Perfect School

Kyra:

“So, you’ve come to help her? Or stop her? Or both?” He asked. I didn’t respond. Kira in her cold silent place, and Jonah said nothing. Krissy yelled in frustration. She had gone insane.

She screamed at the man about what he did to her daughter. She called him a name I didn’t catch. He taunted back. He tried to taunt Kira then Jonah but neither responded to his bait so he focused on Krissy. He said something about Eric, how they had both been working for Marie when he found Krissy. How it was planned. How Krissy was supposed to be kidnapped and not harmed. They had to improvise when Eric disobeyed. It was hard for me to follow their conversation with the man’s remarks aimed to jab at Krissy and her only shouting curses back.

“How does it feel knowing I saw your child grow up while you didn’t even know she existed?” He asked her. She struggled harder against Jonah. I could see it from the corner of my eyes. She still had a bloody knife in her hand. My focus strayed for a moment away from the man. That’s when I saw the blood running down her side.

“Krissy!” I gasped. This was what Andrew had been worried about. That Jonah would hurt Krissy. I turned my gun on him. “Let her go!” His face turned slowly to me. In that moment Kissy broke free from his grasp and lunged at her tormentor.

Jonah fell back, his front soaked with blood. The sight of him like this stunned me. It seemed impossible. It took a second before I shook myself and rushed to him. I took a moment to glance at Krissy before dropping my gun. She had already reached the man and had plunged her knife into him.

My knees hit the ground and I pressed my hand over the source of the blood flow. My ears rang with panic. This was never a situation we had planned for.

“Jonah, focus. Don’t fall asleep,” I said in a shrill voice. He responded a second later with a soft grunt. His face was white and his limbs were barely moving. Blood was already seeping between my fingers.

It was only seconds but it felt timeless. “Kira!” I shouted.

Kira:

I kept my eyes on the man as he taunted Krissy. I kept my eyes on him even as Jonah collapsed in my periferal vision. They remained on the man who had tortured me for years. Beaten me on a whim because I hadn't done a task perfectly. And they didn't shift even as Krissy rushed at the man and her knife sank into his flesh.

Kyra's voice broke my gaze. Her shouting turning my head to focus on Jonah on the ground, blood soaking into the mats. A stray thought and feeling crossed my mind then. It was annoyance that Jonah was bleeding all over the mats. I'd have to clean them and blood was particularly annoying to get out.

The emotion was fleeting, a moment less than the beat of my heart. The feelings and thoughts that came up were a surprise to my current state. I wanted to help both men in this room. To save them. It had been ingrained in me from a child to help, protect, and obey the one. The other had less time but his hooks went just as deep to tie me to his whims.

But then a thought slid through me. Washing away all others with an icy clarity. Perhaps this was for the best. Perhaps I shouldn't do anything. One man who was bleeding out from a silver, blood covered knife had abused me for years. Physically attacking me in ever creative ways to break me down and form me like a smith into something he viewed as a perfect weapon. While the other who lay on the mat from a wound I could only guess at had done much the same but his abuse had attacked the mind, wearing me down and bending me until I was starting to wrap around his finger like a jeweler making the perfect ring.

It was all so absurd. I wanted them both to die, I wanted them both to live. My mask cracked, and not just on the outside. The absudity of the war within myself bubbled through that crack and in the stillness following Kyra's shout another sound met my ears. A foreign one, one I hadn't heard in years. I didn't recognize it until I was doubled over, clutching at my stomach. I was laughing.

Kyra:

I should have been able to count on these people and yet I was the only one holding it together, if only by a thread. Jonah was bleeding out even with m here. There was nothing else I could do. We were in the heart of the hornets nest and they would find us before long is we stayed.

The rational thing to do would be to run. Or to grab Krissy and Kira and run. But I couldn’t leave Jonah to die. He had saved my life. I owed him if nothing else.

“Kira please! Help me!” I shouted again. Jonah was out now. He would probably die, but I still couldn’t give up.

Kyra's voice broke through my laughter, and I straightened slowly. I still had no interest in helping either of them but as I looked at her my shoulders fell slightly. I was failing her. She needed me and I knew how she wanted me to help. I hesitated only a moment longer, looking from Jonah to the Man in the Suit. Two evils within my life. Two sides of the same coin. But Kyra was the desciding factor. I went to her side, crouching down beside Jonah.

Between the choice of two evils, Jonah was the lesser of them both. But it was for Kyra I knew that I started to yank off first his shirt and then my own. Ripping a length of fabric from the hem of his I helped Kyra tie my shirt over his wound, a make shift compression bandage. "We have to move him downstairs. There is a medical facility."

