THE FOG was making it impossible to see anything and the tide was getting stronger. It didn't help that the sky had darkened even more, causing their flashlights to be the only source of light upon the boat. As time passed, the three got more stressed; Aurora couldn't stop thinking about everything that could go wrong.

"Hey, we're drifting," Pope exclaimed, "Take it back starboard. Your other starboard."

"Shit," Rory stressed, trying to take control of the boat, "The tide's turning, Pope."

"Just hold it there." The boy nodded, as he squinted through the thick fog to try and make out anything in the distance. Pope added, "They have 15 minutes."

"This fog's getting thick," Rory stressed, "My lungs, man."

John B questioned, "You good?"

"Yeah," She nodded quickly, before speaking into the radio again which was an excuse to listen to Sarah's voice to calm her down. Rory spoke, "Hey. Are we still good up there? Do you see anything?" The silent reply made Rory panic, "Sarah? Cleo?"

"Guys, guys, guys," Sarah's voice replied in quickly, "There's someone else out here. Get out of there right now. Bogies are coming your way. It's not Coast Guard."

"Fuck," Rory muttered, as the distant sound of a boat engine within the fog became louder.

"Chill. Just chill." John B replied calmly, as he crouched lower to the floor, tugging Rory slowly down with him, "Get low."

"Cut the engine off," Pope insisted quickly, "Are the warning lights off?"

"Okay, it's off." Rory flicked the switched, "Everything's off."

The three slowly lowered themselves onto the floor, huddling close to each other in silence. The fog made it impossible to see the incoming boat, but they could hear the sound of the distant voices as the engine travelled closer to them.

Rory whispered, "How much time have they got left, Pope?"

"Five minutes." The boy replied, keeping his eyes on the light coming from the other boat in the distance. He watched as the boat travelled past them, before slowly standing to his feet, "We gotta start looking for them."

Aurora's chest grew heavy as peered over the boat, shining her flashlight into the dark waters.

"Guys! John B!" A distant shout echoed from a short distance, "Rory! Pope!"

The three looked into the fog, making out the figured of two heads that had submerged from the water. Pope whisper-yelled, "We see you! Stop yelling!" John B took the wheel and steered the boat closer to their direction, as Rory grabbed the ladder to help them climb back into the boat.

JJ panted, "There's a guy that tried to kill us, Pope."

"What?" Rory stressed, as she dragged Kiara's body into the boat and wrapped a towel around her shoulders. She frowned, looking for Kie's diving equipment, "Where's your BCP?"

"It's gone." Kiara panted weakly, "I lost it."

"There's a boat out here. They're armed." Pope insisted, as he held John B lift JJ out of the water, "We have to go now!"

JJ stressed louder, "You don't understand. There's a guy that's down there—"

"There's a boat too, we just saw them pass!" Pope repeated, "Grab the ladder. John B, go!"

"Are you okay?" Rory glanced between Kie and JJ, "Are you hurt?"

"No, no, we're good." JJ reassured, as he attempted to catch his breath.

***

Cleo and Sarah met with the Pogues on the deck back home, as Rory helped unzip their wet suits. John B questioned, "What the hell happened?"

"Someone tried to kill us." Kiara said breathlessly.

"Why would someone try to kill you?" Pope frowned, "That doesn't make sense."

"Obviously, they were going after the same thing we were, right?" John B exclaimed.

"That amulet is worth something," Cleo agreed, "That old man is keeping some secret, then someone else is waiting down there. I knew that story was bunk."

Kiara winced, "My stomach feels like shit."

Rory sat next to her brother, opening his eyes with her fingers, "J, did you take your safety stop? JJ, hey."

"We were too busy getting killed," JJ panted weakly, "So, no, we didn—"

"For fuck sake, JJ." Rory muttered, knowing it wasn't his fault but she just wanted them to be okay. She glanced at Pope, "Is it bad?"

"They have the bends." Pope stood up quickly, as he helped Rory lift JJ to his feet, "We need to get them to the hospital, now!"

John B helped Kie, reassuring, "Nice and easy. You've just got a couple bubbles in your blood right now."

"Bubbles in my blood?" Kie panted.

