***FINN'S P.O.V***
"What the?" Finn asks, sure that an ice cube just landed on him. "What was that?"
Asher is the one to reply in confusion. "What was what?"
"Do either of you have cold water? Because I'm sure I just felt something cold on me." Finn responds, rubbing his arm where the strange object just grazed him.
"No." Asher tells Finn, his voice low. "Why would you even think that?"
Finn flushes. "I don't know... I just thought something cold touched me..."
"Yeah, the cold hand of fate saying it's coming to get you." Asher jokes, but Finn doesn't laugh.
"Not funny." Finn shifts his weight, still rubbing the spot. Even after it goes silent, the air remains stiff, as if something is wrong, so he presses on. "You're saying you have nothing cold?"
Finn can practically sense that Asher is rolling his eyes as he replies. "No, idiot. Why would I have something cold? And why would I be holding it if I did? That would just make me colder."
"Okay." Finn mumbles. Another second of silence reaches them, yet he can't stand the eerie mood settled around him. "Then, what touched me?"
Asher says, "If you don't shut up-"
"Elizabeth?" Finn questions, curious as to why she hasn't answered any of his comments. He disregards Asher, knowing he doesn't give a crap about the mood Finn notes in the atmosphere around them.
When he gets no answer, Finn's gut twists strangely. "Elizabeth?"
Asher clears his throat, the sound unnerving. "Elizabeth, why aren't you answering?"
Seconds later, Finn hears someone shifting in a hurry. At first, he thinks the noise is Elizabeth moving to them, maybe to laugh beside them and tell them how she'd tricked them good, but his hopes are diminished when Asher speaks. "Where are you, Elizabeth?"
He's searching for her. Finn rises, willing to help out. Knowing which direction she tapped him from, he moves that way, and soon enough his shoe rubs against something soft. His heart in his throat and his nerves yelling at him to fear the worst, he bends over and extends his hands. His fingers brush against something extremely cold, so he yanks his hand back. "Found her. Found her over here, Asher."
Asher must move in the direction of his voice because within seconds he says from somewhere below Finn, "Shit. She's passed out, cold. And I don't mean that as a joke."
***SAM'S P.O.V***
"The cops say they have figured out a way to get the power back on. It'll only be minutes now." Hearing these statements from Hanes still doesn't relieve Sam from any tied up nerves, worry, or fear. He keeps his arms crossed over his chest, his hands digging into his own arms harshly. Doing so only relieves some of the anger he's going through. How could this happen?
Sam is in the corner, but as soon as Hanes leaves him Natalie joins him so that he is not alone. Gently and secretively, she moves a comforting hand in circles on his rigid back. The action should undo all of his pumping adrenaline or at least allow him to stop balling his fists, yet her hand on his back only helps him mentally. He murmurs, "Thanks."
Natalie nods, and in the dim light Sam can spot her pretty hair bobbing up and down. "She'll be out soon."
Sam nods, taking in the information and attempting to process it. "Yeah."
"She will." Natalie confirms, her hand so warm.
"She will." Sam answers. His own firm tone surprises him, and finally he can release the tightness in his fists. Planting a compassionate kiss on the top of her head, he says, "Thank you, again."
Natalie just nods, and Sam suddenly wonders how she knew that was going to ease some of the tension building up inside of him. It's like they have known each other for ages, when in reality they've only known each other for a small amount of time--not long enough for Natalie to know these things. As Sam peers down at her, he blinks. Either she's really good with people, or she's really good with him.
Sam grins, deciding the second one is the choice that sounds better.
***ASHER'S P.O.V***
"Heat. We need heat." Asher orders Finn as he rubs up and down on the sides of Elizabeth's chill-bump covered arms. After long seconds of this, he shakes his head. This isn't doing anything to help her. He checks her pulse, and thankfully a thump presses against his fingers, then another. Her pulse isn't as strong or as quick as it should be, but at least it's there.
Asher shuts his eyes for a second. Oh God, what would he do if she stops breathing?!
"Body heat." Asher mumbles, just as he rips off his shirt and snuggles up beside Elizabeth. He holds her limp body in his arms, allowing her head to rest on his shoulder, even though it is awfully heavy. He tangles his leg with hers, hoping that he is helping in some way.
Finn asks, "What are you doing?"
"Using body heat." Asher replies, his voice blunt.
Seconds pass, and finally Finn scoots on the opposite side of Elizabeth, leaning against her to help, too. Asher can feel is body heat, so he's praying Elizabeth can feel it twice as much.
Asher's insides are mushy and gushy in a way he's never felt them be. He'd rather attempt to shave a cat than feel the way he is feeling at this very moment. In his gut, there is a huge hole, as if someone could poke a fork right through him and he wouldn't feel a thing. His blood is ice cold, although comparing it to Elizabeth's skin, it might as well be a sauna.
Asher rubs Elizabeth's arm with his hands, his own arms still gripping her tightly. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be okay."
***SAM'S P.O.V***
"The power company is working on the electricity. It should be on any second now." The cop informs the group, his powerful flashlight trained on the closed door of the elevator. He doesn't acknowledge Mr. Gaz's incessant pacing, nor the way both Sam and Hanes are giving the man death glares.
