ᴀɴ: ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴs ᴏғ ɴᴇᴇᴅʟᴇs
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Estrella yanks Pope's arm toward her while the boy scrambles into her arms. The others catching onto what was happening and quickly moving out of the way just as the cross hit the floor. Heavy panting is heard throughout the church as Estrella holds onto Pope. Everyone's eyes on the golden cross wedged into the floor.

"Pope, are you okay?" Estrella asks looking Pope over

"Hey, you good?" JJ asks as the rest walk over

"Yeah, I'm good. Just give me, like, one second to, like, catch my breath." Pope breathes

"You did it, Pope." John B says as he and the other teens walk over to the cross. Estrella stays beside Pope as he lays back to catch his breath

"Pope, she's... she's beautiful." JJ gawks

"I've never seen anything like it." Sarah smiles

"Detail's insane."

"Well, here's why Limbrey wanted that key so bad." John B says

"Whoa. Good find. How much do you think she's worth?" JJ asks as Pope starts to stand up, "Like, if we melted her old bones down, dude, I'm talking like high billions."

"No, JJ." Estrella says turning her attention away from Pope

"This belongs in a--" John B interjects, "No! This belongs in a museum."

"What? So no one sees her?" JJ says

"In a museum where everyone sees it."

"Are you kidding?"

"Hey!" Pope calls out, "It's my ancestors' cross!"

"Right, okay. All right, all right. Well..."

"This is bigger than money, and the world's gotta know the truth." Pope says leaning back against a bench.

"Yes. If we don't get this shit outta here before Limbrey gets here, nobody's gonna know. So saddle up." John B says

"It's heavy like right here." JJ says as the others start to bend down

"Ah! God!" Pope says as he shakes his hand.

Estrella turns to him, "You okay?"

"Yeah." He says as he bends down to help lift. Estrella stands beside him bending her knees for when they start to lift.

"Wait. Hold on. John B, you're gonna pull, all right? Pull down." JJ says

"I'm gonna pull down. You guys pull up. Ready? One, two, three."

The teens groan as they all start to lift the cross up. It was definitely much heavier than any of them have anticipated which was saying a lot.

"JJ, watch your foot." John B says

"Oh my God!" Sarah grunts

"Shit! Okay!" Kie says as they just barely lift it off of the ground

"Okay. I got it." JJ says

"Holy fuck." Estrella groans as they start moving

"Okay." Pope breathes

"Who's... who's not lifting right now?" JJ groans, "Sarah, are you seriously--"

"I'm lifting!"

"Move forward." Kie says

"It doesn't feel like it!" JJ says

"I am!" Sarah yells

"Just go." Charlotte groans

Pope grunts, "Okay, guys. I can't. I can't."

"No, Pope." Estrella tries

"No! No, no, no!" Kie grunts

"No, no, Pope! Hang on there!" JJ yells, "No, no, no, no, no, no! No!"

The cross clanks as Pope lets go. Each of them backing up so it doesn't fall on their feet. Pope pants as he falls back onto a bench.

"Damn it, yo!" JJ snaps as he turns to Sarah, "You almost dropped it on my foot!"

"Cause I'm the only one lifting it!"

"Oh, you sure--"

"Okay, okay, okay, okay! Listen, we'll make like a sling, like a little--" John B says

"Yeah, yeah, and then put it on the tail hitch."

"Guys!" Pope yells, "Guys, guys, I'm not okay. I'm not okay."

"Pope." Estrella says as she places her hand on his arm to turn him over. Her eyes widening at his swollen face, "Oh my god, Pope."

"Shit!" John B says as they all walk over

"Your eye, it looks all puffy." Sarah says

"You good? You don't look too good, bro." JJ says

"Pope, talk to me." Estrella pleads as he lays back against the bench

"I can't--" Pope tries, but is cut off by his own gasp

"He's having an allergic reaction."

"How many times did you get stung?" Charlotte says. Pope's eyes roll back as he starts to go limp.

"No, no, no." Estrella says as she bends down to wrap his arm around his shoulder. Kie rushing to grab his other arm.

"Hey! Hey!"

"What about the cross?" Kie asks

"JJ, try and hide it." John B says. JJ rushes over to throw the cushions over the cross.

"I got it. I got the cross." JJ says

"Here we go. Come on. Come on." Estrella says as they start walking toward the door

"We'll come back!" Kie says as Sarah runs to open the door

"I can't breathe." Pope gasps

"I know." Estrella says, "It's okay. You're gonna be okay."

"I don't know how I'll hide this!" JJ calls out

"I can't breathe."

"JJ! We gotta go!" Sarah yells

"It's so heavy. I can't-- I'm coming! Jeez! That thing's heavy." JJ says before running out to Sarah, "Sarah, I didn't hide it well enough."

"Don't worry about that. We gotta get Pope some help."

"Pope, what do you need, buddy?" JJ asks as the girls load Pope into Kie's truck

"Keep his legs elevated." Sarah says

"I know. I got it." Estrella says

"What do you need?" JJ asks again. Pope starts hitting his arm as he looks at Estrella and Kie.

"A shot!" They yell

"A shot? Okay." JJ says, "I know where to go! Give me the keys! Kie, give me the keys!"

"They're in the ignition! Go." Kie says as she slides in the back with Estrella. Pope's head laying on the other door as he takes deep breaths

"Right. I knew that." JJ says as he hops in the driver's seat

"Keep a hand on his pulse." Sarah says

"We got you." Kie says

"Hang on, Pope! We're going." JJ says as he steps on the gas

"Pope?" Estrella says

"Let's go."

