How to save a life - The Fray

Jessica Alba as Kenna Tolmon

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Chapter 2

Kadir turns the engine off and sits back in his seat. He looks through the window beside him and watches the people inside exercise on the various equipment. At the far back corner in a boxing ring, does he see the person he's come all this way for. Sighing at how hard she's punishing that punching bag, Kadir gets out of his Mercedes-Benz C218 CLS-Class sports car. Pushing open the doors to Armidale's fitness centre, Anytime Fitness, he walks over to the reception desk and leans on it, watching his mission.

"How's she doing?" Kadir whispers. The staff behind the desk lifts his head and looks to the entertainment of the young man. The papers in his hands stilled of their shuffling.

"She's here ever since she came back. 10am to 7pm. Usually stays till ten minutes after closing time. She's been pushing herself really hard. Harder than I've ever seen her do. Takes us ages to get her to leave or even rest and rejuvenate." Roland turns his gaze back to his acquaintance. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know just yet. Probably sit her down and force her to see reality again." Kadir answers unknowingly.

"You know she needs the help badly, right?" The veteran doesn't say anything except nod as he pushes himself from his leaning position against the counter. Walking over to the boxing ring, he ducks under the ropes before straightening again.

She was sweating. Her body, though still presenting her feminine muscles, was leaner than usual. Her hair was pasted to her scalp from perspiration, her sports bra and shorts tight against the straining muscles underneath, and her fists, bound in white gauze and tape, were red and raw with blood soaked into the bandages.

Leaning down, Kadir grabs a pair of blocking gloves from one of the corners. Putting them on, he goes closer to the determined female.

"Kenna." He calls. No answer. Not even a hint that she heard him. Taking another step, he notices the ear buds in her ears, 'How to save a life' by 'The Fray' echoing faintly from it.

Coming up with a new plan of action, he puts his gloved hands in front of her and waves a bit to get the message across. Kenna holds up one hand and he retracts his hands. She throws one more punch at the bag before taking out her earphones and turning around. Upon seeing her work partner, her mouth curves upright, though, Kadir notices, doesn't reach her eyes. She throws her arms around him and buries her face in his neck, saying a muffled 'Kadir'. The boy smiles and squeezes her back. After a moment, Kenna steps back and breaks their contact.

"What are you doing here? Did you even call or go to my house first?" She questions him at rapid fire. Kadir just lifts his eyebrow which brings a sigh of defeat. "You know me two well."

The boy chuckles, throws his arm around her shoulders and start taking the blocking gloves off, throwing them back into the corner. Moving Kenna towards the edge of the ring, he offers:

"Now, while we debate how much I actually know about you, how about we go back to you place and get a drink?" He stumbled a few steps as Kenna stopped abruptly and moved his arm from her shoulders. He turned and looked at her questionably. She just glared at him. He let out a deep breath.

"Let me rephrase that: We are going to your house and getting a drink. Now." Kenna folded her arms, allowing the tiniest of flinches as her knuckles brushed her biceps. Kadir's eyes narrowed. "And you're in no shape to fight me."

In which, he was right. Fuelled by her need to rid herself of pain and grief, Kenna was malnourished and, with her dreams plagued by nightmares, was extremely tired thanks to her forbearance of sleep and gym sessions. Knowing it was over, Kenna let her arms flop by her sides and allowed Kadir to put his arm back on her shoulders and push her to his car and to her house.

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Kenna was confused. Here she was on he front lines, though, she wasn't supposed to be. She was a pilot not a soldier. Yet, she was standing and fighting beside her comrades on the harsh, desert ground of Afghanistan. She shot at an enemy soldier to only block another with the bayonet attached to her gun. What was she doing here?! She didn't even know how she was still alive! That being said, she jinxed herself and received a blow to the back of the head by someone's rifle. She falls to her knees, dropping her firearm and shooting her hands out in front of her body to catch herself. They land on a body, soft, squishy and wet with blood. Her breathing starts to quicken as she stares into Aurika's lifeless eyes. Kenna slowly rose in shock, lost in the blood on her 'guilty' hands, then the bodies of everyone she knows, dead, surrounding her.

A hissing sound breaks her out of her trance. Smoke grenades fly through the air and land among the bodies. Thick, grey concealment gas rolls from the cans. Soon, Kenna is entrapped in a continuously shifting grey box of smoke. She looks around frequently, unknowing and scarred. Dark, indistinguishable shapes form in the fog. They morph into more human shadows as they come closer. Kenna, knowing she was unarmed, put her fists up in a ready boxing position. Her defence lowers slightly as all her dead and missing colleagues step out of the wall; the recent ones leading the crowd. They stop within twenty metres from her. Her heart - which had only just started to slow - beats faster with relief, worry and questions. Her arms drop to her sides as her mouth opens to welcome them back. Aurika stops her with a raised hand and hardened eyes.

