I crossed the remaining distance in three steps and fell to my knees, grabbing my brother out of Madeline's grip and cradling him in my own arms. Echo was at my shoulder momentarily with a needle, the empty vial in her other hand, and I watched her inject my brother with the immunization vaccine, waiting for it to work like it was supposed to.
His face started to clear, blood returning to his pale cheeks, and I took in a breath of relief that he'd be alright.
It was too soon.
I waited for his breathing to steady and his eyes to flicker open, but neither happened.
I ran a hand through his hair and kissed his forehead, then looked to Madeline in panic.
"It's working, isn't it?"
I stared desperately at her, but she shook her head.
"Just because it fixed the symptom means it fixed the problem, Nova!"
And then he seized up in my arms, and I tightened my grip, holding onto his as he started to shake, glancing back again.
"Why isn't it working?" I demanded, but she only shook her head.
"Nova, it's not intended for young children," she reminded me gently. "His immune system can't handle it. Five warned us. He warned us it was only intended for those over the age of ten... and even that is only experimental."
"Then why did he send it at all?" I shouted at her.
"Nova, a shot was never going to save us! It was a security blanket! It was something to keep close, to imagine would keep us safe. Nova, Honey, it was never going to fix everything."
Calix finally went still, his breathing shallow. His chest barely rose, now, but he was still alive.
"I-" I choked on my own words. "I don't know what to do."
"Hold him," she instructed. "Tell him it'll be okay-"
"It won't-"
"Tell him anyway."
I remembered that Madeline had been exposed to it as well and quickly looked to her, my eyes raking down her for for symptoms.
"I'm not infected." she murmured softly, as though reading my mind. "Comfort your child."
My child.
I pulled him close as his eyes flickered open.
"Hey, Baby," I murmured to him. "You're okay. I promise..."
The promise had been broken before it had even left my lips, but I forced a twisted smile onto my face as tears flooded my eyes. His fingertips, still as soft as the day he was born, trailed down my cheek as he wrinkled up his little nose in the way that made my heart warm.
But not anymore.
Don't cry, Nova..." he whispered.
I choked on a smile.
"Then don't die, Calix," I told him.
His lips parted as though he was about to speak, and then a tremor ran through his body and I tightened my grip on him, willing the life force in him not to leave.
"Don't give up." I told him, "Don't you dare leave me! You're going to be just fine!"
He drew another laboured breath, and then he smiled at me.
"Don't worry, Nova," he whispered. "I won't not be safe when you're here with me."
His eyes flickered shut and his chest stopped moving.
It took a full minute for it all to sink in, and then all rational thought left my mind as my whole world came crashing down around me. It was like a knife blade directly through my heart as I clutched his body to my chest and cried out in pain.
It was a cry for my sister; for my parents; for my brother; protesting against Sly and Scoutfield.
"Calix!" I screamed, "No! Calix!"
I felt him forced from my arms as Echo took him away, but I fought her, wanting him back.
"He's not dead!" I shouted, but while my heart told me it was true, my brain said otherwise, "He's not dead!"
But Echo had already taken him and stepped backward thrice, her eyes wide and stunned, as though she couldn't quite believe how everything had gone so wrong so quickly.
"Give him back!" I shouted, lunging at her. "He's mine! I want him back!"
I dashed forward and tripped over my own feet as Echo backed away from me, my brother still cradled in her arms, keeping him away from me. I allowed my legs to collapse underneath me and I hit the ground, wrapping my arms around my stomach as the sobs wracked my entire body.
Calix was gone.
I couldn't save him.
I felt a hand on my shoulder as strong arms lifted me to my feet and turned me around, directing me against a firm chest. The arms gathered me close, holding me so tight that my forehead leaned against the comforting shoulder and my tears quickly soaked through the smooth fabric of the shirt.
I was crying for the first time in years, because it didn't matter anymore.
Nothing mattered anymore.
Lips were pressed chastely to my hair as the person who held me kissed the top of my head, prompting me to raise my face and see who it was. Too strong and tall to be Madeline.
The first thing I saw were the ocean-blue eyes staring at me from a dark-blond framed face, and then nothing made sense.
But it did...
"Scoutfield!" I hissed, then: "Five?"
5COU7
Who's higher in the ranks, here?
Captain Scout.
"Scout..." I murmured.
He smiled sadly, but said nothing as he pressed my face back to his shoulder and I went completely numb. Mindlessly, my arms wrapped around his neck and I sobbed deeply into his shoulder. My legs lost all strength, as though my muscles had simply died, and I went limp, but I felt Scoutfield - Scout - lower me to the ground, keeping me tight in his embrace.
Calix was dead.
My innocent, young, sweet brother - only two-years-old - was dead.
I lashed out, thrusting myself out of Scout's arms and taking off towards Echo, who still held my brother's limp body, but before I could reach them, the Captain grabbed me again and spun me to face him.
"Nova Quinn-" he started, but I didn't allow him to keep speaking. I kicked and slapped at him, trying to fight my way free, but he was stronger than my exhausted, sorrow-weakened body.
It was futile.
He pulled me against him again, his arms latching around me as he talked lowly in my ear.
"I'm sorry," he whispered against the side of my head, and the fury started to melt away leaving pure anguish. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." And I knew he was apologizing for so much more than he knew.
He was apologizing for Echo, who had been left alone by the death of her father. He was apologizing for Madeline, who had lost her little brother to a terrible air-borne killer no one could stop. He was apologizing for little Calix, who had been forced to suffer an early death. And now, he was apologizing for me, and how utterly broken I was.
"He's dead, Scout..." I sobbed. "He's gone..."
"I know, Child..." he whispered. I felt him kneel down and felt myself lowered to the ground, half-cradled in his lap. I stared up at him, silently begging him to stop it all. Stop the pain. Stop the world. Stop everything.
I saw Madeline kneel down beside him; saw a small bag transferred from her hand to his. I saw his hand linger on hers for a long moment: a meaningful expression exchanged between the two of them, and then Madeline's hand was on my forehead and Scout was whispering: "Sleep, Child..."
I felt a prick in my shoulder, and then the world faded to black.