Her Knight in Shining Armor

Emma's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"She's awake?" She asked, not believing what she heard, and seeking validation.

The panting student nodded.

Before she could say anything else, Emma ran away, running as fast as she possibly could.

James ran after her, trying to keep up with her.

Her best friend was awake.

She was okay.

From what was supposed to be a ten-minute walk from the laboratory to the clinic was cut short when Emma arrived in the clinic minutes after she had been told the news.

She opened the clinic's wide doors, excited, and ecstatic to see her best friend.

Once she entered the clinic, her eyes widened and the biggest smile reached her face. Her best friend was no longer hooked to a ventilator, and she was finally awake.

"Lily!" She exclaimed as she embraced her best friend tightly, almost squeezing the life out of her.

A still-weak Lily smiled at her best friend's gesture.

"Em, you're going to squeeze me to death," Lily managed to say as she used her remaining energy to wrap her arm around her best friend's back.

In front of Emma, Lily tried to be as strong as she could. She knew that whatever weakness she showed would've had a great impact on Emma.

If not for the nurse, who had asked Emma to get off her best friend before Lily would be hurt, Emma would've hugged her best friend for the longest time, but she separated from Lily anyways, as she didn't want her to get hurt.

"Well, of course I will. You had me worried sick, Lil," she admitted as she guiltily looked at her best friend.

Lily pouted.

"I'm so sorry I worried you Em, I didn't mean to," Lily apologized, only managing to make Emma more guilty by the moment.

"How are you apologizing, Lil? I was the one that caused all this, if it wasn't for me, you'd-

She stopped talking, sobs racking her body.

"Girl, how was this your fault?" She asked curiously, not being informed of what was going on and why she had been admitted to the clinic in the first place.

"Lily…" Emma started, not knowing how to explain what actually happened.

"I'm so sorry, Lil. You were poisoned," she explained.

Lily blinked, trying to comprehend the situation.

She repeated Emma's words.

"I was...poisoned?" She asked, as if she had heard her words wrongly.

Emma nodded, confirming it.

"Lily...you were poisoned with the gas ammonia. It had caused you to have difficulty breathing and caused you to remain unconscious for about a day," Emma continued explaining.

Yes, Lily hadn't been unconscious for too long, but it was long enough to worry any person who's best friend had stayed unconscious due to poison.

"Oh," Lily replied, now staring down at her hands, averting Emma's caring gaze.

"Lily, I'm so sorry," Emma said as tears gathered in her eyes, threatening a downpour.

"Emma…" Lily said, not knowing how to comfort her best friend in this state.

Yes, she was conscious, but she still had the poison in her lungs, and she was incapable of doing much.

Seeing Emma like this, both Lily, and James, who had heard their whole conversation and was silently standing at the corner of the room where he remained unable to be seen, was worried for the girl.

Nevertheless, regardless of her weak state, Lily reached for Emma's hands.

"Em, what are you supposed to be sorry for?" She asked innocently.

Emma wiped a tear from her eye.

"Lily, this never would've happened if I had asked someone else to be my lady-in-waiting. If I had chosen someone else, you wouldn't have-

She stopped, knowing she wouldn't be able to control her tears if she continued speaking.

By this point, James had heard their entire conversation. His eyes glanced between Emma and Lily. If he could, he wanted to swoop in and embrace Emma, telling her everything would be okay, but since they were in front of both the nurse and Lily, the fear of getting death glares from Emma's best friend overpowered any of his urges to do so.

Seeing Emma hurt and getting teary struck something deep within him.

He had seen her in pain even though he had only known her for two days.

If he could've chosen, he'd bring her somewhere else where she'd never be able to feel pain anymore. He had no doubt that he liked her, if not loved her.

Yet he also knew that they'd be late for their next class if they didn't quicken up their pace and headed to their next class, so he lightly cleared his throat to get both Emma and Lily's attention.

He quietly coughed, the cough being quite quiet, but loud enough for both Lily and Emma to turn their attention to him.

Lily was quite shocked to see James in the clinic.

What was he doing with her best friend?

"What is it James?" Emma asked curiously, wondering what was so important that he had to ruin the moment for.

James raised his brow.

"Emma, we're going to be late for our next class any time now. We best be going now, or we'll be punished for being late, again," he reminded her.

Emma's eyes widened. James had a point. It was about ten minutes till their next class, which was their first ever history class.

"Oh my god! You're right! It's ten minutes till history class! We're going to be late!" She exclaimed.

She turned to Lily.

"I'm sorry Lil. We have to go now. I promise to visit you later, and I'll tell you more about it, but I have to go now," Emma said as she gave her best friend a quick hug and left without any other words, James right behind her.

If Emma could, she would have stayed with her best friend longer, and would've told her all about her first kiss and the date she had with James, but she couldn't sacrifice being late for her very first history class, even if Lily was her best friend.

While Lily pondered about what had just happened, and how James had spoken, her perceptions of James had changed by the slightest.

The James she had met on the first day of school seemed much different than the one that she had witnessed today.

Of course, she had first met him yesterday, but yesterday seemed a long time ago.

The old James she had met wouldn't have hesitated to rudely ask to leave. Instead, this James had politely reminded Emma that they had classes soon.

'Girl, is there something you're not telling me?' She asked Emma as she watched her best friend and the guy she thought was a jerk leave the clinic.