A/N: Well, all I have to say is that I can't believe it's already the 39th chapter O.O I never would have gotten this far if it weren't for all your encouragement! You guys are awesome!

-

02 - 18 - 2089

My legs and arms are tingling by the time I allow myself to relax in the seat. The trail of vehicles rolls along over the white landscape, the sun just beginning to break over the horizon. It casts golden rays over the snowy earth, creating a sparkling image. The light makes the snow appear like millions of diamonds, glittering in a sea of priceless worth. It's so breathtaking, I just allow myself to forget, even for a moment, the past. Staring out at the landscape, I focus on the present instead.

"Gis? Are you okay?" A tentative, taught voice reaches my ears from beside me. I blink, turning away from the window to face Cade who is seated in the back with me. His face is drawn, pale, but a small smile graces his lips. The bruises on his face are stark, and it hurts me to see what his mother put him through. But I allow a smile to break out on my face as well, pushing those thoughts behind me.

Then I give him a small yet firm nod. "I'm going to be now, I think." At my words, relief flickers in Cade's eyes. His gaze droops and he heaves in a great breath, his lungs rattling.

My forehead scrunches as I survey him, checking again to see if I missed any injuries. I don't see anything, but that doesn't mean there isn't any. I rest a tentative hand on his shoulder, his arm pressed against his mid section. He jerks a bit at my touch, but seems to recover quickly and look over at me, his blue eyes meeting my dark ones.

"Sorry." He blinks, and his pupils seem to have trouble focusing. Not good. Definitely not good.

"What's wrong?" Once again my eyes scan him for injuries, looking over his black coat and dark pants. "Did you get hurt?"

"I'm... fine," he grits out, but it's clear he's lying. The pain is so evident on his face now.

I push back the panic that threatens to rise. "Where does it hurt?" I demand. "What happened?"

He hesitates, then slowly draws his hand away from his stomach. The pale skin on his hand is slick with blood. And as I look closer, I can see the blood soaking through his black jacket. The dark color hides it well, but there's no mistaking it now.

"You... you've been shot," I breathe, almost not believing it myself. What do I do? How do I stop it? That's a lot of blood. What if he...

"It's okay," Cade grits out. He lets out a breathy laugh that sounds pained. "Just a scratch." His head falls back against the seat, his body almost completely limp.

"No, it's not." I slide closer to him and reach for his jacket. "What happened?" My hands tremble as I peel back his jacket to find the source of the blood. His grey shirt beneath is also soaked in blood, and a ragged hole is ripped through the fabric, revealing the skin beneath.

My stomach rolls at the sight of the bloody flesh. The bullet tore right through him and left a mess behind. It's all I can do to keep myself from vomiting at the sight. But part of me knows I need to remain strong for Cade. After all he's done for me, all the hits he's taken for me, I can do this small thing for him.

"Don't look at it," Cade orders, but a groan slips past his lips before he can finish and his hands clench at his sides.

"Why didn't you tell me you were hurt?" I demand, then realize how angry that sounds. He's severely injured, and I'm yelling at him.

Focus, Gis.

"Hold still," I tell him firmly but quietly. He does as I say, and I work on pulling his coat out of the way before peeling his shirt up. My mind whirs as I try to come up with a solution. I have no idea how to treat wounds, and especially not one this severe. He needs a doctor, and soon.

"He's injured!" I yell to the man driving. "He needs a doctor!"

The driver glances back, his own face streaked with filth as well. "No time. We have to get you out of here."

I frown and turn to Cade again. The wound isn't clotting, the flesh too ravaged, the wound to large. I swallow and rip off a section of my pants. When I see the mud spattered on the white fabric, I opt for a section of my shirt instead. Then I press the fabric against the wound, trying to be gentle while still pressing hard enough to staunch the blood flow.

The moment the fabric touches Cade's skin, he bites his lip to keep from crying out, even though a hiss slips past. I can feel every muscle in his body is tight. He's sweating profusely, the liquid dripping down his face and onto his filthy shirt. Liquid drips onto my own shirt, and I try to wipe away the tears.

"Just hold on," I whisper, hoping he can hear me. Hoping he does as I say. Blood soaks through the fabric over his wounds and onto my hands. It's warm, carrying Cade's life along with it. I press harder, eliciting a groan from Cade. He's only half conscious now, and I hope that means the pain isn't as bad.

The vehicle we're in hits a large bump, and I scramble to hold onto Cade and keep the wound stable as everything shakes. Cade mumbles something unintelligible, and more blood pours out if the wound. I have no idea how much blood someone can lose before it's fatal, but Cade has already lost so much. Part of me knows he can't lose much more.

I tear off part of Cade's ripped shirt this time and add it to my pile of fabric. The fabric turns red quickly, too quickly. My hands are shaking hard now, and I glance at Cade's face. His eyes are closed, his breathing slow and labored.

"Cade."

No answer.

"Cade," I repeat louder, not daring to move my hands from where they press the fabric against his stomach.

Still, no answer.

"Cade, wake up." The panic is so very real now, clouding my senses, my every thought. I can't lose him. I can't lose him.

I can't lose him.

"He's dying back here!" I shout, my voice choked with sobs. "He needs a doctor!"

The driver glances back again and shakes his head. "We're almost there." With his free hand, he yanks off his coat and throws it back to me. "Use this to staunch the bleeding." I grab it gratefully and press it over the already bloody fabric. Cade still doesn't stir.

The vehicles rumble on, and I glance out to see many of them have separated and are driving in other directions. I realize with no small amount of gratitude that they are separating so if the government makes chase they won't find me.

We are in a small town now, and we drive past a fence surrounding a courtyard of some sort. It's very large, and towards the center is a small aircraft. The cold air swirls around it, the heat from the jets making the air dance and swirl.

"Here's your ride," the driver says as he pulls to a stop beside the waiting craft. Cold air fills the vehicle as the driver opens his door and climbs out. He rounds the vehicle to Cade's side and pulls it open. Still, Cade doesn't move.

"I'll take him, you need to get out. Get into the aircraft." The man starts to grab Cade, but I hesitate, not wanting to leave him, even for a moment. "Now," the man adds when I don't obey him. He glances past the vehicle to where we came from, his movements hurried.

With one last glance at Cade, I scramble out of the vehicle on my side and hurry towards the stairs leading up to the aircraft. The cold air bites my bare arms and feet as I run, but all I can think about is Cade.

A young man with long hair appears at the entrance to the aircraft and beckons to me. "Hurry." His arm outstretched, he leans toward me as I climb the stairs.

Vehicles roar behind us now, and I can see government issued machines heading straight for us. The man carrying Cade is behind me, a few yards from the stairs.

I reach the top of the stairs, and the man pulls me inside. He leads me over to one of the seats before ordering me to sit and strapping me in. After telling me to hold on, he leaves.

I crane my neck around the other chairs blocking my view to stare at the entrance, the roar of the aircraft now deafening. It even drowns out the sound of the government vehicles heading for us.

Seconds pass, each one more agonizing than the first. I suck in a breath, then force myself to let out it. A shadow falls on the doorway, and a moment later the long haired man who buckled me in is helping the driver carry Cade onto the aircraft.

They carry him to the back of the aircraft, past me, while another person shuts the aircraft door. Moments later, the craft starts to move, slowly but surely picking up speed as it races down the runway. Faster and faster it goes, pressing me into my seat. Then all at once the ground leaves us and the aircraft catches air, lifting up and away from the chaos below.

-