The Remedy Files: Illusion by Lauren Eckhardt Page B

Joline run to the edge of the stage, high pitched voices yelling out a mix of “help!” and “oh Caroline!”
    Brennan and Ethan dip down, each grabbing one of Caroline’s arms and try to hoist her up.   
    “Guys- wait! Don’t touch her yet!” I yell out to warn them but it was too late.
    As soon as they put Caroline’s weight on her legs again, a loud crack echoes in the air. I watch as a large bone suddenly juts out through her skin right under her left knee.
    All at once, several monitors begin beeping and more screams for help arise from all different directions. I immediately spring into professional mode, putting my years of training into use. I command Damian to go get the emergency cart so he takes off in a sprint. I demand that Bryan follow Damian and use the emergency Remedy dispenser for seven additional pills.
    I rip off the right sleeve of Brennan’s shirt. “Hey!” He objects.
    When I glare at him, he doesn’t push it any further. Tearing the sleeve in half, I kneel down to pull the bone back into Caroline’s leg with the use of the wrap and tie it tightly around her leg.
    “Stop screaming!” I shout back to Joline and Adeline who immediately close their mouths. They have never before heard me use any tone above the normal. No one has. I barely talk at all to them let alone yell at anyone.
    Within a few minutes, Damian and Bryan come back, pulling the emergency cart behind them. I help Bryan distribute the Remedy pills to everyone with Caroline being the first. Luckily we’ve all been so used to taking them our entire lives that we don’t usually need anything to wash them down.
    “Pick her up and put her in the back of the cart carefully.” I command Brennan and Ethan.
    Together they lift her up and lie her down in the cart on her back. I swear I see what looks like a hidden smile on Caroline’s face. She’s actually enjoying all of this attention.
    They take the handles to pull the cart in the direction of the Clinic. I stop them, noticing they aren’t doing it smoothly which can jeopardize other injuries if there are any.
    Firmly I say, “Off, guys. I’ve got it from here.” I take a hold of the handles and pull Caroline to the Clinic instead. What took two men to do, I’m able to do on my own.
    “You guys can all follow, though!” Caroline yells from the cart. Directing her next comment towards me, she says, “Besides, someone needs to protect me so this monster doesn’t hurt me again.”
    An image of me turning the cart over and letting Caroline fall hard to the ground flashes through my mind.
    Before I can say anything in return, Adeline comes running up alongside of us. “I’m here, Caroline! I won’t leave your side!”
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 10
 
    At school the next day, there were already stories of Caroline’s “terrible fall and how amazing she was to survive something so horrifying”. Everyone knew I was an eyewitness so they made many of these comments around me, knowing they couldn’t ask for details, but hoping I would share. I would simply nod while looking down, refusing to provide more information. By the afternoon, I am pretty sure I heard several people say I was involved with the fall more than being an eye witness. No doubt Adeline was adding her own comments in a way that accused me of having more of a direct hand in Caroline’s injury.
    Jacqueline was the only one I told the entire story to while we were at the office last night. Caroline became an overnight patient at the Clinic and since Jacqueline and I were both on the evening shift, Jacqueline found out about the details early. I gave her the majority of the story, purposely leaving out the part where Ethan was there and I called out his name to distract him from Caroline. Hopefully that detail will stay out of everyone else’s version as well.
    When I finished telling Jacqueline the story, she chuckled. “I really