Page 75 of The Whispering Girls

Hospital chemicals…

Nitrous oxide…

Anesthetic gases…

Oxygen…

Ethyl alcohol…

And…

Gunfire rounds…

“We need to get out now!” she yelled. “Now!” Her heart skipped several beats. Katie began to crawl back to where they had come from. She turned and could see McGaven and John following her lead. “Now!”

One… Two… Gunshots…

Katie stood up and began to run. She heard footsteps behind her right before the last gunshot rang out at the same time as the explosion.

THIRTY

Friday 2130 hours

Katie wasn’t sure what was worse: the deafening noise, blinding bright light, or the feeling that her insides had been moved around in her body. She had been thrown to the floor and she could feel the icy air mixing with the heat from the fire. It was a strange combination, feeling more like a nightmare than real life.

Smoke filled the air but was quickly siphoned out through the broken front windows. Katie’s arms and legs seemed cemented to the floor. She began to move her hands and feet as the feeling in them began to return. She couldn’t understand why she didn’t hear McGaven and John. The only thing she heard was the loud pounding of her heart and the throbbing of her head. Face down, she pushed her body up with her hands and then slowly got her balance with her feet on the ground.

Smoke filtered around the area, and scattered everywhere were broken pieces and shards of what were once useful hospital supplies.

Katie looked down and saw her gun was gone. There wasblood trickling down her arms. Stunned and unable to move right away, she couldn’t see well and her eyes stung. She raised her hand and gently touched her face. It was covered in blood. Wiping the blood away from her forehead, her vision began to clear. She could see an outline of McGaven lying on the floor, not moving. There was what was left of a rolling cart lying sideways across his chest. Her heart seemed to stop and she couldn’t breathe.

“Gav.” She could barely whisper. Her throat hurt and felt so dry she wasn’t sure if she could speak again.

“Katie? Gav,” said John.

Katie looked up and saw John climbing over shattered pieces of metal and ceramics.

“Katie,” he said, moving toward her. “You okay?”

“I… think so…”

John was immediately at her side. “You saved our lives. If you hadn’t warned us…”

“But it wasn’t in time…” She could barely keep herself together. She pushed past John and dropped to the floor. “Gav…Gav… can you hear me?” She pushed away the cart and examined his body. He had blood on his face and hands. She made sure his neck was okay. “Gav…pleasetalk to me…”

Katie was in shock and didn’t notice John at her side examining McGaven.

“He’s breathing. But we need to get him out of here. It’s too volatile,” he said glancing around.

Katie took hold of McGaven’s hand and squeezed it. There was no response.

“I think he’s knocked out, which means…”

Katie couldn’t stop the tears…and immediately blaming herself. They should not have rushed here when there was such a strong chance that it wasn’t safe…

“Katie, did you hear me?” said John.

She turned to him.