Cursed Souls - Chapter 9 9 Helping Hand

“This is where they went. They weren’t dead. They’ve been here.” She said aloud trying to process what was before her eyes.

The cavern was dimply lit by four torches. They were all so malnourished and sickly looking. Each of there faces hallowed and pale and there fingers skinner. They were all trapped here in a cage like animals. Each person was surrounded by a metal box with bars. No one could see each other. The boxes were arranged against the wall only out looking them empty tavern of space. She stood there shocked feeling deep remorse and regret. She looked at the top level and started to climb up the bars.

“RUN,” some said in low whispers

“HELP ME” others cried out in desperation.

Chris took about a minute more to process everything then followed Oaki’s lead. She slowly started to unlatch the cages and help people crawl down one by one. The boney fragile hands grabbed her for support. She realized they had to be handled with care and delicately. She climbed up and unattached the cage. Then helped them turn out and slowly climb down the bars to the ground. Then she set them gently on the ground. Chris and Oaki each took their time and eased them down until every last person was out of the cages. All 102 of them laying on the ground huddled together for warmth. Oaki went back to the door and banged for the room to open and with a little force budged the door. She looked around the room frantically. Then she dove into the water and grabbed a small flat container with wheels and pulled it up to the surface and out of the water. It a lot of force it could be used as a makeshift cart. Everyone slowly gathered on the cart. It was a huge flat square with wheels on the corner. She and Chris pushed the cart three blocks before finding the hallway entry point with the latter as when they first arrived. Oaki climbed up the latter and banged on every door in the hallway.

“HELP! WE FOUND THEM WE FOUND THEM! THEY AREN’T DESD! HELP US PLEASE!”

She screamed so loud she new her throat would be sore later. People cracked their doors as oaki ran down the hallway back to the whole. Chris slowly raised them up the latter as oaki pulled them to the top 20 people came out of there rooms and helped them. Two people per floor went to tell the compound and wake everyone else up. People were needed to help transport the sick to the Mesa-u while others to cook a small broth and bread for them to eat. Others were needed to start IV’s and heat blankets in the dryer for them and others to help clean them. Almost everyone had a job. Chris and Oaki went back to the Meda-U after getting everyone out of the whole. Oaki helped clean people and get them into new clothes with another female and then they were put under heated blankets and gave a small amount of food. After seven hours all the discovered boys and girls were helped and asleep in warm beds.

The floor started rumbling and the whole compound began to shake. The building of death was once again changing and being altered. The first meds-u floor was half full with all the survivors. Men and women who were healthy were then divided. The ones with some medical experience and know how stayed while others focused on agriculture and work. Women stayed in the stadium cooking breakfast for everyone and caring for the ill. Men were sent to explore the cages and farm. A day after everything settled down most people were exhausted. Some fell asleep and shared beds in the Meda-U in case they were needed to help treat. Oaki and Chris hadn’t slept in a straight 4 days or 48 hours crashed on a bed together. Not having very much energy and her body being completely soared and overstressed and exhausted Oaki crashes on a bed. The Meda-U was out of clean blankets and pillows. Chris went to sit by her and lightly brushed her cheek with his fingers. She was cold to the touch. He laid in the bed next to her to warm her up and gave her his freshly washed jacket to try to give her some “makeshift” covers. He put his arm over her and laid behind her without giving much personal space. He played lightly with her hair in one hand. Even after all that had happened…. she still smelled like peaches. He closed his red trying to fight exhaustion. Slowly consciousness began to fade away. He had fallen asleep holding her in his arms.

They both stayed asleep for 24 straight hours. Oaki slowly opened her eyes. She felt safe and warm. She felt the body heat from who she thought was Noah laying behind her. She started to slowly sit up when she saw the leather jacket. Confused she tossed it over and dropped her feet over the bed. She looked down and saw him… Chris.

“EWWW, how did this happen?” She looked over to the bed and said.

