Time dragged on excruciatingly slow for Jesse, each passing minute stretching into what felt like an eternity. She had sent Jasmine upstairs to find Richie and explain what had transpired, hoping that together they could manage Eko. But for now, her focus remained solely on the man lying in the hospital bed before her.

Toni had been heavily sedated when they wheeled him out of surgery—his fractured leg reset with precision, the sword wound in his thigh meticulously cleaned and sutured, and the abdominal injury carefully treated. The poison that had seeped into his body had been identified, and the IV running into his arm was working steadily to flush the toxins out of his system. The steady drip of fluids was the only sign that his body was fighting, slowly purging the venom that had nearly claimed him.

Now that he was back from the operating room, Jesse felt a fragile sense of relief—though it was tentative, like a thread stretched too thin. Toni wasn't just her best friend; he was her rock, her constant in a world that often seemed to shift beneath her feet. Whenever everything else felt chaotic or uncertain, Toni was the one she could count on, the steady presence that kept her grounded.

But now, seeing him so still, so vulnerable, lying there hooked up to machines—it shattered the image of the unbreakable person she had always known him to be. The weight of what had almost happened pressed down on her, suffocating her fragile relief. He had come so close to being taken from her, and the thought of that tore at her.

Taking a deep, shaky breath to steady herself, Jesse leaned forward in the stiff metal chair of the ICU. Her eyes never left Toni's still form, her gaze continued to trace the battered lines of his body. The bandages over his abdomen, the dark bruises that marred his olive skin—his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, the only indication that he was still fighting.

Leaning closer, Jesse reached for Toni's hand, her fingers gently brushing against the IV cannula embedded in his skin, the cold plastic a stark contrast to the warmth of his touch. The fluids dripped steadily into his weakened body, helping to purge the poison from his veins. She brought his hand to her cheek, closing her eyes as she pressed his cool fingers against her skin. The contact grounded her, the reality of his presence reassuring her, however fragile it felt.

"You're going to be alright," Jesse whispered, her voice trembling with the weight of her own fear. "You and Matthew... you're both going to be okay. We've been through worse." She forced the words out, as if saying them aloud would make them true, as if speaking them could somehow will them into existence. She wanted so badly to believe it.

Jesse kept her eyes closed, holding onto Toni's hand as though it were the last thing tethering her to the world. "We've been through worse," she repeated, but this time, the whisper was meant for her, a quiet prayer in the face of overwhelming uncertainty.

And then, Toni stirred.

The movement was faint at first, a shift beneath the covers, but enough to make Jesse's heart lurch. He gradually regained consciousness, his brow furrowing as he squinted against the harsh light of the room. His hand weakly reached up to touch the bridge of his nose, groggily trying to orient himself.

"Toni?" Jesse's voice cracked as she jumped to her feet, her heart pounding in her chest. She leaned over the bed, her hands trembling as she gently cupped his cheeks, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Toni, can you hear me?"

His eyes fluttered open, his focus hazy as he tried to register her presence. His lips parted, but no words came, only a soft, strained breath.

Jesse's throat tightened, tears welling in her eyes as she searched his face for any sign of recognition. "You're safe," she whispered, her thumb brushing lightly across his cheek. "You're safe. I'm right here."

For the first time in what felt like hours, a flicker of hope sparked in her chest. He was with her.

Toni stirred, his brow furrowing in confusion as he blinked up at Jesse. The suddenness of her presence seemed to startle him. "Urm... W-w-what are y-you doing here?" His voice was raspy, still thick with disorientation.

Jesse's expression softened, concern lacing her features as tears began to form in her eyes. "What do you mean, what am I doing here?" Her brow furrowed as she leaned closer. "You and Matthew got hurt. Where else would I be?" The tears that had been building finally spilled down her cheeks.

"H-hey... w-why are you crying?" Toni asked, his bewilderment slowly giving way to clarity.

"Look at the trouble you both get into without me!" she exclaimed, forcing a light-hearted tone into her voice despite the ache in her chest. She tried to inject humor into the situation, clinging to the belief that they could laugh about this one day. They had survived worse before—broken bones and injuries were nothing compared to the hells they had been through. Their bodies had always pulled them through, and she desperately needed to believe that this time would be no different.

