Chapter Twenty-Two

Caroline let out a blood-curdling scream as Jeremy took a step back, clutching the knife tightly in his hand.

“Stop!” I screamed at Jeremy, jumping in his way as he tried again to lunge at Caroline.

Just then, I saw David sprinting towards us from the van and I heard the sounds of police sirens. “What are you doing?” I shrieked at Jeremy.

“Not ... perfect ...” he muttered, staring at Caroline who was now lying on the ground huddled up in a ball, whimpering.

I stared at him in horror as David grabbed him. Then several police officers tackled him to the ground. I turned away and knelt beside Caroline. “Oh no ...” I whispered, noticing a pool of blood collecting underneath her.

Hailey ran toward us and burst into hysterical tears. “Caroline!” she cried.

I heard another siren and an ambulance arrived. Hailey and I, and a crowd that had now gathered around Caroline, yielded to the EMTs as they hurriedly put her on a stretcher and wheeled her away.

I scanned the crowd for David and saw him talking to the police officers. I noticed Jeremy seated in the back of the police car, his expression horrifyingly blank.

My stomach hurt and I felt like I might throw up. Jeremy? What had just happened? Why had it happened? Had he really just stabbed Caroline? For what reason?

I felt someone grab my shoulder and I turned around to see Jessica, pale faced and looking sick with worry. “Caroline ...?”

“She was stabbed ... she’s going to the hospital,” I told her, my voice sounding oddly thick and unstable. Just then I felt hot tears start to slide out of the corners of my eyes. “I tried,” I barely sobbed. “I tried to stop him.”

Jessica reached out and hugged me. “We need to pray for her,” she told me and I nodded.

Suddenly I heard David call my name and I broke away from Jessica. “I have to go,” I said, wiping the tears away.

She nodded. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” The comment was halfhearted as she looked off in the direction the ambulance had gone.

I numbly walked back towards David, my heart still hammering in my chest as the adrenaline worked its way out of my system. God ...? I thought desperately as a sudden thought darted through my mind and took hold of my heart, clutching it tightly enough to squeeze the calm from me, to send me panicking. I couldn’t save Caroline. I had tried and although what I did had helped, her life or death ... wasn’t in my hands. I had no power and I was only beginning to realize this.

Suddenly Jessica’s faith no longer seemed so pointless, so vain. Because somehow, even if it wasn’t really true, at least there was hope.

Please watch over Caroline. Please make sure she’s okay, I thought as I climbed into the van, numbly setting my backpack beside me. I had never prayed before and couldn’t be sure if I was doing it right. Was anyone even there? I sighed and hoped there was because suddenly I realized that if it were true, I had something to turn to when things went wrong.

We drove in tense silence for a few blocks, my anger and shock slowly bubbling towards the surface, threatening to explode. I knew it wasn’t right to become angry and yell, as the creators always said, but right at that moment I couldn’t help myself. My anger was too great and my shock was even greater. “What was that?!” I shouted at David, who jumped in his seat. “What happened?”

David frowned grimly, looking stressed out. “Jeremy ... he said he needed a ride. I don’t know what happened ... when he saw you walking with that girl, I don’t know, he snapped.”

“Why would he do that? How could you let him do that?” I cried. “She could have died! She still might die!” I was nearly hysterical now.

David sighed. “Drew, it happened. There’s nothing we can do about it,” he answered through clenched teeth.

I felt the tears threaten to pour out again, but I held them back. “Where is he?” I asked, staring out the window.

“With the police. I don’t know when you’ll see him again. This really complicates things. Ordinarily, we would just take him back to the Institution to be altered, but with the police involved, we can’t do that.”

“How did we get away without being questioned?”

“I took care of it,” David replied, and I asked no more questions. He looked over at me, a strange expression lining his face. “You’re acting ... different, Drew,” he commented.

I only shook my head and stared out the window until we arrived at the Institution. I got out of the car and headed towards the doors. I was met in the lobby by a smiling Yvonne whose expression dropped once she noticed mine. “Where’s Jeremy?” she asked, looking behind me to see if he was there.

I knew Yvonne had always liked Jeremy. I wouldn’t have called them a couple, more like the kind who made out behind the building from time to time. Would this really hurt her? Or would she just move on like he was an old, forgotten toy?

But right then I didn’t feel like telling Yvonne where Jeremy was. I numbly walked past her and on to my room.

“Drew?” I heard her call.

I slowed, paying attention when she asked David the same thing she had asked me and strained to hear David explain to her the short version of where he was. Then I heard nothing from Yvonne, for a change.

Silence.