"Oh my God, Mona," I gasped. I shook her shoulders roughly. Her limp head laid on the ground. Mona's face grew paler as her neck continued to enlarge.

My hand squeezed her bloody one. The tears in my eyes blurred my vision. First Ben, now her. Who else is going to die? I sank to the floor and rested her hand on my forehead. My tears slid down her arm and moistened her warm skin.

Mona had saved me from Backstabbers, dogs, and even my own feet, yet I couldn't return the favor. Instead, I had watched blankly as she ate those death-fruits. It was as if I was encouraging her to do it. My chest ached. I wasn't just an awful teammate—I was a horrible friend.

"Don't die on me," I whispered. "Please."

As an answer, she forced a groan. A spark of hope overwhelmed my body. There was still a chance of saving her. I lifted myself off the ground and wiped the dirt and tears off of my face. Water. There has to be water somewhere.

I slid my fingers around the grass. I ignored the fact that all the cameras were probably watching a girl with tangled hair and a crazed look who was on her hands and knees, frantically searching for something that was probably not there.

I slid my hands through my hair before examining the dirt that found its way under my chewed nails. It cooled my skin, reminding me of the burns I had gotten only a couple of days ago. My eyes rounded. Mud.

Frantically, I slid my fingers through the earth and gently rubbed it around Mona's neck. She didn't move as I did so. I wiped the last of the dirt off of my hands once I finished, letting out a sigh.

There was a long pause. I was afraid of the stillness. Was it working? Or had my attempt been futile?

Then Mona let out a cough and twitched her fingers frantically. A smile stretched across my face. I sat down next to her. In response, Mona began to babble gibberish.

"Mona," I said gently, "you need to calm down."

It seemed like her neck was turning back to normal right in front of my eyes. In about thirty minutes, she had enough control over her body to lift herself onto her elbows. She hacked out her lungs the entire time. I slapped her back in an effort to assist her. She didn't swat my hand away. Mona jolted up and allowed a stream of blood to run out of her mouth and onto her chin. She wiped it away with all of her strength before resting her head back on the ground.

The moon was right above our heads. The sky was darkening to where I could barely see the back of my hand. I could, however, hear Mona puking the rest of the berries out of her system behind a few trees, groaning and crying. I squeezed my eyelids shut. It had been like that for what seemed like hours. I was getting used to her tears and blood staining the floor.

A yawn escaped my lips. I clasped my hand over my mouth, even though no one could see it. I dug my fingernails into my palms. I couldn't fall asleep. Mona could have needed me at any moment.

"H-hey, Kat?" a voice said behind me. I swerved to face Mona, who was balancing herself with the branch that had been shielding her face while she was regurgitating.

"Yeah?"

Mona sucked in a long breath. "Thank you for helping me."

"Yeah, of course."

"A smart person would've left me to die," she said. I gave her a closed-lip smile.

"Then I guess I'm stupid."

She tried to chuckle, but ended up having another coughing fit. Her tired eyes locked with mine, which probably looked identical to hers. "Would you like to rest? I think I'm well enough to take the second watch."

I shook my head. "You need to sleep more than me."

I didn't want to tell her that I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep a wink that night. Not after the drastic scene that had just occurred. From Mona eating the berries to her neck swelling to watching her blood escape between her lips, I didn't know if I would ever sleep again. It was insane to think how tonight had seemed to last for days.

"I really owe you, Kat," Mona whispered. She crawled onto a clean spot on the floor. I smiled, holding the urge to remind her of everything that she had done for me in the short amount of time that we had known each other. Helping her live another day seemed like nothing compared to her actions.

"Good night," was all I said before I turned back to the track, Mona's light snores cutting into the silence immediately.

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the short chapter. This was rough for me to put in words. I hope that it was enjoyable, nonetheless. If it was, read, comment, and love. Also, make sure to vote with your forehead and stay cool! :)

This song is Safe and Sound by Taylor Swift, just to represent that Mona is safe and sound for another day.