She felt around the side table for her glasses without success. She leaned forward to get out of the bed and started to feel dizzy. She felt two arms wrap around her back and hug her with a warm embrace then slowly release her. Then he grabbed her hand and gently placed her glasses in her grasp. She placed her glasses on and saw Noah with his fierce blue eyes staring at her.

“So the next time you want to disappear… give me forewarning. Coming down to see you in another man’s arms is definitely not my favorite sight!” Noah remarked.

For the first time, Noah did not sound calm and respectable or well… Noah. He sounded annoyed and angry. He paused for a second.

“The next time you want to leave without telling anyone try not to end up in the arms of some wanna be bad boy Prince Charming. DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS ABOUT YOU. YOU DISAPPEARED DOR TWO DAYS Oaki! I LITERALLY LOOKED FOR YOU EVERYWHERE!” He shouted.

He looked her up and down. He was displeased, to say the least. He started to turn to walk away when she reached out and grabbed his hand. He turned around back to her slowly. She reaches up to his neck and hugged him crying into his shirt. She missed his smell. She never knew how much she truly relied on him until now. She started to get up off the bed still hugging him when her legs gave out from under her. She felt her muscles go limp. But it was okay. Noah was holding his arm around her lower back. He walked her over and placed her on the bed next to the wannabe bad boy hero.

“I’m going to grab soup from the cafeteria. Stay here!”

“Okay,” She said complicity.

Just as he left she looked over at Chris, who had his gleaming green eyes staring at her.

“Who’s that? Your boy-toy?” He said and then scoffed.

“Why were you holding me?!?” She yelled at him.

“Well you were in wet clothes in a cold tunnel and hadn’t eaten for four days.. you were cold to the touch and your heartbeat was faint so I laid next to you to try to warm you up. I hadn’t slept in four days either so I guess I fell asleep.” He shrugged then continued “but then your boyfriend over there just said that we were missing for two days so… I guess time changed?” He shrugged again.

She looked over at him the laid back down.

“Well thank you,” She said trying to sound grateful. It came out in an unsure tone however that Chris really wasn’t fond of.

He got up and started to eat the bowl of soup someone left for him. After finishing without saying another word to Oaki. He got up to leave just when Noah came back. Chris shot him a glance then said…

“Oh and just to set the story straight I am definitely not a prince charming. But I will happily land just fine on being a badass.” He smirked then winked at Oaki in front of Noah in an attempt to get a rise out of him then continued “Goodbye Oaki. See Yea soon warrior princess” he finished and daunted away full of confidence.

Noah looked over at Oaki who was blushing and smiling at the ground.

“Who is he to…why did he say… how can he just…!” Noah stammered in a tiny anger fit.

He then sat next to Oaki. “You have lost twenty-one pounds. You only weigh 89 pounds. So you can either stay here to be treated or come with me back to our room. We have been pardoned for the next week of all jobs to ensure you can get healthy again.”

She finished half of the bowl then started to fade out of consciousness again. Noah picked her up and started to carry her back to there room. She was still cold to the touch and very lethargic looking. She would be out for another 24-36 hours according to the medical assistants dealing with this same thing with the “discoverers” in Meda-U. He ran a warm-tempered bath and placed Oaki inside the tub. He removed her shirt and shorts. Then scrubbed the dirt and oil off of her skinny pale body. After that, he gently washed her hair then drained the tub. He grabbed a pair of new underwear and asked the member to put them on her. Ember dressed Oaki in undergarments then left back to the kitchen to cook. Noah picked her up and put her in one of his thick long shirts and a pair of the hospital long “pajama” pants then placed her on the bed of freshly washed and heated blankets from the dryer. He briefly left but had Kure keep tabs on her so he could get some crackers and a thermal blanket from Meda-U. He came back to the room to find an unwoken Oaki. He laid next to her and wrapped his arms around her. He hugged her from behind in bed and tenderly whispered into her ear, “I’m so glad to have you back home”. He fell asleep holding her in his arms.