Hullo, everyone! Well, look who missed two parts… I didn’t mean to hold you in terrible suspense, but… it kind of happened. Sorry (sort of)! š New? Part one is here.
The fuzziness clears ā will I ever get used to this? ā and I look around in surprise. A light breezes waves little strands of loose hair off my face, and palm branches flutter slightly overhead.
I jump in surprise as cool ocean water splashes against my ankles, soaking my tennis shoes. The water pulls back and buries my feet in the wet sand. Itās nearly impossible to get my feet out of the sand without my shoes coming off, but somehow I manage and slog over to where Blaze is. Heās laying Ezra out on the hot sand and is checking her over.
āWhy are we here? Shouldnāt we go to headquarters?ā I ask grumpily. My hands ache like crazy. My shoes are fairly new, and now theyāre covered in mud. I may not be a girly-girl like Brooklyn, but unnecessary waste like this is⦠wasteful.
āWe will be going to headquarters,ā Blaze growls through gritted teeth. āI just want to make sure sheās alive.ā
The blood drains out of my face. I hadnāt considered the fact that Ezra might be dead. Iād just assumed she was unconscious. Iām suddenly very grateful that Denverās not here. What would he say? Probably nothing, heād probably be hyperventilating. My legs get weak and wobbly, so I kneel down next to Blaze. āIs she okay?ā
He nods, sitting back on his heels. āHer pulse is fine, I think, so sheāll probably be okay. I donāt know whatās wrong with her, but Iām not a doctor or anything.ā
No, heās not. Neither am I, but I can tell that somethingās wrong, from her unconsciousness and pale, bruised face. I really hope sheāll be okay. āSo letās go to headquarters.ā
Blaze nods, and after a second, weāre kneeling on the icy floor of Jenās office. Jen is heading towards the door, but she stops in surprise when she sees us. She recovers almost instantly and hurries over to us, kneeling next to Ezra. Jenās hand flies to her ear. āCom, cancel the call for Trav and bring in Medic. Volt is here, 33. Tell Pop and company that Jazz and Blaze are back.ā
Jen closes her eyes, inhaling slowly, deeply, calmly, and places her hands on Ezraās arm. I notice a few small flashes of blue light where her hands are touching Ezra, but that might be my imagination, since nothing else changes. Jen removes her hands with a frown on her face.
The door opens, and a boy enters. Heās skinny, which makes me think of Maddie, and Iād guess heās about her age, too. He kneels down next to Jen, only giving Blaze and me a passing glance.
āThanks for coming so quickly,ā Jen says, smiling at him encouragingly and ruffling his hair. Iām shocked by how casual and laid back she is with Ezra lying unconscious on the floor in front of her. Iām about to give some kind of snippy remark when Blaze nudges me and gives a pointed look in the boyās direction. I get the message: this is for the boyās benefit, for whatever reason, so I keep my mouth shut, for once.
āShe just has some chloroform in her system,ā Jen begins. āIf you can get that out, and heal the bruises, that would be great.ā
The boy nods and places his hands on Ezra. Her face gets a little less pale, and the bruises disappear. He removes his hands and looks at Jen for approval.
āGreat job, Medic,ā Jen says in a fake solemn voice with a smile. āYouāre free to go.ā
āWait,ā Blaze says, gently grabbing my wrist. Medic pauses, looking between the two of us, and Jen lifts an eyebrow. Blaze turns my hand over, revealing my raw, bloody palm. āYou might as well take care of Jazzās hands while youāre here.ā
Medic hesitates, but a nod from Jen is enough to make him come over. He gently touches both of my palms, as if he thinks Iām going to break. The torn skin moves back into place and fuses together in a slow, mesmerizing pattern that should be disgusting but really isnāt. He also touches my knuckles where I punched the guy, and the bruises disappear. He gives me a shy, adorable smile and hurries out of the room after another nod from Jen.
Ezra shifts slightly on the floor, her eyelashes fluttering as a soft moan escapes from her lips. Jen lays a gentle hand on her arm. āNow that thatās taken care of, we can talk.ā
I have a feeling this might not be pleasant.