But the humor didn't last. Anger surged within her, and Jesse shook her head, frustration bubbling over as she gripped his hand tighter. "Who did this, Toni?"

Toni's face darkened, his voice barely above a whisper. "Xero," he muttered, the name dripping with venom. He winced, shifting slightly as he looked at her. "Fuck, Jesse. Has anyone told us what he did to Matthew? Why did he collapse out there?" The question gripped him with fear.

Jesse shook her head, her frustration boiling over into helpless anger. "We don't even know what happened out there," she spat, her voice strained. "They took him into surgery. Dr. Keaton's here, and the Mercy One team is on standby. That's all I know—it's all they told us."

"Mercy One?" Toni's eyes widened, darting between hers, his breath catching in his throat. "Fuck," he exhaled deeply, the weight of the situation pressing down on him. He closed his eyes for a moment, as if trying to gather himself. "When was the last time you checked in with them?"

"I've been here with you," Jesse replied, her voice trembling but firm. "Mya's with the doctors, and I needed to make sure you were okay." She paused, her thumb brushing against his hand gently, her worry palpable. "I couldn't leave you, not like this."

"I'm okay," Toni reassured her, though his voice was softer than usual, trying to project a calm that didn't quite reach his eyes. Jesse's grip tightened on his cheeks, unwilling to let go, as if she was afraid he'd slip away again. "Jesse, look at me."

Her emerald eyes, shimmering with unshed tears, locked onto his. The raw emotion in her gaze was impossible to hide. "I've never seen you like this," she admitted, her voice quaking. "For a moment... I thought I was going to lose both of you. You and Matthew... you mean everything to me." Her words spilled out, trembling with honesty. "You're like my older brothers—my family. Toni, I know we've been fighting, but I don't want that. We've never fought before. And I can't bear it, not now, not ever."

"We're not fighting," he said, shaking his head gently. His voice was firm but kind, offering her a lifeline of reassurance. "We can forget about all of that. Life's too fucking short for this. I shouldn't have stuck my nose in about Aiden. I just..." He paused, his expression softening with a flicker of vulnerability. "I just don't want him coming in here and breaking your heart again."

"You're too good to me," Jesse whispered, her tears blending with a grateful, fragile smile. She brushed his hair back with trembling fingers, finally allowing herself to really take him in. The sight of him alive, awake, brought a rush of relief that stole her breath. "Way too good to me."

"I know," Toni smirked, a playful glint momentarily lighting his tired eyes. His humor slipped through the cracks, softening the moment between them. "But I just want you to be happy, Jess," he said quietly, the weight of sincerity returning to his words. "I know I can be a pain in the ass, and I'm sorry for that—well, kind of not sorry, actually," he added, a teasing smile playing on his lips.

Jesse half-chuckled through her tears, a faint smile breaking the tension.

"But I care about you, Jesse. You know that," Toni continued, his voice growing more intense, more determined. "You're so fucking strong. You don't need someone like him dragging you down. You're perfect just the way you are. And it kills me that you can't see that."

Jesse's breath hitched, her heart swelling at his words, the intensity in his eyes cutting through her like a blade. "Toni..."

"You deserve better," he said softly, his gaze unwavering. "You always have. And if you need me to remind you of that every day, I will. Because you mean more to me than you'll ever know."

Jesse's tears fell freely at his heartfelt words, her emotions bubbling to the surface. "Yeah, well, family is supposed to say that," she replied, blinking rapidly as she tried to wipe the tears away, shaking her head with a bittersweet smile. 

Before Toni could respond, Jesse continued, her voice thick with emotion. "You're my rock, you know that, right? I honestly don't know what I'd do without you." She squeezed his hand tighter, pulling it close to her chest. "Even when everything is falling apart, you're the only person—besides Matthew—who keeps it together. Who holds me together."