Kyra:

That wouldn’t be enough but it was the only option now and it could give us time to call someone for help and leave before they got there. I held the bandage on tightly. “Get a gurney?” I asked her. There was no way the two of us could carry him without making the situation worse for his wound.

I chewed on my lip then nodded. Running over to the side of the room I threw back a curtain to expose a little alcove where several cots were stacked up. Beside them however was a single gurney that I grabbed and wheeled over until I could drop it down next to Jonah.

Kyra:

Together we lifted him on the stretcher and took him down to the basement. As soon as we were to the medical unit I let Kira take over since she knew the place and how to use the equipment. I called Zero first to see if she could get help for Jonah and get us out of here without alerting Marie's people. I asked her to tell Andrew what was going on and to have him wait until we were leaving to call our dad and tell him where to meet us.

"Help is on the way," I told Kira, running my bloody hands through my hair without realizing. Jonah looked terrible. He had already lost a lot of blood. If he didn't get a transfusion soon he likely wouldn't make it. I felt sick and helpless. That help was on the way was a small relief but if they didn't come in time Jonah would die.

"What blood type are you?" I asked while moving about the room. A tray was grabbed first, quickly covered in the contents of a medical kit, clamps, and various medicines. Moving back over to the gurney Jonah was on I dragged over a table on wheels and set the tray down. "I'm O+. He needs blood, fresh is better if you match whatever he is. If not check the fridges to see if they still have any O- stored here. They used to when I was here."

Giving her orders was the best thing I could offer at this time. She wasn't hurt physically, but mentally and emotionally she could be damaged. Something to keep busy was the best I could offer. It also kept her out of my way as I removed the makeshift bandage I'd applied and set to work. Cleaning the wound was my first task, one where I simply dumped disinfectant on and into the wound while cleaning up as much of the blood as I possibly could. A few probing fingers and close inspection told me all I needed to know. This was beyond my ability. I could stabalize him at best, but he needed a real surgeon and a fully equipped room. This room was equipped, but I wasn't.

Kyra:

“I’m the same as you,” I said hurrying to the fridge. There was no O- blood but there was medicine to stop someone bleeding. I pulled it out and filled a syringe. “Here,” I moved to his other side and probed his arm for a vein. Once I got a decent one I pushed the plunger.

“Is there a blood test kit?” I asked her. I watched Jonah’s chest rise and fall very slowly, waiting for it to stop all together.

"Check one of the cabinets beside the blood fridge. I'm sure we do. When this place is staffed they know our blood types. Didn't have to deal with that." I scrubbed at my forehead with my arm for a moment, wiping away sweat before I went back to work. I packed the wound as best I could then pressed a wad of gauze over the wound, pressing hard into his side.

Kyra:

I went back and searched for a blood test. It took a minute before I found one. I tore open the package and touched a drop of Jonah’s blood (there was plenty to spare) to the kit. It took another couple minutes before the results were back.

“A+! We can donate!” I said the moment it came up. I automatically offered my arm to Kira. It made sense for me to give blood instead of her. I had more of it after all.

I directed Kyra to a chair. "I need to take care of some things upstairs. I need you to hold this here. Press hard." I took one of her hands and had it replace mine over the bandage. Her other arm I set up and taped in the needle to have her start filling a bag with blood.

Kyra:

I sat down in the chair and leaned back while Kira inserted the needle. I watched her leave then turned my face to Jonah. Still alive. I could feel his slow heartbeat with my hand on his wound.

“Please don’t die,” I whispered. I didn’t realize how much I cared for him until now. Even with all he had done I didn’t want to lose him.

Kira:

I made sure they were both doing as well as could be expected before returning back to the elevator and taking it up to the main level.  Stepping into the giant room I felt a wave of tiredness hit me.  The kid hadn't moved yet, but I knew it was likely to only be a matter of time before he awoke.  I knew people wouldn't like my decision but it was the only outcome that seemed plausible to me.

I was three steps towards the boy when I noticed Krissy sitting down.  I detoured then, going over and stopping several feet away.  "You should go downstairs.  Kyra could use your support right now."

A shake of her head was the only response I gained. I took a long look over her body, noting the copious amount of blood that covered her and the corpse a bit away.

"It would be better for you to go downstairs. You could shower and clean up." There was no emotion to my tone, no inflection. And again I was met with a refusal. With a small shrug I turned my back to her and went over to the kid.

Carefully I knelt down beside him and laid my fingers on the pulse point in his neck. I could feel the steady beat and closed my eyes. "For what it's worth...I'm sorry you had to endure this. I hope you rest well in your freedom." I spoke softly, with my head bowed. A solitary breath was the only moment of silence I gave before I shifted my weight forward over him and the silence was broken by a sickening crack as I snapped his neck.

