Z's Decision

Emily's P.O.V.

I entered the void, a vast world of nothingness. Any basic human feeling was meaningless. Happiness, anger, sadness. Those emotions weren't felt, they weren't a part of the void. An empty pit of loneliness and darkness. Nothing to warm you or light your way. Slowly slipping into the black, growing colder and colder as your mind grows numb. 

Inch by inch my toes were consumed like a water puddle pushing over and my feet. My evenly toned skin gradually swallowed by this darkness an inner blackness that nothing could penetrate. 

I opened my mouth to scream, nothing came out. Here I had no voice, here I would have no soul. Nothing to connect me to the physical world that I came from. In the void of darkness you are nothing, will become nothing. 

What do I do from here? How do I save myself? 

Z P.O.V.

Emily slipped into a coma. Her mind was lost somewhere and despite our best efforts we have yet to reach her. No one knows what caused her to suddenly fall ill and lose consciousness. Natasha had run every test she could and all the results came back normal. Well as normal as they could be for a human with incell DNA running through her. 

I ran my finger tips down the side of her cheek. She looked so calm and relaxed. As if she was just sleeping away all the stresses and problems in our world.  

"I keep waiting for her to open her eyes, " I say, wiping away a tear. 

"She will soon, I am sure of it." Natasha replied, placing a wet rag over her forehead. 

"I hope you're right, " I mumble. 

I'm not used to feeling so helpless particularly when it comes to the people I love and cherish. Seeing her in the state she is in makes me feel so useless. Like I should be doing something to help her. Anything other than light touches and wishful thinking. 

"Any changes yet?" The infirmary door slides open revealing a tired General Adkins. 

I shake my head. 

A frown plays across his lips and his eyes hold a great deal of sympathy.  

"Save the pity party for someone who needs it." I say waving him off. 

"No one is pitying you or Emily more so concerned." General Adkins glares back at me. 

" Then help us, instead of just standing there and watching." I snap. 

My frustration level was growing with each passing second. I have no time for other people's nonsense right now. Not when Emily is laying on a hospital bed basically lifeless. 

"What the hell do you think I am trying to do! I've already consulted the Elders, however, even this stems past their knowledge. You are just going to have to be patient Z!" 

Clenching my jaw I turn to face him and my hands are balled into a tight fist. How can he expect someone like me to be patient? Even knowing my genuine feelings about Emily. 

'I know it's hard Z, but you must keep a level head'  Leona's voice interjects into my thoughts. 

'That is easier said than done. She mysteriously gets sick, and out of all this, no one can tell what is wrong with her? This doesn't just happen' 

My frustration is growing more and more by the minute.  I storm past General Adkins with one final huff. Not bothering to acknowledge his presence any longer. 

'Quit being so hot-headed. If you are going to find out what happened to Emily, you need to calm down and think. You are smarter than this.' 

Leona's words echo in my head fading off into the distance voids in my mind. I know she's right but, I can't help this feeling of helplessness. I can't be helpless not when it comes to Emily and right now that's all I can do is stand by and wait. Something else I am not necessarily good at doing. 

Emily P.O.V.

"Wake up, Emily it's time to wake up, you're going to be late." The voice is warm and soothing, a man's voice….my father's voice.

I rub my eyes and stretch my hands, fall back against a wall and my eyes spring open at the familiar contact. I look around the room quickly recognizing where I am. I'm back in my old room, on my comfy bed. Sunlight is peeking in through the cracks of space that my curtains can't cover. 

The birds chirp their soft melody, and everything seems normal. As if everything I had gone through with awakening in the future, meeting Z being attacked, finding lutni have some sort of in cell alien DNA. Earth being destroyed, losing everything I loved. All of it now seems to be nothing but a horrific nightmare. 

"Emily, are you up? We have to get moving if we are going to make it." My fathers voice rings throughout the house. 

Confused about what's going on I hope out of bed and quickly find a pair of blue jeans and black tank top and get dressed. Once I take one last look in the mirror I dash out of my room and downstairs. 

"There you are, about time you got up, we have to get going if you don't want to be late." My dad grabs the keys and offers a small smile. 

Taking a deep breath I nod back at him and follow him out of the front door leaving the house and my room behind me. Along with any questions I have about how I ended up back at home. 

The rays of the sun quickly radiate on my skin warming me. As the warmth engulfs my body like a soft blanket on a winter day, I can't help but take comfort in it. My neighborhood seems pretty empty with no cars in the driveway or parked on the street. Looking up at the sky I notice that it's not the typical ocean blue color one would recognize. The sky has off shades of green and yellow. Something isn't right. 

"You okay kiddo?" My dad eyes me as he stands by the driver door. 

I don't answer at first, my mind tries to focus on the scenery around me. The neighborhood is empty, my dad is here, I can hear the birds, my house is exactly how I remember it, my father is too. Nothing is different except for the sky. 

Immediately I finally realized that I wasn't dreaming about Z and the others, the last six months of my life or anything else. All of that was my reality. Now, in this moment, however, I was dreaming. My dad in reality is actually dead. Earth isn't the simple human-run planet it was. Something happened where I ended up here in this place. But how? Is the question. Now how do I get back to reality, is the bigger question. 

Z P.O.V 

Sitting next to Emily I hold her hand in both of mine. Her hand is cold to the touch and her skin has gotten even paler than it originally was. I can see her body growing weaker and weaker as time goes by.  My thumb trails over her knuckles in a sweeping motion. Side to side, I keep a steady pace. 

Her breathing is normal and even, and with how she looks right now, you could compare her to the sleeping princess from the children's movie sleeping beauty. Even in the state, she is in, Emily is still as beautiful as ever. I only hope she will wake up soon. 

"Hey, " Nicole approaches with a forlorn look on her face. 

"Hey, " I responded, returning my focus back to Emily. 

"Don't worry about Emily Z. She's a lot tougher than I think any of us give her credit for. She'll come out of this just fine." 

I inhale deeply filling my lungs with the cool air that surrounds us. 

"Why don't you take a break, you've been sitting in that same spot for five hours." Nicole asks, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder. 

"I can't leave her, I want to be here when she awakens." I respond with a shaky voice. 

I really need to pull myself together, no one can see me weak. No one can see these tears that threaten to over flow and take over my vision and break the resolve I have held on to. 

"Z, Emily will still be right there when you get back awake or not, I'll wait with her until you return if that helps." 

Reluctantly I get off the small black stool I had been planted on for the last five hours. I stretch my legs and nod to Nicole, not daring to make eye contact. My heart is heavy with worry for her. 

'Worry and regret go hand in hand.'  Leona pitches in her usual unwelcome comment. 

'Your point?'  I snap back at her.

' My point is Z. When Emily wakes up from this coma, you had better finally make it official with her, or live with the regret of something happening and never getting the chance to.'

' It's not that simple Leona. You think everything is easy just because you say it is. Well it's not!' 

' Of course it's simple. You need to quit with the excuses. I know you miss Estelle, I miss her too, but now it is time to move on, Emily is our second chance at happiness. Not to mention she reminds me of our Estelle.' 

' No argument there.'  

I cut our link leaving myself to my own devices. Leona was right when she said Emily reminded us of Estelle. She has the same firecracker attitude and stubbornness as my first love. The no quit go better attitude. Down to the love and care she has shown me. Hell she even kisses me like Estelle did. 

I smile at the thought and can't help but scoff. I hate admitting when my Lycan is right and I know I have been wrong. When Emily wakes up things will be different that's for sure.