She clutched Toni's hand like a lifeline, her gaze never leaving him. He was the one constant in her life, the person she couldn't imagine living without. Then, a small, self-deprecating laugh escaped her lips, cutting through the tension. "Why can't I just find someone as good as you, huh? Someone who loves me the way you do?" She chuckled softly, brushing away her tears with the back of her hand. "You know, if we weren't like brother and sister and all that gross stuff." She rolled her eyes playfully but quickly met his gaze again, her expression turning more serious. "I mean, we'd totally be perfect together, right?"

She shook her head, her eyes shimmering with a mix of frustration and vulnerability. "Why can't someone out there be—like you, but not you?" The words hung in the air between them, a stark admission that neither of them could brush off.

Toni's mouth fell open slightly, his mind racing. Was she serious? Or was this just the exhaustion, the drugs, and the emotional intensity of the situation spilling out in ways she didn't mean? The weight of her words pressed down on him, filling the space between them with a raw honesty that neither could ignore.

He stared at her, trying to process the depth of what she had just said. Jesse had always been a constant in his life too—his best friend, his family. The line between their connection and something more had always felt like it was there, but neither of them had ever acknowledged it out loud, until now, and he wasn't even sure if she was saying what he thought she was saying to him. 

"Jesse..." he began, his voice catching in his throat as he struggled to find the right words. He wanted to say something light, something to ease the tension, but nothing came. Instead, he found himself searching her eyes, wondering if there was a part of her that meant it—meant more than just their bond as family.

Jesse laughed again, but this time it was softer, more fragile. "Forget I said that," she muttered, shaking her head as if trying to shake off the weight of the moment. "You know me—saying dumb stuff when I'm emotional."

But Toni couldn't just forget. He could feel the shift between them, the unspoken layer of their connection that had been exposed, raw and vulnerable. He opened his mouth to say something—anything—but the words refused to come.

Toni's expression softened, his eyes searching hers with a tenderness that made her heart clench. Slowly, he shifted, pushing himself up despite the sharp pain that shot through his body.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she asked, alarmed, instinctively moving to help him adjust. But he shook his head, gently gripping the back of her neck, holding her gaze steady, refusing to let her look away.

"You are so worth being loved, Jessica," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes locked onto hers, intense and unwavering. "Why can't you see it? Why can't you just see how beautiful you are?"

More tears streamed down Jesse's face, her heart swelling at the sincerity in his voice. She reached up, grasping his cheeks, feeling the warmth of his skin under her trembling hands. He was pulling her closer, and she let him, her mind a blur of emotions she could no longer contain. The world around them faded into nothingness. Time seemed to stretch, leaving only the two of them in this charged moment, where everything felt suspended, fragile, and impossibly real.

Jesse could feel his breath on her skin, the warmth radiating from him, and something deep inside her stirred, igniting a fire she hadn't realized was there. Their lips hovered inches apart, the moment hanging on the edge of something they both craved but had never dared to reach for.

And then, like a crash of thunder, a scream shattered the fragile bubble that surrounded them, echoing through the infirmary.

***** *****

Eko barely paused for breath, her words tumbling out in a frantic, relentless tirade as she paced the length of the office. Richie, sprawled out at the long work desk, seemed entirely unaffected by the storm of frustration brewing around him. His eyes flicked between floating holograms, typing away lazily on his tablet with one hand while munching on a slice of cold pizza with the other. The sharp contrast between Eko's frenetic energy and Richie's calm detachment filled the room with a disorienting tension.

It had been hours since Matthew and Toni left, and Richie knew they were running out of time before Eko's frustration boiled over completely. They both owed Richie for keeping Eko in check while she was in this riled-up state. But the real problem—the one gnawing at her—was the fact that Matthew had severed their connection. That invisible tether between them, the one that allowed them to sense each other, was gone. And when he did that, it meant only one thing—Matthew was pissed off at the world.

Richie glanced up briefly, noting how Eko's pacing had grown even more frantic, her energy bordering on manic. What truly nagged at him, though, was something that felt off—he had been able to sense Toni's presence for a while, but then, suddenly... nothing. 

