stepped back.

“You brought my little girl back to life,” Sellers said, his voice cracking as his breath hitched fighting off an outburst of sobs.

Cole’s eyes turned dark. “She wasn’t dead,” he said flatly.

In a blur Cole took several swift steps toward the men in black holding their guns out towards him. Before anyone could register what was about to happen Cole placed his hands on either side of the closest man’s head and in one fluid movement snapped his neck. The body slumped to the ground.

“Now that,” Cole muttered, “is dead.”