APOLLO - 13

My body moved before I could comprehend the situation, I just wanted to reach her as soon as possible and hold her close, safe to me. I just wanted her safe. Lilly was nowhere in sight, she was completely alone.

I was desperately running through the crowd but it was difficult, almost as if I was swimming upstream. I tried to do my best not to knock people down as I crossed them.

"Meera!!" I screamed but it was in vain since I know she won't be able to hear me above the crowd. But thankfully she recovered from the shock and started sprinting down the stairs. I was just about to reach her when there was another blast, this one bigger and stronger. I was in an advantageous area since the people close to the fire took most of the blow and it didn't really reach me, but Meera was out in the open, with nothing to cover herself with. The impact of the blast was so strong on her that she was blown and smashed into the wall beside her. I picked up my pace, now not giving a damn how many people I'm pushing or crushing.

Meera tried to regain her balance somehow but the below must have taken away her strength, I watched horrified as her feet slipped and she started rolling down those metal stairs. Shit! I ran as fast as I could and reached her before she even made it down a single floor. Shit shit shit!

"Meera! Meera, stay with me!" I tried to reach her but she was already on the verge of losing it. God her face was a mess. There was a big opened wound on the right side of her head and fucking lots of blood flowing down her face I couldn't tell if there were any injuries beneath the blood or not but she surely took a hit at her ankles, shoulder and head. Fuck I just hope it's nothing serious...

"Apollo?" She whispered as she tried her hardest to open her blood shot eyes.

"I'm here, I'm here sweetheart. Everything's ok I gotcha." I said trying to calm her down since she was shaking like a puppy. But soon I felt her body becoming heavier and breathing lighter.

"No, stay with me Meera! Please stay with me! You have to stay awake!" I tried to shake her as I carried her back to the car but she soon lost consciousness. It felt like a fist was tightly clenched around my heart, ultimately giving me a hard time to breath.

"Meera!" I heard Lilly's voice, she was standing near my car, Ronen must have held her there since it's dangerous to get close to that area.

"Where the fuck were you!? Why weren't you with her!?" I growled as soon as I came near her.

"I- I.." he voice trailed off and she couldn't take her eyes off of Meera."Apollo, blaming each other will do no good. There was nothing anyof us could have done in this situation. And this is definitely not the right time to discuss all this, let's get her to the hospital first." Ronen said, jumping to her defense. Are they that close already? But he is right, Lily wouldn't have been able to do anything in this situation, she could have gotten hurt herself. Now at least she has survivor's guilt for leaving her friend alone.

During the whole car ride I kept glancing back at Meera, and every time my eyes find her blood splattered face it feels like my heart skips a hundred beats all together. As if seeing her like this was revoking a fear inside me that I have long buried deep.

We reached the hospital within a few minutes, which if I may mention- felt like an eternity.

"Doctor! Is Meera ok? She won't die right?" Lilly suddenly launched from her seat as soon as the doctor came out of the ward. I took her straight to the VVIP wards since I knew that the normal wards will be filled up with wounded and serious patients in a few minutes.

"Don't worry she is fine and positively there are no internal injuries." Dr. Smith said and Lilly heaved a sigh of relief but I knew there was more to come... there always is.

"But she took a good blow on the head so I don't think she'll gain consciousness anytime soon. It might take a couple of days, a week or maybe a month. Not more than that though." He said. I pushed my hair back and exhaled in frustration. Lilly dropped back on the chair in utter shock while Smith gave me a curt nod and took his leave. Smith is a close friend and prioritises Meera's treatment on my request.

"This shouldn't have happened. I shouldn't have left her alone. This-" her voice faded as a sob broke out of her.

She is right, this shouldn't have happened. I walked up to the ward and looked over at Meera from the glass window. she was lying on the bed peacefully covered in bandages. Everything in the room was white, the walls, the beddings, the curtains, her dress and her bandages... She looked nothing less than an angel... who was hurt by a demon... Right.. I'm the demon here, I hurt her. I knew about the situation ever since morning! I should've done something! I could've saved her.. this is my fault.. She's lying there because of me.

Back at the festival, when I was running towards her to save her, she was standing very far away and I couldn't see her face clearly but her expressions and the pure shock and horror in her eyes told me one thing for sure, that she had no idea what was going on and she has never in her whole life been even close to something like this.. I was wrong about her..

I looked back at Lilly who was crying her eyes out. They were supposed to be on a holiday but got pulled into this mess.. Ronen was sitting beside her holding her hand and probably whispering some comforting words to her. I walked up to them and sat on the other side.

"You have to stop crying, you know." I said and she looked at me. I know I'm not good at consoling someone...

"You have to be strong to support your friend, not break down like this. And... I'm sorry, about what I said to you, about not being with her. That was wrong, you couldn't have possibly done anything. I'm sorry. " And I really was feeling sorry, she was already shocked at that time and what I said must have hurt alot.

"No, don't say that. In fact I want to say thank you. You saved her. If something were to happen to her, I would die too, so you saved both of us." She said with a sad smile on her face and I nodded. You won't be saying the same if you knew the whole situation...

"You should go inside, be with her." I said motioning towards the ward. she nodded and went in.

"Ronen, we have to do something about this. It's getting out of hand."