Maybe they'd gone off-world, he reasoned. Toni was always the first to follow Matthew into dangerous territory, especially when Matthew was in one of his self-righteous raging states of fury. Toni never hesitated, always ready to throw himself into the fire right alongside him. It wasn't the first time, and Richie knew it wouldn't be the last.

Still, something about the silence unnerved him. The sudden drop-off of Toni's presence felt too abrupt, too wrong. But the last thing he needed was to add more fuel to Eko's already volatile state of mind. If Matthew had gone off-world, then Toni would be there, right at his side. Like always.

The undeniable fact was that both Matthew and Eko were unpredictable and volatile, and right now, they just needed time apart to cool down.

"Seriously, Ek's, he'll be back soon. You two can kiss and make up," Richie mumbled, his voice muffled by the pizza he was still chewing on. His tone was so casual it was almost dismissive, like this was just another spat in a long list of Matthew and Eko's clashes. It wasn't anything serious. Just a minor dispute, he told himself.

Richie thought back to their teenage years—when they were Snow and Ace—those fights had been far more intense. He remembered one time when Eko had actually stabbed Matthew in the thigh during a particularly heated argument... or maybe it had been the other way around. Did it matter? The point was, they were both stubborn and unpredictable, always toeing the line between passion and explosion. Right now, this was probably the best-case scenario, even if Eko hated it.

"Seriously! It's been hours! He's severed his connection with me, so I have no idea where the hell he is!" Eko's voice cut through the air as she paced back and forth, arms crossed tightly across her chest, her frustration practically radiating off her in waves. "Your mate doesn't even have the common decency to come back and finish what he started! It's so typical of him—just snaps out orders and disappears!"

Richie glanced up from his tablet, arching an eyebrow, amusement dancing behind his eyes. "You do realize who you're dating, right?" he quipped, completely unbothered by her outburst. "Seriously, Eko, you two are a match made in psychotic heaven." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair as if her rage was nothing more than background noise.

"He is! I am not!" Eko shot back, her voice sharp with indignation. "I'm well-adjusted, thank you very much!"

Richie burst into laughter, the sound echoing through the office. "Girl, you are anything but well-adjusted!"

"What?!" Eko screeched, spinning on her heel to face him, her eyes wide with shock. "Matthew is seriously unhinged compared to me! Have you heard the way he thinks?!" She pointed an accusing finger at Richie, her rant gaining momentum. "He's all like, 'I want to get myself killed, don't go showing everyone we have crystals, you're gonna start a war,' blah blah blah!" She mimicked Matthew's voice with exaggerated disdain, rolling her eyes dramatically.

Richie, who had overheard enough of their earlier argument through the door, tried to interject with a more measured perspective. "He wasn't exactly like that," he said, trying to temper Eko's exaggerated portrayal, though a faint smile tugged at his lips.

"God, he's such an asshole, Richie!" Eko scoffed, throwing her hands in the air as she continued pacing. "I'm actually dating an idiot and an even bigger asshole! He acts like I don't understand what Allegiant means, like I haven't been part of this from the very start! But nooo, it's all 'Matthew knows best.' He thinks he's the only one who gets to make the decisions!" Her voice echoed through the room, sharp and cutting.

Richie shook his head, grabbing another slice of pizza as he leaned back in his chair. "Because he is the one making the decisions, Ek's," he said, his tone calm, almost like he was trying to soothe a child mid-tantrum. "Why do you think we're where we are? He didn't get here just for his pretty looks," he added with a smirk before taking a large bite of pizza.

Eko glared at him, arms crossed tight across her chest. "He's just a fucking cunt with his head so far up his ass."

Richie raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering in his eyes. "And you find that attractive?"

"I find it utterly annoying," Eko shot back, deadpan.

Richie chuckled, leaning forward with a knowing smirk. "Same, same, Ek's. But that's the thing—sometimes you love the people who drive you fucking insane," he shrugged.

Eko let out a groan of frustration, feeling the weight of her anger pressing down. She knew Richie was alluding to Mya, but she couldn't focus on that right now. "Why is he throwing a fucking tantrum over this? Why cut off his powers so I can't track him down and have it out with him?" Her frustration bubbled over, voice rising as the anger surged. "If he thinks we're playing Cowboy Bo Peep tonight, that asshole has another thing coming!"