"It's been three hours. The power should already be on." Sam growls to the chubby officer. "If you don't get them out of there soon..."
"What, son?" The man turns his head, his cruel eyes narrowing. "We've done the best we can. You wouldn't do anything, anyways..."
"Bet?" Sam strides forward, but Natalie's strong grip on his wrist catches him, stops him short, and conserves the good inside him. Backing down, he steps away, but he'd much rather slap the idiot across his pimple-crusted face.
"Now, you said there are three people in there?" The cop casts his flashlight's illumination over to Jay, who has the features of his face pulled into a tight, nervous expression.
"Yeah. Elizabeth, Asher, and Finn." Jay mutters, his gaze hovering over the police officer as he scribbles something in his notepad.
"They'll have to make statements and-"
Before the man can finish the rest of his statement, the power flickers back to life. The heater kicks on within minutes, bright lights shining in the hallway and revealing all the worried people, and finally, the elevator purrs back to life. A tiny, red number appears above the silver doors, notifying all of them the elevator is three floors down. Two floors down. One.
Holding his breath and ignoring his tangled mess of nerves, Sam steps up to the elevator doors, blocking the police officer's view. Sam doesn't care though, and is soon joined by Hanes. Hanes's lips are thinned into a grim line, and Sam is sure he spots a few worry lines above his forehead that weren't there when he awoke this morning.
The foreboding doors finally slide open. Sam and Hanes are the first two to gaze inside the elevator, and as soon as Sam's eyes rest upon a shirtless Asher, he knows something went down that wasn't supposed to.
"What the hell did you do to Elizabeth?" He notices the way Asher is gripping her so tightly, almost seeming roughly, as she lays her head on him. And he's shirtless. As in, his skin is against Elizabeth, who wears a sad expression on her face.
"She-she passed out." Finn jumps to his feet, his eyes frantic and wild. "She still has a pulse, but-"
Neither Sam nor Hanes listens to the end of the delirious boy's sentence. They instead press forward, their hazel eyes widening larger than ever before. Hanes shoves Asher off of her, and as soon as he touches Elizabeth's skin, he flinches. "Shit."
"Language-" Mr. Gaz begins to explain, but is cut off by a large response of annoyed mumbles from the group of students who are staring intently at the scene unfolding in front of them.
Hanes is slightly larger than Sam in build, but Sam doesn't care. He picks Elizabeth up in his arms, largely aware of the way her skin feels rubbery and cold like a freezer's door and of the way her breath brushes across him like the bitter air escaping a freezer's captivity. Ignoring the words the police officer is yelling at him, Sam rushes down the hallway carrying his sister's heavy and limp body. Her dark hair dangles below her, and the group parts with every step Sam takes, providing a way for him to reach his hotel room. His brother is right there beside him every step of the way, his eyes serious, his mouth in a deep-set frown.
Once they're inside the room, Hanes lifts the covers of the closest bed, and Sam guides his sister under them. Fluffing the pillows beneath her head, San glances back at the doorway, which is filling with people, and yells, "What should we do?" He glares at the cop, who is rushing inside, and then he peers at Hanes. Hanes's hands are shaking at his sides, which is something Sam has never seen them do.
"She shouldn't have passed out." The cop says as soon as he arrives at her bedside. "She's not cold enough."
"Are you sure? She feels pretty damn cold to me." Sam growls at the cop.
"She still shouldn't have passed out." The cop frowns, checking Elizabeth's pulse. "Unless she's sick, improperly clothed, or dehydrated. Is she any of those?"
"Well, she has good clothes on." Sam states the obvious as he taps a foot on the floor impatiently. His caramel eyes flicker to his sister as he becomes sick to his stomach. Her features are drawn into a peaceful look, yet she is as pale as a ghost. "She's not sick. Hasn't been since school started."
"Then, she's dehydrated." The cop affirms, shaking his head. "Anyone have any water?"
Jay appears in the front of the wide-eyed group. "There should be water in the fridge-"
Sam is already gliding across the floor and reaching into the refrigerator before anyone beats him to it. Easily snatching up one of the free water bottles the hotel provides, he moves back to Elizabeth's bedside, uncapping it. He leans forward, opening Elizabeth's small mouth. Then—as the whole world comes to a halt—he lets the liquid race into her mouth.
At first, he fears she isn't able to swallow it, but after a few long seconds, he sees her throat work. Relief rolls over him wave after wave, so Sam continues to pour the drink.
Forever passes before Elizabeth's blue eyes flutter open and the button on time presses play. She slightly moans, sitting up. Sam hushes her, just as the cop tells her not to move. "You need to just relax, Elizabeth. Drink. You're dehydrated."
Sam swallows as he watches Elizabeth nod. He hands the water bottle over to her, but he can't move away. He just can't. A few seconds ago, he didn't know if his baby sister was going to be okay.
She tips the bottle back, just as most of the people who are standing around disperse back to their hotel rooms. A handful stay behind, one of them being Ruth, who throws herself on the bed beside Elizabeth.