"It's your fault we're gone, Kenna." She said. "You were supposed to be there for us, to protect us."

Kenna started to shake her head slowly. "N-No. It's not... I didn't mean it."

"It's all because of you" The crowd said in unison. "It's all your fault."

Kenna covered her face while continuing to shake her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I tried. I tried. I really did."

"Look at us." And Kenna did, peeking over her fingers. "If you want to regain yourself; save us."

The soft, caring and friendly Aurika showed herself then. Eyes of nothing but pain, dim and dwindling hope and weak determination. "Help us. Kenna, please! Help us! Find us! We don't have long. Kenna, help us!" Her voice came pleading and quiet.

Kenna shoved away all her feelings. "Where are you?!"

"Kenna. Help us! Find us!" Aurika kept saying repeatedly. The group of soldiers started to fade to nothing, disappearing one by one from oldest missing to latest missing. Desperation flared in Kenna's chest. She reached out trying to grab Aurika. An arm, a hand, a shoulder, and finally her hands touched her cheeks, cupping the vanishing face.

"Where are you, Aur? How can I find you if I don't know? D-Don't leave me again. Stay here. Throw allthe insults you want at me, I don't care! Just stay, please." Kenna's voice broke with unshed tears.

"Help us..."

"Find us..."

"Save us..."

"Aurika!" Kenna shot up in the bed. The semi-darkness of the room called to her. The images played back against her mind. A sob catches in her throat. She covers her mouth and holds her stomach as more form. Soon, the only sound that was heard was her anxiety for her friends.

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Kadir was leaning against Kenna's island Kitchen bench drinking a beer with William, Cody and Maria when a muffled shout came from further within the house. He instantly pushed himself off the bench and flew ahead of the others and into the main bedroom. The sight that greeted him tore at his heart. Jenna was sitting in the fettle position, her shoulders shaking furiously, the bed covers thrown off her. He rushed to her side and reached out to touch her left shoulder. She flinched away from him, hoping he would get the message leave her. He ignored her, putting an arm underneath her legs and around her back. He lifts her to his chest and turns around to sit on the bed with her sideways on his lap.

It took Kenna a few seconds to recognise the arms hugging her and accept the comfort they were offering. She slowly U latched her hands from herself and tightened them in the navy fabric next to her. She buries her head in the cotton t-shirt, absorbing the warmth flowing through.

Kadir wraps his arms around the bundle on his lap and starts to slowly rock back and forth. His mouth moves unconsciously, whispering sweet nothings to chads away the monsters inside Kenna's head. A creaking floorboard reminds him of his company. He lifts his eyes. William and Cody block the doorway and Maria a little ahead of them having stopped from taking another step by Kadir's gaze. He slowly shakes his head, knowing Kenna would freak more than she would when she realised he'd seen her in her weakest state. Maria step forward determined in her opinion that Kenna needed girl support more than any other. William grabbed her upper arm and started to pull her silently complaining form from the room. Cody took one last look at Kenna's frail form before quietly closing the door behind him. Kadir, now that the complication was somewhat solved, rested his chin atop of Kenna's and continued his muttering and rocking.

Half an hour passed before Kenna started to settle, crying herself into oblivion and exhaustion. Kadir noticed her body relaxing. He stood and turned around to lay her back on the bed. He retracts his arms from around her body and reaches over her to pull the silk-covered quilt to cover her. He turned and went to walk out when he was stopped by something grabbing his hand.

"Stay." Kenna croaked, her voice rough from crying. Kadir looks into her pleading eyes. He hesitated. This is what he wanted. To lay in bed with her and cuddle. But not like this. Not when she was probably unbeknownst to her askance. He weighed his options. Though as much as it would pleasure and guilt ridden him, it was about her and no one else. Kadir nodded. Kenna slowly let his hand go and scooted backwards to make room. To respect her privacy and space, he crawled on the blanket and payed down on top of it. Kenna wriggled back over towards him and snuggled into his side. He froze for a few split seconds before wrapping his arms around her.

Kenna's body relaxed and her breathing steadied. She was asleep five minutes later. Kadir followed her seven minutes after.

<A/N: hey guys! Sorry for the wait with my current books! If you've been checking in on my profile you'd have noticed most of my current books have an ON HOLD sign on the title. Yeah, well I decided I'll try to stick to one book at a time. Doesn't mean I'm not updating the others. They'll just be updated at different intervals.

So this was supposed to be updated on Anzac weekend. For those of you who don't know what that is, go search up Anzac Day. I can tell you it's a very special and memorative occasion for Aussies and New Zealanders alike all the way from the Gallipoli campaign in WW1.

Hope you guys enjoy!

Kalani

They shall not grow old,

As we that are left grow old.;

Age shall not weary them, Nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Lest we forget.

The Ode