Richie's eyebrows shot up, confusion etched across his face. "Cowboy Bo Peep? What the fuck do you two get up to?"

Eko paused for a beat, a mischievous grin spreading across her lips, ready to launch into a retort. But before she could explain, the doors slid open, cutting her off mid-thought.

Jasmine stepped in, her appearance disheveled—her hair tied in a messy high bun, eyes red and puffy. The nervous fidgeting with her uniform and the visible tremble in her hands were impossible to miss.

Both Eko and Richie turned, concern immediately flooding their expressions.

"Hey!" Eko's voice wavered, her previous frustration melting into genuine worry. "Jazzy, what's wrong? Are you okay?"

Jasmine swallowed hard, trying to steady herself, but the images of Matthew with the dagger embedded in his chest and Toni lying so still and motionless replayed in her mind like a haunting memory. Every time she thought she had calmed down, the vision of their injuries crashed over her again, leaving her shaken to her core. She had been pacing outside the office for nearly an hour, debating how to break the news.

"Jasmine?" Richie stood up quickly, his casual demeanor vanishing as he crossed the room toward her. Eko followed, both of them now by Jasmine's side, their expressions mirroring the growing dread.

Jasmine shook her head, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes darting between the two of them. "Just know that I don't much, okay?" She finally managed to say, the words trembling as they left her lips.

Both Richie and Eko exchanged a glance, utterly confused by the vagueness of the statement.

"Don't know much with what?" Eko asked, her head tilting slightly as concern deepened in her voice.

Jasmine swallowed hard, her lips quivering as she tried to form the words. "With what happened to them, with what I'm about to tell you," she continued, her voice fragile. "I was in the infirmary with Mya, and it all just happened so fast and then—" Her words faltered as her breaths became uneven, and she pressed her hand over her mouth to stifle her cries.

"Jasmine, hey, hey, breathe," Eko urged, stepping closer, her voice soft but firm as she placed her hands on either side of Jasmine's trembling shoulders. "Calm down. Let's start from the beginning, okay? What happened?" Eko took a deep breath herself, hoping Jasmine would follow suit, trying to steady the whirlwind of fear she could see in her friend's eyes.

Richie stood nearby, his brow furrowed, just as confused as Eko. His gaze briefly met Eko's, shaking his head slightly as they turned their attention back to Jasmine.

"Jazzy?" Eko repeated gently, her tone coaxing. "From the beginning, okay? Just tell us what's going on."

Jasmine nodded shakily, her fear evident in every movement. "We were in the infirmary when it happened," she began, her words coming in fragments, as if her mind was racing to catch up. "And they both just appeared out of nowhere. There was so much chaos—people shouting, doctors rushing—and then..." she swallowed hard, eyes flickering with panic. 

Eko's confusion deepened, but before she could respond, it hit Richie like a freight train. His face paled as the realization washed over him. The sudden disappearance of Matthew and Toni's powers, the radio silence from them, Jasmine's shock—everything was starting to connect in Richie's mind. They had appeared in the infirmary, injured, their powers gone, because something terrible had happened.

"Fuckkkkkk," Richie muttered, the words barely escaping his lips as his concern mounted, the pieces fitting together in a terrifying way.

Eko's head snapped toward him, her patience hanging by a thread, anger and fear boiling beneath the surface. "What's going on? What's 'fuck'? Can someone explain what the hell is happening?!" Her voice rose sharply, her eyes darting between Richie and Jasmine, her anxiety spiking with every second of silence.

Jasmine's lips quivered as she took a shaky breath, trying to meet Eko's frantic gaze. Her hands trembled as she spoke, "They're both hurt, Eko... I've never seen them like this." She glanced at Richie, who had run his hand through his hair in sheer disbelief, his mind reeling from the news.

"Jesus... fuckkkk," Richie cursed again, the gravity of the situation sinking in. "How bad is it?"