I laid my fingers on his neck, adjusting it back to a proper position. I waited for a full minute to confirm he was dead before I stood up again and began walking towards the elevator.

Krissy:

The first thing that went through my mind when I came down from my high was that I needed my brother. It was instinct. From all the years growing up he had helped me with this. Then I thought about Michael and how I had broken a promise that I wouldn't kill again unless it was to protect myself. That I had left without telling him.

When Kira came back up my eyes followed her but I didn't say anything. I had brought her into this too. Put her in danger. Kyra too. An I had hurt their friend. I didn't know if he was dead or not.

When Kira told me to leave I couldn't bring myself to move. I was numb with guilt and shame. It didn't even phase me when I watched her kill the boy I had been fighting with. I would have killed him myself if they hadn't stopped me.

"Kyra is still downstairs if you care enough to see her. One floor down by the stairs or elevator." It was the last thing I said to Krissy before I stepped into the elevator and let the doors shut behind me. I was just tired, so very tired. I wanted this to be over, and yet it was just out of my reach still for me to rest.

Once back in the infirmary I went to check on Kyra and Jonah. I checked his vitals and then moved to remove the needle from Kyra's arm. "That's enough for now. I might need more, but we can't wait much longer."

Kyra:

I folded my elbow to put pressure on my needle mark. “They should be here any minute. The people Zero sent,” I told her. I stood up and supported myself on the chair back. I was dizzy only for a moment.

Kira:

I only nodded, checking out Jonah's vitals after I'd set him with the blood transfusion.  He wasn't looking good.  My emotional battle from earlier was fading away, and I couldn't help but brush a lock of hair out of his face absently.  The running troop of footsteps heralded the arrival of Jonah's saviors.  I stepped out of the way then rattled off the wound, what I'd done, and his blood type.  It was a trio of men, none of them bothering with introductions and promptly shooed us out of their way.

I led Kyra to a pair of chairs in the corner, sitting her down in one before I settled into the other. "We should get Zero to organize a ride home for us."

Kyra:

“I have to take Krissy to my dad and Michael,” I said. “You’re not going to go with Jonah?” I asked. If I didn’t have Krissy to deal with I would go with him. He never abandoned us when we were hurt.

"That depends on Jonah and the doctors." I waved a hand at the trio hard at work already. "I am not sure what to do really." Tilting my head back until it hit the wall I let out a slow breath. There were so many options, and none of them seemed like the best choice. I was confused and muddled inside.

"I could turn myself and Jonah in to Marie, but that doesn't seem like it would be a good choice. I'd never see any of you again. But he'd be taken care of by some of the best and both you and Krissy could make it out of here safely." I raised a finger to tick off that choice. "If he turns out to be alright...I could go back with all of you but that's not an easy task...this city isn't friendly to us. One wrong move and everything falls apart."

Kyra:

“We could go now. Go with Jonah until my dad meets us. We could make a plan from there,” I said and put my hand on her shoulder. “There’s always a way out.”

"Perhaps there is, but we'll see." Reaching up I gripped her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. I grew quiet then, simply holding onto her hand like a lifeline.

A couple minutes later one of the doctors walked over to speak to us, "We have him stabilized for transport. He's going to need a fully staffed room and surgeons. But we need to get him to one as soon as possible. We were told we can't find one here so we need to get going now."

Releasing Kyra's hand I stood and nodded, "Lead the way. We will keep you safe."

Nodding he rushed back over to his fellows and began to wheel Jonah's gurney out of the room.

Kyra:

I drove behind the “ambulance” with Krissy sitting bloody in the backseat. We didn’t say a word during the drive. Kira had gone with Jonah, she said because she didn’t want to deal with Krissy, but I assumed she was also compelled to stay with him.

We got to a facility Zero had arranged for us. Jonah went into surgery immediately. There was a room with a shower. I sent Krissy off to clean up and I called my dad. He and Michael were an hour away.

Kira:

I wanted to shower, to wash the days events away. But Krissy went in first and any desire to use that shower vanished. Instead I found a window with a decent view and I dragged over a comfortable chair that I promptly lounged in as if I hadn't a care in the world and one of my closest friends was struggling for his life.

I kept my gaze out the window even after I heard Kyle and Michael's heavy footsteps coming down the hallway.

Kyra:

I jumped up immediately when I heard my dad coming. I ran to him and hugged him tightly. After assuring him again that I was unharmed I turned to Michael to tell him that Krissy was in the bedroom. She hadn’t come out at all and neither Kira not I had bothered to check on her.