Page 100 of Private Exhibit
And there was nothing Andy could do.
He cursed himself, shaking his head, wondering if he'd called Hayden too late. Wondering if the rush to the hospital was all for nothing.
Andy had been right all along. He was a failure.
And he'd always lose the people he loved.
Chapter 35
DEVON TUMBLED, lost and adrift in an endless sea of black.
Oh gods. Was this death? This massive, gaping void? He saw nothing. Heard nothing. Felt nothing. Devon screamed, but no sound came out.
He was all alone.
His mind felt pulled. Devon fought, scrambling to stay where he was. He wasn't even sure why. The blackness swallowed him, threatening to drown him, but he knew he couldn't let go. Not yet. He screamed and struggled and twisted, doing everything he could to resist the pull. Somehow, he knew if it defeated him, it would all be over.
The invisible force vanished. Devon drifted and settled like a feather falling to the ground. He lay there, trying to think, trying to focus.
But everything was so hazy. So fuzzy. Nothing made sense. Nothing seemed to be eitherupordown. Nothing washerenorthere.
Then a tiny sound reached him. He thought it was abeep, but he couldn't be sure.
Devon strained to listen.
Another sound. A whisper of a voices. They weren't familiar voices, but he heard them nonetheless.
“I don't know. Three minutes? Four?”
Devon gasped.Andy!
That was Andy's voice. He was sure of it. Devon struggled and squirmed, yelling Andy's name over and over.
But there was no response.
“He's in a coma.”
Devon felt his soul jump.Coma? Oh gods. He scrabbled and clawed, feeling like he was running a marathon.Let me out! Get me out! Daddy!
But no matter how much he screamed, nothing happened.
Sound faded, and the blackness became almost complete. Devon floated in it, unable to move. He felt time pass, but he had no way to count it.
The silence broke. Devon heard more voices, but the words didn't all make sense. There was something aboutflow rateandsatsandwaves, but Devon only caught every other word or so, making the whole thing sound like a foreign language.
Sound faded again. Time passed.
Let me out!
Devon resurfaced a little, sound slowly creeping back in.
“Hey, Dev.”
Devon gasped.Oli! I'm here! Get me out!
“I don't even know if you can hear me.”
Devon struggled.I hear you! I'm here! Oli? I'm here!