Eko's heart pounded in her chest, her voice trembling as panic began to choke her. "Wait! Hold on. Are you talking about Matthew and Toni?" She stuttered, trying desperately to latch onto any sense of clarity. She reached out, searching for any flicker of Matthew's powers—anything—but there was nothing. Nothing. Fear gripped her heart, squeezing painfully. "H-How bad were they hurt?" Her voice was a fragile thread, trembling with uncertainty.

Jasmine swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she answered, "They're both in surgery—"

"Surgery?!" Richie bellowed, his voice cracking with panic. "B-both of them?"

Jasmine nodded, her expression grim.

"No, no, no, that's impossible," Eko gasped, her voice rising as panic tightened its grip on her. Her breath came in ragged bursts as she covered her mouth, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "No, Jesus... why? Why can't I feel his fucking powers? Why can't I feel him at all?" Her voice cracked with raw desperation, anguish pouring from her every word. "This doesn't make any sense!" 

She looked frantically between Richie and Jasmine, her wide, tear-filled eyes searching for answers they didn't have.  "Why is there nothing?!" Eko screamed, her voice cracking under the weight of her frustration and fear as she searched for any trace of him, any flicker of the bond they shared. But the void remained.

Jasmine, still trembling, tried to offer something, anything. "It must be the surgery," she whispered. "I don't know much else. Mya and the doctors... they're not telling us anything."

"Eko, this happened last time," Richie interjected, stepping forward, his voice low and steady, trying to ground her. "When they sedated him before, everything shut down for you too. Remember? It's gotta be the same now." His words, meant to offer comfort, felt thin and fragile, barely holding back the fear in his own heart.

But Eko wasn't convinced. She turned to Richie, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face uncontrollably. "This isn't the same," she insisted, her voice trembling, panic clawing at her insides. "Something's wrong, Richie. I feel it. Something's really wrong."

The pressure in her chest felt like a vice, tightening with each second, crushing her lungs as if she were being suffocated from within.

Her wide, desperate eyes snapped to Jasmine. "When they came back, what happened? Why were they taken to surgery? How bad are we talking?"

Jasmine's face went pale. Her hands fidgeted as if she were trying to ward off the haunting images replaying in her mind. Her voice came out barely a whisper. "Matthew wasn't awake, Eko... and there was a dagger—lodged in his chest." She swallowed hard, her throat constricting with the memory. "It's close to his heart... that's why he's in surgery. Toni was bad too, but Matthew..."

Jasmine's words hung heavy in the air, unfinished but full of fear. Eko's heart plummeted. The world around her began to spin, her mind locking onto the horror of those words. A dagger. His heart.

Her worst nightmare was unfolding before her eyes, a nightmare she couldn't escape.

"Wh—what...?" Eko stammered, her voice cracking as the reality crushed her. Everything blurred, a whirlwind of grief and terror closing in around her. Without another word, she bolted from the room, her breath ragged, her mind consumed with a single thought: get to him.

Richie's face had gone pale, but his shock quickly hardened into a grim resolve as he sprinted after her. "Eko!" he shouted, but his voice barely cut through the thunderous sound of her feet hitting the floor and the frantic rhythm of her pulse. Jasmine followed closely, her own fear coiling tightly around her heart.

They all knew—everything could change in an instant.

It wasn't the battles or the wars that struck this kind of fear into them. No, this was different. It was the quiet moments—the sudden, suffocating stillness—when love and life teetered on the edge of destruction. When the chaos of the battlefield was replaced by the paralyzing uncertainty of loss, they were no longer warriors or heroes. They were human. And in those fragile seconds, the immense weight of vulnerability crashed over them, leaving them exposed and raw.

They had fought together, grieved together, and stood shoulder to shoulder in the face of death and war. But now, as Eko raced blindly toward the possibility of losing Matthew, they all felt it: love may be the strongest force, binding them together—but it was also what made them the most fragile. It was love that revealed the cracks they tried so hard to hide. The deepest, most terrifying cracks in their souls.

And in this moment, with every heartbeat, Eko was running toward the one thing that could either save or shatter her completely.