Lose Control (The Jewel Project #5)

41.1||Pull of the Void

So he dropped the last of his luggage and rushed out of their quarters, wondering where to start searching. The station wasn't too big, but enough for him to lose about twenty minutes if not more to go around, and for some reason, he felt like there was not enough time. Urgency enveloped him, twisting his insides in a painful ball of anxiety.

The emptiness inside him didn't let him think properly. It was all-consuming and hallow, like Jimmy had described being out in space.

"Out," he whispered.

The word sent him into a fit of panic because it felt right, as if Jimmy was surely out there and this time something was wrong. He rushed towards the exit, into the airlock module. One quick look out the window and his pulse shot up so fast and so strong, his vision blurred for a few seconds.

He hadn't been wrong. Jimmy really was out there, not moving, floating in space, most likely unconscious. Why was he out there? Why was he unconscious?

The questions floated around his mind but were answered once his eyes darted to the air supply. The valve was closed. And it was more than obvious that Jimmy hadn't gone out there without air.

Betrayal. But who? The question was replaced by a much more important one.

How long had it been?

Dreading the answer, Jerry grabbed the valve and tried turning it. It wouldn't move and he had no time to try further. He took a helmet and a pair of gloves and quickly put them on. He didn't have time to equip the entire space suit and he just needed air for the few seconds it would take him to grab his twin's safety chord and pull him back.

Without giving himself time to second-guess his poor decision, he grabbed on to an iron wrung next to the exit and pressed the button releasing the hatch.

His body instantly froze. His teeth clattered and his fingers curled, even if they were still warm inside his gloves. The vacuum seemed to be drawing the soul out of him and the vastness of space called out like a siren.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed back the initial shock and unlocked his limbs. If he didn't move, he had every chance to join Jimmy and become a space icicle.

"Nope, nope, nope," he kept muttering as he reached out.

He seemed to be moving in slow motion, but he'd appreciated correctly, so his fingers wrapped around the chord securing his brother. He pulled as hard as he could and was satisfied to see the body floating towards him.

"Grant, what the--?" Lee Hannigan's voice came and went in a fit of coughing and wheezing.

Jerry ignored this, pulled Jimmy in and reactivated the airlock. Gravity took over again and they both dropped to the floor. Jerry waited, counting for the time it took the room to pressurize, then took his helmet off as well as Jimmy's. His brother was deathly pale, his skin cold and tinged blue.

Jerry took greedy breaths, trying to assess the damage, figure out a solution. His helmet hadn't been cracked, which meant that, if they were lucky, it was just suffocation. Not ideal, but depressurization would've caused a lot more serious health issues.

Jerry took his brother's pulse and everything froze all over again. There was nothing.

"What the hell? Do you two think you can do whatever you fucking please here?"

Lee was back, as unpleasant and useless as ever.

"Help me take him to the infirmary." Jerry's teeth clattered, but the words were intelligible. He needed machines, a ventilator...

"He's out?" Lee asked, seeming interested for once.

The idiot wasn't moving.

Jerry started pushing Jimmy's chest, then breathing air into his lungs as best as he could.