Chapter: Don't Leave Me
(Keifer's POV)
For a few seconds after Jay collapsed…
I couldn't hear anything.
Not the lake.
Not the shouting.
Not the wind in the trees.
Nothing.
All I could feel was her weight in my arms.
Jay's head rested against my shoulder, her hair falling over my arm while her body stayed completely limp.
Too limp.
"Jay," I whispered.
No response.
My chest tightened.
"Jay, wake up."
Still nothing.
Then suddenly the world came rushing back.
"MOVE!"
"WE NEED TO GET BACK TO CAMP!"
"WHAT KIND OF SNAKE WAS IT?!"
"IS SHE BREATHING?!"
Voices exploded around me.
Cin ran closer, panic written all over his face.
"Bro… bro is she okay?!"
"I don't know," I snapped.
I shifted Jay slightly in my arms, holding her tighter so she wouldn't slip.
Her face was pale.
Her breathing was shallow but still there.
That tiny movement of her chest was the only thing keeping my mind from completely breaking.
Aries stepped beside me.
His voice was calm, but I could see the tension in his jaw.
"Keif. We need to move. Now."
I nodded immediately.
"Back to camp."
Rory ran ahead.
"I'll clear the path!"
Blaster jumped out of the water, still dripping.
"I'll go with him!"
David and Drew quickly started moving too.
"Let's go!"
The entire group suddenly shifted into panic mode.
Freya looked like she might cry.
Ella was shaking.
Mica and Rakki followed closely behind us.
Michel walked beside Aries, scanning the forest.
"Stay together," he said firmly.
I didn't answer anyone.
My entire focus was on the girl in my arms.
Jay's head moved slightly when I started walking quickly through the forest path.
Her hand twitched weakly against my shirt.
My heart jumped.
"Jay?"
No response.
"Come on… wake up."
The path through the forest suddenly felt ten times longer than before.
Branches brushed against my arms.
Leaves cracked under my boots.
But I didn't slow down.
Not even a little.
Cin kept running beside me.
"Bro… she's gonna be okay right?"
I didn't answer.
Because I didn't know.
And I wasn't ready to say that out loud.
Behind us, Eren, Josh, Emman, Kit, Felix, Calix, and Denzel were arguing loudly.
"CALL SOMEONE!"
"DOES ANYONE HAVE SIGNAL?!"
"TRY AGAIN!"
"DAMN IT!"
Rory shouted from ahead.
"THIS WAY!"
I tightened my grip around Jay.
Her head rolled slightly against my shoulder again.
"Jay," I murmured.
Nothing.
Fear started creeping deeper into my chest.
The girl who was laughing this morning…
The girl who had chased Cin with a knife last night…
The girl who had kissed me in front of everyone and said she loved me…
Was now completely silent in my arms.
And it scared the hell out of me.
"Keif," Aries said quietly beside me.
I looked at him.
"Is she breathing normally?"
I glanced down again.
Her chest rose slowly.
Then fell.
"…yes."
"Good," he said.
But his eyes were still worried.
We kept moving.
Faster.
Finally—
The tents came into view through the trees.
"CAMP!" Rory shouted.
Everyone ran faster.
I headed straight toward my tent.
"MOVE!" Cin yelled at anyone in the way.
Blaster pushed the tent flap open.
"Here!"
I stepped inside quickly and knelt down, gently placing Jay on the sleeping mat.
Her hair spread across the pillow.
Her face still pale.
Still unconscious.
I immediately knelt beside her.
"Jay."
I tapped her cheek lightly.
"Jay, wake up."
Nothing.
My stomach twisted.
Aries crouched beside me.
Michel stood behind him.
"What kind of snake?" Michel asked.
"Didn't see clearly," I said.
"Just saw it strike."
Cin paced nervously outside the tent.
"BRO SHE'S NOT WAKING UP!"
"Shut up!" Rory snapped.
Freya whispered quietly to Ella.
"Is she going to be okay?"
Ella shook her head anxiously.
"I don't know…"
Inside the tent the air felt heavy.
Too quiet.
Too tense.
I grabbed Jay's hand gently.
It was warm.
But weak.
"Jay," I whispered again.
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then—
Her fingers twitched slightly in my hand.
My heart jumped.
"Jay?"
Her eyelids fluttered.
Slowly.
Weakly.
Then finally…
She opened her eyes.
Barely.
Her vision looked unfocused.
Confused.
"…Keif…?"
Relief hit me so hard my shoulders nearly dropped.
"Yeah," I said quickly.
"I'm here."
She blinked slowly.
"…what happened…?"
"You got bitten by a snake."
Her eyebrows frowned weakly.
"Oh."
Only Jay would react like that.
I exhaled sharply.
"You scared the hell out of me."
She looked at me quietly for a moment.
Then whispered softly—
"…sorry."
I squeezed her hand.
"Don't apologize."
Outside the tent the group exploded again.
"SHE WOKE UP?!"
"IS SHE OKAY?!"
"BRO TELL US!"
Cin nearly fell into the tent opening.
"JAY ARE YOU ALIVE?!"
Jay blinked at him slowly.
"…why wouldn't I be?"
Cin dropped to the ground dramatically.
"I WAS ABOUT TO WRITE YOUR MEMORIAL SPEECH."
Rory smacked him.
"IDIOT."
Jay looked confused.
Then she looked back at me.
"…why are you holding my hand?"
I stared at her.
Then sighed.
"Because you passed out."
She blinked again.
"…oh."
For a few seconds everything was quiet.
Then she suddenly murmured softly—
"…did I ruin the lake trip?"
Everyone outside the tent groaned.
"SERIOUSLY?!" Drew shouted.
Blaster laughed.
"She almost dies and that's her concern!"
I shook my head.
"Jay."
"Hmm?"
"You're unbelievable."
She smiled faintly.
Then her eyes slowly closed again.
But this time…
She was just resting.
Still breathing.
Still here.
And honestly…
That was enough for me.