Love, Blood and Wilderness | YELLOWJACKETS

Chapter 13

Van lay limp on the ramshackle table, which was now stained in her blood. We all stood around her, a lot of us unable to look at her face.

Lottie stood ominously, as if she knew something that the rest of us didn't.

Akilah, Misty, and Tai hovered over her. Akilah, with nothing but a sewing needle and some thread, started poking around Van's lacerated skin, trying to sew up the gashes.

"We're gonna get you all fixed up, okay?" She reassured her, but breathed heavily, "It's gonna be okay."

Van released muffled screams and Taissa squeezed her hand. Blood was still spewing from the holes that were torn in her face.

"Okay, so, make sure that you're angled in..."
"Misty, I think she's got it."

Van screeched and wailed and I scrunched my nose in trepidation. I didn't want to hear anymore so I made my way outside, although Van's cries could still be heard.

I took some deep breaths, trying to calm myself down. I wanted nothing more than for Van to be alright, for her to wake up in the morning free of pain.

    Hot tears streamed down my face. I didn't want to cry, I didn't want to feel how I was feeling when I knew that Taissa was next to Van probably drowning in heartache, but so many emotions were washing over me all at once.

"Hey," Nat said, softly, "are you okay?"

"I'm okay, it's just like... a lot, you know? And they probably need some space to work."

Nat laced her fingers between mine.

"Look, no matter what's happening, and no matter what... we are, I want you to know that I'm always here for you."

I gave her a slight smile and traced my thumb over her skin.

"Me too, I appreciate it, Nat," I told her.

I wished that Lottie was here, I wished that she would take me in her arms and tell me that everything would be okay, that I was just dreaming and that we were still in her room, still kissing, still sleeping soundly next to each other.

But I was so grateful for Nat, so thankful for her ability to ground me, which was what I've needed since me and Lottie stopped speaking.

"She'll be okay right?"

Nat just laid her head on my shoulder.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

    No one slept at all that night with the sounds of Van's whimpering and Taissa's crying.

    Instead we all sat in silence, inaudibly wondering what to do. We weren't even sure if Van would make it through the night, though no one wanted to say that out loud.

    I watched Lottie throughout the night. She would alternate between her eyes being glued to the floor or staring at Nat and I.

    Her eyes will blank but so clearly filled with information that she hasn't said aloud, except maybe to Laura Lee.

    The sun was rising and still none of us had slept. How could we? Perturbation and apprehension bubbled inside all of us, the uneasiness we felt wondering if Van would suddenly go quiet and flaccid. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife.

    Daylight shone through the windows, Van had stopped making sounds but still breathed unevenly.

   Her face was covered in bandages that the redhead was hardly recognizable. Taissa watched her like a hawk, not wanting to leave her side, except when she spoke to Shauna. We were all falling asleep on each other, my head weighed heavily on Nat's shoulder.