2.55

"Alex," Scowling, my hands balled into angry fists against his chest.

"I'm sorry," his hand pushed my head into his chest, and the other stroked my back like he was trying to pacify a crying child, not an angry one. "I misunderstood you, I'm sorry."

Trying to squirm out of his suffocating embrace I noticed Ethan, Matt, and Luke standing at the open door.

"Told you she was still alive," Matt elbowed Luke and walked ahead cheerfully, "you two now owe me a drink."

Luke hit him across the back of the head, taking over him to walk towards us, smiling sheepishly with a blush across his cheeks.

"Are you okay Hannah?" Ethan pushed through the pair of awkward youths to stop inches before us due to Alex's cold glare.

"Laura's only trained you for a month and you fancy yourself a doctor," Luke whined from behind Ethan.

I felt under the microscope with three expectant eyes watching me. If only the arms around me could make me feel safe again. Instead, fear caused bile to climb my throat, threatening to escape.

"Hannah."

There was that name again, the name I'd briefly been able to forget in just Ty and Lex's company.

"Hannah, please," Alex's voice was like a whisper in my ear as I felt the drip of his tears landing on my skin. Those wide green eyes looked at me just as innocent and expectant as the others, but all I could remember was how they looked at me before he walked away. He walked away.

"Stop," for some reason, I felt breathless, like my ribs were crushing, squeezing all of the air from my lungs, "I c-can't."

If only my voice could be as loud and strong as the rage I felt inside.

"There you are," Ty interjected, Laura at his side, he walked up to us, hand extended for me to reach out, "come, you must be exhausted after that long walk, let's go get your feet up."

Alex's grip slowly loosened until I was able to grab Ty's hand and stumble to his side, where Laura linked arms with me, her eyes staring excitedly at my stomach.

"Dr. John," Alex smiled wide and stiff, "how is Hannah doing? What about the baby? Where did you take her?"

"Well, we've had a fun little trip to find someone important," Ty shrugged. He gave me a quick reassuring pat on the arm then quietly leaned to murmur something in Laura's ear before letting go of me to put an arm around Alex and steer him back into the apartment blocks.

"Are you guys okay?" Luke asked with a quiet voice.

"No," I couldn't stop myself from sounding like an impudent child, "please keep him away from me."

"What about the-" before Matt could finish Luke yanked on his jumper to pull him back from me.

"Okay Hannah, but you can still come to find us for anything," his eyes looked moist with tears. In the grand scheme of things I barely knew these guys, but life-or-death situations had a funny way to make humans bond.

I nodded, feeling guilty for being angry at the three of them. They'd come to mine, Holly and Leo's aide without question. They'd invited us into their home, their safe sanctuary in the apocalypse. Then sacrificed one of their own people just to let us all escape.

Alex had done all that too…

Was I being too harsh? Did couples normally fight like that? My fists tightened, nails digging deeply, at the thought of how we had fought.

All I had to base my decisions on were my brief experiences as Hannah and Zhiyue. Neither of which is the paragon of healthy relationships.

The sound of something clattering made all five of us look at the entrance to the apartments. Shortly after Ty walked out to greet the awkward silence and all five eyes still staring.

Ty sighed, shaking his head, then walked over to steer me away from the building and the three confused men who just stood, watching as we got further and further away.

"Are you alright there Luna bug?" Ty asked when I grabbed his arm, using him to stand steady.

I shook my head, breathless, feeling my heart beat heavily, threatening to burst through my chest

"Breathe," Laura pulled my messy hair out of my face, "just breathe sweetie, we got you."

My vision blurred with tears, and each tense muscle all relaxed in one exhale.

Why was I feeling so scared?

Even with Ty and Laura beside me, I felt alone and terrified.

"What's wrong Luna bug?" Ty knelt on the ground in front of me.

I reached out for him, leaning on his sturdy shoulders, "don't," my knees trembled, "leave, me, alone." As soon as the last word was spoken my vision darkened and I felt myself falling.

***

Someone's pacing footsteps woke me. Reluctant to wake, I rolled over, trying to pull the blanket over my head, but finding a heavy weight on the bed keeping the duvet in place.

"You're up?" Holly's sweet voice called out, making me wipe the sleep from my eyes.

"Hi," my smile was wide and faltering at the three worried gazes.

Will, Leo, and Holly were all in the small, unfamiliar bedroom, giving me a sense of deja-vu. Will had been the one pacing in the little floor space the room had. Holly and Leo sat at each side of the bottom of the bed.

"Just hi?" Will growled, stopping when Holly and Leo turned to glare at him.

"Where's Ty?" I asked sheepishly still not fully awake.

"Ty? Is that another bloke I need to be aware of?" Will frustratingly banged his head off the wall, "just what did I do wrong in my last life to be given such a sister?"

"Sorry, I'm half awake, I meant Dr. John, where's Dr. John?" I gulped, wishing everyone was a System user too. When I realised that for them to all be System users they'd have to die first, bile rose up my throat.

"He had to go, left you in my care," Will sighed, then squeezed along the wall to sit on the bed beside me, "how are you feeling? Sick? Hungry?"

"Both," I readjusted myself under the blanket to sit up straight but stay warm, "I want chicken soup."

"I'll sort it," Leo jumped up, looking eager to escape the scary atmosphere Will projected.

A few minutes later Holly volunteered to go help Leo cook, just as eager to escape.

"You scared the kids," I elbowed Will, happy I was now able to pull the duvet up and hug it.

"You scared me," Will pulled me sideways to a tight hug, "you really, really scared me, Han."