New Year Virus

Chapter 36

Amidst the wreckage, chaos reigned. James slowly pried open his eyes, disoriented and engulfed in a haze of smoke.

His heart raced as he surveyed the wreckage around him. Debris was scattered everywhere, and the acrid scent of burnt metal filled the air.

His hand throbbed with pain, and he winced as he moved it. Panic clawed at him, but he fought to maintain his composure.

There, lying beside him, was Veronica, unconscious. Fear gripped his chest as he gently shook her.

"Veronica, wake up!" he urged, his voice trembling with worry. She stirred, her eyes fluttering open.

"Where am I?" she asked groggily. James let out a relieved sigh, a tremor of fear still coursing through his veins.

"Oh, thank God you're awake," he replied, his voice filled with anxiety.

Amidst the wreckage,  everyone slowly began to regain consciousness.

The scene was one of utter devastation, as if they had plummeted into a nightmarish world of chaos and destruction.

Smoke still lingered in the air, and the faint crackling of smoldering debris added to the eerie atmosphere.

James and Veronica, their faces etched with concern, checked on Smith, who was just starting to stir. His groggy voice cut through the disorienting haze.

"Are you okay?" James asked with genuine worry. Smith, his head pounding, managed a weak nod.

While James and Veronica tended to Smith, Gabriel began searching for the others.

Panic gnawed at him as he called out for Athena, his voice quivering with fear.

"Where's Athena?" he implored, scanning the wreckage for any sign of her.

His heart sank when he stumbled upon a bloodied handprint on a piece of debris. Instinctively, he followed the gruesome trail, a sense of dread gripping him.

When he reached the source of the trail, his worst fears were confirmed.

John lay lifeless, his body covered in blood. A gut-wrenching gasp escaped Gabriel's lips, he whispered, "Oh, God..."

John, injured but still mobile, rushed to the scene, his face a mix of relief and grief as he discovered Athena.

She lay there, unconscious but breathing. He couldn't help but let out a heartfelt, "Here she is."

Amid the chaos and pain, their hope flickered like a fragile candle in the wind, a beacon of resilience in the face of unspeakable adversity.

Everyone gathered around Smith, their faces etched with worry and determination. The crash had taken its toll, and Smith's condition was dire. Gabriel's hands trembled as he held his father's, offering what little comfort he could.

Amid the wreckage, Alex's voice cut through the tension like a lifeline. "It's a miracle we survived this crash," he marveled, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Veronica, her admiration for James evident in her voice, chimed in. "All thanks to James' master flying skills. He's a hero," she declared proudly, her smile a beacon of hope in the midst of the chaos.

Gabriel's focus, however, remained on his injured father.

John said "we need to remove this piece of glass from your leg Smith".

Smith gritted his teeth against the searing pain as John began to carefully extract a glass shard embedded in his leg.

Each agonizing moment seemed to stretch on indefinitely.