Rory insisted, "I'll drive—"

"No, no, no." John B stressed, "Never again. I'll drive, okay? Get in the back."

"Come on, John B!" Cleo urged, as she helped Kiara into the back of the Twinkie and rested her down on her side.

"I'm going," John B closed the van door, and sped onto the road, "I'm going!"

Aurora knelt down in front of JJ's weak body in the back, watching him in pure fear as he groaned in pain. She took a shaky breath, as she grabbed onto JJ's hand; tears automatically swelled in her eyes as her body froze. Rory didn't know what to do to make it better; her brother and best friend were dying.

"Deep breaths, Kie," Sarah reassured, before calling to the front, "John B, drive faster!"

Pope turned back to look at them, "Who was down there with you guys?"

"No idea, Pope." JJ grumbled, "But, y'all are not gonna believe this." He passed an object to Rory from his pocket weakly.

"What is that?" Cleo frowned, as Rory slowly unwrapped the cloth from around it, revealing the shape of a rusted necklace. 

"You found it?" Sarah looked at it from over Rory's shoulder, her eyes widening in shock.

Aurora looked up at JJ, who was gasping for air and wincing in pain. She didn't care about the amulet or the 50K, because it would've been all for nothing if her brother and best friend died. Rory's mind was filled with worry, though only one thought was clear at the back of her mind: this was Wes and Chandler's fault, it had to be.

"Holy shit," John B whispered, as he smiled at Pope next to him, "Holy shit!"

"50,000!" Cleo exclaimed.

John B pulled into the hospital parking lot, before Cleo quickly slid open the back door to help let JJ and Kiara out. Aurora froze for a second, just to catch her breath as she realised this was happening, before dragging her brother out of the van. His body weight was crushing her as he wrapped his arm around her, and it didn't help that Rory couldn't seem to breath; Pope helped carry his weight, as they rushed into the hospital chaotically.

Cleo rushed inside first, announcing, "Hey, hey, hey. We need help!"

"It's okay," JJ whispered to Rory in between his gasps for air, "I'm..." The end of his sentence was interrupted when a doctor had ripped JJ away from her, leaving her in the waiting room.

"There vitals and mental status is stable, and the pain scale is moving in the right direction, but they still need time in the hyperbaric chamber." A doctor explained, "They just brought themselves 12 hours in the tank."

John B hesitated, lowering his head, "Thank you."

Aurora watched JJ and Kiara through a window, looking at them squirm in pain as their bodies adjusted; she realised her eyes were filling with tears, so turned on her heels and walked towards the doors leading to the parking lot.

It was only a few seconds later before she heard the calls from Sarah, as the sound of her footsteps became faster, "Rory!" Sarah repeated again, "Hey, wait up. Rory, come on."

Aurora stopped walking when she reached the Twinkie, though she refused to turn around to face Sarah; she fiddled with her fingers, trying to swallow the burning lump in her throat. Her best friend and brother had almost died; Aurora's life would be ruined if they hadn't made it to the hospital in time. The thought of tonight ending any differently made her terrified.

Sarah spoke gently, placing a hand on Rory's shoulder from behind her, "Hey, look at me. Rory..." Sarah stepped beside the girl, using her hand to cup Rory's cheek and turn it towards her, "Look at me."

Aurora's lip trembled, as the tears blurred her vision; she shook her head, trying to look away from Sarah. She didn't want to be a liability again; Rory didn't want Sarah to see her like this anymore. Aurora was supposed to be happy now, why was it so hard for her? She did everything she was supposed to: no drugs, rehab, halfway housing.

"Talk to me," Sarah comforted, cupping Rory's cheeks with her hands again, "I'm not going anywhere." Aurora moved her mouth to speak but no words came out; she tried to form them in her mind, like JJ had taught her too, but nothing was working. Maybe she was just broken, and not even Sarah could fix her.

Aurora shook her head again, before burying her face into Sarah's shoulder; she held Rory as she cried, holding her so tightly and refusing to let go. Aurora was feeling so much at once, though she was thankful that Sarah seemed to understand; all she wanted to be was understood.

  a/n:
rory and sarah make me crazy