Warm Bodies: The Answer

The Friend

"Help me!" he screamed, and he dived down again, delivering two more breaths. His fingers curled desperately through Julie's, squeezing and twisting there as he hovered over her.

"God.. I'm here Julie, I'm holding on... please, Jesus Christ, come back!"

Joshua started to pump then, saying his own silent prayer, as Rowan broke down, his hand twisting in Julie's hair as he cried.

The feel of something grating beneath his hands, what must have been a broken rib, twanged against Joshua's nerves, but he kept going, even as the hope petered out of him.

Julie was gone... this was useless. How had it happened? There were dark marks around her throat... had Caleb made those?

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, as he slowed and stopped, and the girl's body lay terribly still between them.

"I am so sorry Rowan," he said again, and placed a hand on the back of the boy's neck.

Rowan pressed his lips against Julie's once more, giving two deep breaths, then shaking against her, he broke off crying again.

He lifted Julie then, pulling her into his arms, and rocked her lifeless body as he roared - a tortured sound that filled the room and made Joshua want to curl up with Adeline and never let her go.

"Shouldn't have taken you," the boy finally mumbled, his voice reduced to a hoarse whisper as he rocked Julie gently. "Should have left you alone. I should've died... he should have killed me Julie, he was supposed to kill me. He'd still be alive, you'd be... you'd be happy with him. He loved you so much, he never meant to give up, he just couldn't... take it... anym..."

The kid stopped rocking and grew very still.

Joshua swallowed heavily, and squeezed Rowans arm, wanting to give comfort, though he knew there was none to be had.

Slowly, Rowan looked up at Joshua, and fresh blood dribbled from his nose.

And he smiled.

"Wow," he said softly.

Joshua jerked back, shocked by the complete change in the boy, and watched in astonishment as Rowan quickly lowered Julie to the ground and started compressions again, no longer crying, but completely focused on CPR.

"Caleb?" Joshua asked.

Rowan shook his head, and kept pumping, then bent down and gave more breaths, each measured, calm and quick.

"Jules," he said softly into her ear, "time to come back now."

Joshua stared at him as he worked, stunned.

That's not Rowan.

"Who are you?" he asked, as the boy resumed pumping.

Rowan smiled, radiating calm as he delivered brisk thrusts against Julie's chest. "A friend."

And under his hands Julie suddenly arched, her eyes wide as she sucked in a gasping breath and lashed out, coughing violently. With a low moan, she clutched at her chest with her good hand and blinked up at them, still gasping, her eyes confused and glazed in pain.

When she finally focused on Rowan, she gave a hoarse rasping cry of anger and fear, and swung at him, catching him with a glancing blow on the cheek, then another weak punch to the jaw as she tried to push herself away.

Rowan simply took the punches, his eyes soft, then shook his head gently at her. "Caleb's gone. He'll never hurt you again."

Joshua started. "What'd you mean, gone? What'd you do to him?!"