She squeezes her so tightly Sam fears she will break Elizabeth. Elizabeth just smiles, the look allowing the worry to escape Sam's body bit by bit. "You scared me."
"You scared all of us." Sam corrects. When he realizes how shaky his voice is, he clears his throat. "I am so glad you're okay."
"We all are." Jay chimes in from where he stands at the end of the bed. He still has remnants of that stupid mustache Sam drew on his face, but even that doesn't lighten Sam's dreary mood.
"I didn't mean to pass out." Elizabeth mumbles. Her voice is scratchy as it leaves her blue lips, and Ruth seems to notice because she pulls back from the hug they share and gives her a look. Elizabeth ignores it, though, and says, "Please don't pull away. You're so warm."
Ruth's ears perk at this, and she gladly curls up beside Elizabeth in the blanket, her arms lovingly wrapping around her. Even though Elizabeth's eyes are filled with content, Sam still has a giant hole in his stomach. He says, "Drink more."
"I will." Elizabeth nods, misunderstanding. "I learned my lesson."
"I meant right now." Sam mumbles, only smiling when Elizabeth lifts the drink to her mouth and chugs the water.
When the bottle is empty, Sam snatches it up, throws it away, grabs another one from the fridge, and hands it over to Elizabeth hastily. "More."
Elizabeth's eyebrows draw together. "More?"
Hanes, arms crossed over his thick chest and eyes serious, joins the conversation. "More."
The second cop, who was the one who seemed to actually have done something, arrives in the room. He has a head of curly orange hair, and his green eyes are speckled with brown. He is tall and lanky, and as he steps up next to the other, more annoying cop, Sam realizes they are complete opposites.
His eyes scan the room, taking in everyone's appearances, and then they zone in on Elizabeth. "Hi, there. I'm Officer Jones, but you can call me Wyatt. How are you doing, ma'am?"
Sam automatically likes the cop, since he has shown more caring for Elizabeth in the five seconds that he walked in the room than the chubby cop has yet to show.
Elizabeth smiles in response. "Feeling better than before." When she glances into the cop's eyes, though, her shoulders slump slightly. "I'm tired."
"Passing out does that to a person." The cop nods, his casual tone easing the mood in the room into a comfortable one. "My partner notified me of what happened, but I'd like to hear it from your point of view. Do you think you could do that for me?"
Elizabeth gently nods. "Nothing really happened. I was leaning against the wall of the elevator in the dark, wondering when the power was going to turn back on, when my thoughts got all jumbled. I couldn't keep my eyes open either, and the only things I could hear were my slowing heartbeats and everyone's breathing." She swallows, taking a small sip from the water. Once she sets it back down on her lap, she continues. "I tried to reach out for Finn or Asher, to let them know I didn't feel well, but I was too weak. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in here."
The cop nods as if he is considering her story while he takes out a notepad and pencil from his pocket. After scribbling a few things down, he glances back up at Elizabeth. "Alright. Thank you for going over the event. Do you think you'll be needing us to take you to a hospital to get an IV, or do you think you can drink three more of these tonight?"
Elizabeth gazes at the water bottle with her wide, blue eyes. "I can drink three more of these."
"Are you sure?" The cop raises his bushy eyebrows.
"Yes sir." Elizabeth replies, meeting his gaze evenly.
The cop only hesitates a second. Then, he motions toward the door. "Okay, then. Since you're going to be fine and the power is back on and running, I guess our job here is done." He pats the blanket kindly, and then turns around. Sending Sam a serious look, he whispers. "Make sure she drinks three more water bottles before she rests."
Sam merely nods, and then watches as the cop strides over to Mr. Gaz. Handing over a business card, he says, "Call me if you need anything. Check on her in the morning and if her lips are still blue, seek out medical help."
Mr. Gaz nods, his back straightening. "Will do. Thank you."
The other cop just walks past everyone, not giving a single person a second glance. Sam rolls his eyes and feels nothing but happiness when his overweight image disappears behind the doorway.
Silence enters the room, and Mr. Gaz is the first person to break it. "Okay. Everyone out. Let's let her have some rest."
Sam blinks as Asher says exactly what is on Sam's mind. "Mr. Gaz, the cop said she can't sleep until she drinks three more bottles of water."
Mr. Gaz attempts not to look so flustered, but it shines through the gray in his eyes. "Well, okay. Once she drinks three bottles of water, let her rest."
The group nods, and soon enough, Mr. Gaz is exiting the hotel room, shutting the door behind him. All of Elizabeth's friends stay behind, crowding the room up slightly, yet nobody speaks a word for a long time.
Only does Elizabeth ward the silence away. "You guys don't have to stay in here. I'll be fine."
Sebastian says, "We want to stay."
Natalie steps beside Sam, and also replies to Elizabeth. "We would've left if we didn't want to."
Elizabeth's grin is brighter than the sun as it flashes across her lips. "Awe, thanks guys."
Asher just has to ruin the moment. "Yeah, yeah. Now, hurry up and drink so we can all go to sleep."
***
THANK YOU ALL FOR READING THIS! THANK YOU!! Have blessed days and wonderful nights! Please comment opinions and vote if you have enjoyed! Thanks!!!