No Surrender | Eddie Munson

Chapter Thirty-Four: No Limits

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: NO LIMITS

LIGHT — SLEEPING AT LAST

I will rearrange the stars
Pull 'em down to where you are
I promise, I'll do better
With every heartbeat I have left
I'll defend your every breath
I will soften every edge
Hold the world to its best

TW// Gore

——————

Each cry from Eleven strikes me right in the heart. I can barely breathe, let alone think. Fighting back my tears, I cradle her head in my lap and start to focus on calming her down. It won't be enough to block out the pain, though. I'm not even sure if I can manage anything at this point. But I have to try.

"What is that?" I hear Erica ask.

"There's something in there."

"Keep her talking. Keep her awake, okay?" Jonathan calls.

I am aware of his retreating footsteps but my eyes stay closed. Slowly, a warmth travels through my fingertips and into El. Her screams subside but not by much. My breathing is becoming more and more laboured by the second.

Someone shuffles closer. I feel a hand on my back, rubbing soothing circles. "You got it. You're doing great."

"What is she doing?" Robin whispers, right beside me. I frown, knowing that if I open my eyes she will be right in front of me.

Steve seems to realise and there's a slightly push as he motions for her to back off.

I'm starting to slip. There's too much. The flow is changing direction.

My skin tingles. The pins and needles gradually turn to knives. Soon, my whole body feels like it's on fire.

But it's working. She's getting quieter. Her cries turn to whimpers, mixing with my own. Past the blinding pain, I feel her hand reach back to rest on mine. She attempts to push me away but she doesn't have the energy. Blood trails down my face, searing hot.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What is she doing? What's happening?"

Someone shakes me by the shoulder. Steve's voice rises with panic, "Wait. Stop it. What are you doing?"

I only adjust my grip, pulling her up into my lap and holding her closer. 

"You know," Robin stammers, "it's not actually that bad. There was a— There was— The goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg and the whole bone came out of her knee — six inches or something, it was insane."

"Robin."

"Yeah?"

"You're not helping."

"I'm sorry."

Jonathan returns and I force my eyes open. I can practically feel my pupils constricting, the corners twitching as wave after wave of pain hits me. He hesitates when he sees the state I'm in but quickly focuses on the task at hand. "Okay. All right, El? This is gonna hurt like hell, okay? You have to stay real still. Here, you're gonna want to bite down on this."

Mike places the handle of a wooden spoon between her teeth, his anxious gaze darting up to meet mine. "Can you handle this?"

"I-I'll take it all if I can. Look, never mind me. El, are you okay?"

She nods.

I take a moment, making one last effort to reach out for the cold below. I'm going to need all the energy I can get.