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It's only a few minutes, but it felt like a lot longer before JJ stops in front of a house. He honks the horn as he and Sarah hop out.

"Ricky!" He yells before running to the porch

"Are you good?" Kie asks as Sarah opens the back door before running with JJ

"Stay with me, Pope." Estrella says as Kie gets out and starts to pull Pope out

"No!" JJ yells, "Don't do that!"

"No! Please! Please, we need help!" Sarah tries

"What's happening?" Estrella asks

"I don't know." Charlotte says as Estrella wraps her arm around Pope to hold him up

"He got stung by a wasp! He's having a reaction! Please help!" Sarah yells as JJ bangs on the window

"Hey! Yeah, he--"

"Please help!"

"He can't breathe, Ricky!"

"Ricky!" John B tries as Kie and Estrella walk Pope up to the porch

"He's right here, please!" Sarah yells just as the door opens again

"Who can't breathe?" Ricky says

"Look at him! Help my friend!" Estrella snaps as Pope wheezes. Ricky stays silent which only angers her more, "Help!"

"All right, Jesus Christ." Ricky says before pushing the screen door open. Kie and Estrella rush Pope in.

"Hey! Nice to meet you. Sorry." Sarah says as she clears the table off

"Yeah."

"You know, I wouldn't come to you if it wasn't an emergency." JJ says as they lay Pope on the table, "Hang in there, buddy."

"What's wrong with him?" Ricky asks

"Wasps!" Estrella says

"Wasps?" Ricky repeats

"Yes!"

"Is he allergic to wasps?"

"Obviously." Estrella yells

"Okay."

"A beehive worth of wasps."

"Raise his legs!" JJ says as John B places a pillow underneath Pope

"What's his name?"

"Pope."

"Hey, Pope? Hang tight." Ricky says before turning to the others, "I gotta get my kit."

JJ's head snaps up as Ricky rushes off, "Hang tight? Ricky!"

"He's looking for a kit. Go help." John B says

"Kit?"

"Yeah. Go help." John B nods before JJ runs off

"Breathe a little, okay? Like a little bit." Kie says

"Pope." Estrella breathes as she taps his cheek lightly, "You're gonna be okay. Just breathe. I need you to focus. Focus on your breathing, okay?"

"What does it look like?"

"Like a duffel bag!" Ricky says as he runs out of the room toward another

"A duffel bag!" JJ says as he searches another room

"Where's your kit?" Kie yells

Estrella breathes fast as Pope's wheezing continues. She looks up with anger lining her features, "Where the hell is he? What's taking so long?"

"I don't know." Sarah says

"JJ!"

"I'm looking!"

"Focus on your breathing." Kie says as Estrella looks down at Pope again

"Okay, I got it!" Ricky says as he runs back in the room with his bag, "I got it! I got it."

"Yeah, yeah." John B says

"All right."

"Okay." Kie says as Ricky stands on the opposite side

"What do we do now?" JJ asks

"You don't do anything 'cause you're not a paramedic." Ricky says as he fills his syringe, "Okay. Hey, Pope. How you doing, man? You look like shit."

He looks up towards the teens, "Here's the thing. This is a pediatric dose of epinephrine."

"Is that gonna be enough?" Estrella asks

"He's not a kid!" Kie says

"It is ten times a normal dose. So if... if it doesn't stop his heart, it'll help him. But I gotta use the whole thing, or it won't work." Ricky says, "And I'm not going down if he dies."

"Okay! Fine! Do it! Hit it!" JJ says as his hands go to his hair

"Just go. Do it." Estrella says frantically

"Okay."

"Come on, hurry up!" JJ says

"Pope, hang in there, buddy." Ricky says as he gives Pope the shot. Pope wheezes as Ricky pulls the needle from his arm, "Okay, um, that's it."

"Now what?" Estrella asks

"Now we wait."

Estrella can feel her heart go a thousand miles an hour as she looked down at Pope. He hadn't moved since he was given the shot. A tense silence fell over the group as they all waited for him to wake up.

"You killed him." Kie says

"No." Ricky shakes his head

"Yes, you did!"

"I didn't do shit."

"Pope." Estrella says as she cups his face

"What did you do?" Kie yells

"I did exactly what you asked me to do."

"Please! Please! Pope, please, come on!" Estrella begs as she becomes teary eyed

"Pope, come on, bro!" JJ says shaking his arm. Estrella jumps as Pope gasps, "Wait, wait, wait, he--"

"Pope? Pope, Pope, Pope?" Kie says

Pope coughs as he sits up. Estrella lets out a breath as Ricky cheers, "Pope!" She says rounding the table to stand beside JJ so she could see Pope's face.

"There he is. That's my boy right there!" JJ says

"It's hot! I'm real hot, guys." Pope says

"It's okay. Take it easy." JJ says as Pope tries shrugging his jacket off

"I gotta get outside." Pope says as he stands up from the table and heads to the door. John B quickly follows him.

"Simmer down."

"I owe you." JJ says to Ricky

"Take a second. Pope!" Estrella tries

"I need to get outside. It's hot!" Pope says as he opens the door and steps out onto the lawn

"You're good!" John B says as he, Kie, and Charlotte follow him

"Thank you so much." Sarah says to Ricky

"Are there any side effects we should be concerned about?" Estrella asks as they stand by the door

"He'll have a rocket up his ass for about half an hour, then he'll be fine."

"Let's go get that cross! Whoo!" Pope says as he runs around

Estrella steps off the porch to approach him, "Pope."

"Whoa!" John B says as Pope jumps around

"Game six! I'm Michael Jordan!" Pope yells

"Yeah, game six!"

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