Page 49 of Immersed
“Fuck,” Asher breathed, staring at the useless metal fragments. For the first time since being trapped, his composure showed cracks.
“Walk-in freezer,” Levi said suddenly, remembering the industrial kitchen’s layout. “They have separate ventilation systems. Might have an external vent.”
Asher followed his gaze to the heavy insulated door at the kitchen’s far end. They moved toward it together, but Levi’s knees already felt unsteady beneath him. The gas concentration was climbing rapidly in the enclosed space.
“Here,” Asher said, pulling several kitchen towels from a nearby drawer. He tore them into strips, handing half to Levi. “Tie this around your face. Won’t stop the gas completely, but it might help filter some of it.”
Levi’s fingertips fumbled with the makeshift mask, his coordination already compromised. The simple task of tying fabric felt impossibly complex, his hands clumsy and unresponsive. Asher steppedcloser, steadying Levi’s hands with his own as they secured the cloth barriers.
Their eyes met through the impromptu masks, and for a moment, the crisis faded into background noise.He’s trying to save me. Actually trying to save both of us.
They reached the freezer door together, but the heavy handle refused to budge despite their combined efforts. Levi threw his full weight against it while Asher pulled, but the door remained sealed as if welded shut.
Levi’s stomach cramped as his body began reacting to the gas concentration. He doubled over, retching as nausea overwhelmed his system. Each attempt to breathe brought more toxins into his lungs, creating a vicious cycle of poisoning.
Asher staggered beside him, one hand pressed against the wall for support. His perfect features had flushed red, blood vessels dilating as his circulatory system fought to compensate for oxygen deprivation.
“Down,” Asher gasped, dropping to his hands and knees. “Gas rises. Air might be cleaner near the floor.”
They crawled along the cold linoleum, searching for any pocket of breathable air. Levi’s throat burned with each inhalation, the gas creating a chemical fire in his respiratory tract. Spots danced across his vision as hypoxia set in.
“Vents,” he wheezed, pointing toward a series of grates set low in the walls. “Kitchen exhaust system.”
But as they approached the nearest vent, Levi realized the cruel truth—the grates had been welded shut from the inside, probably during the hospital’s closure to prevent animal intrusion. No air was flowing through the sealed openings.
Asher slammed his fist against the floor. “There has to be a way out!” he shouted, but even his anger sounded exhausted.
This wasn’t the monster from his memories. This was a person facing death, fighting not just for his own survival but for Levi’s as well.
His vision gray at its fringes, Levi forced himself to think through techniques his therapist had taught him.Ground yourself. Focus on sensations. Find something real to anchor to.
The cold linoleum against his palms. The chemical burn in his throat. The sound of Asher’s ragged breathing beside him. The weight of Dr. Faine’s journal pressed against his chest through his jacket.
The journal. Evidence. Something to carry forward.
“Asher,” Levi managed.
Asher turned toward him, those mismatched eyes reflecting Levi’s flashlight beam with desperate intensity.
“If we don’t...” Levi swallowed hard, fighting against the gas-induced nausea. “If this is how it ends. I want you to know—” He struggled to find words that wouldn’t reveal too much. “This job. Working with you. It’s been good.”
Something shifted in Asher’s expression—surprise, then something that looked almost like gratitude.
“Don’t talk like that,” Asher said, crawling closer. “We’re getting out of here.” But his voice lacked conviction. They both knew their options were exhausted.
Levi’s arms gave out, sending him flat against the floor. His breathing became shallow, each breath a monumental effort that brought decreasing returns. Asher collapsed beside him, their faces inches apart on the cold tile. He flopped an arm over Levi’s back, as if he were still trying to be reassuring.
“Sorry,” Asher whispered, reaching out to touch Levi’s cheek with fumbling fingers. “Should have found the shutoff faster. Should have...”
His voice trailed off as consciousness began slipping away from both of them. The gas won, filling their lungs and bloodstream with silent poison. A strange peace settled in Levi’s chest, spreading outward like warmth as the world faded gray around the edges.
At least this time, we’re dying together. As allies.
16
Respawn
Levijoltedawakewitha violent gasp, phantom gas still burning his throat. His lungs expanded desperately, drawing in clean air with such force that his chest ached. For several disorienting seconds, he couldn’t process his surroundings—only that he was alive, breathing, and no longer dying on a cold kitchen floor.
