Lilith smiled as Liam gave her the answer she was looking for. Again, if they weren't invisible, tracking a kid who somehow knew their names, and crowded together in the hope that the bullets would miss... Another squeeze of the hand had to suffice for now.
However something didn't seem quite right. Standing in such close proximity to him, she could hear his breathing pattern change for the worse. His outline was becoming a little hazy, as if he was trying not to reappear again and failing to do so. Maybe keeping all three of them invisible at once for so long was being too strenuous for him. Just as she was about to release his hand, everything worsened again.
"Nadi, stop!"
It was a harsh, rasping noise that escaped his throat, that left Lilith confused. Even if the teenager was stirring, she couldn't be doing this to him... Could she? What if she had another ability? Hell, this could be her first for all that Lilith knew about her. Suddenly they were all visible again, and seeing Liam's face, she knew something was wrong. She began to panic slightly, especially when she could see his ghostly outline, and again when he started coughing and struggling to breathe. They were flickering in and out, but before she could do anything to help him, Nadi had crashed to the floor, and his fall had dragged Lilith to her knees after him. Her eyes flicked over to the teenager for a moment, about to ask if she was alright when Liam's breathing further deterioratated, and his body started to convulse. Where where all the doctors and nurses when you needed them? Then again, what would she tell them, if they were here?
She also wanted to shout at Nadi, if he thought his sudden collapse was something to do with her, than it was fine for her. But that would not do anybody any favours, so she moved to check her male companion over instead. She tried to talk to him, but repeating his name and telling him to 'stay with her' didn't make for great conversation. They always made this kind of stuff look so easy on TV...
Ah, keep talking. For a nervous chatterer though, she wasn't doing very well though. She was secretly terrified. Her ability wasn't to 'heal' as such, it actually increased the rate of cell mitosis, allowing her body to repair injuries faster than was normally possible. If Liam's sudden illness was caused by something that might be adversely affected by an increase in cell production, the boost could kill him. Still, things didn't look too good for him now.
"Come on Liam, look at me."
It had seemed like such a good idea... They were matching types, why shouldn't she give it a go? He was still essentially a stranger, but who'd literally helped her off the streets and offered her into his home. Even if it had been shot up moments later. He'd saved not just her lifeThe conflict went on for a few moments longer, Lilith absent-mindedly rubbing his arm with her hand. A nearby trolley caught her eye, crossing over to it and rummaging around until she found a couple of sterile syringes. It was better than nothing.
Kneeling down again beside Liam, it took her a couple of goes to puncture her skin in the right place and to draw enough blood to fill one. She'd never seen herself so shaky. She looked up just as the kid did, discreetly capping the needle and slipping it into her pocket. The less questions he asked, the better.
Before Lilith could open her mouth, she found herself pinned against the wall, unable to move. Out of the corner of her eye, she spied Liam, and she thought she could see Nadi...
"So, I don't suppose you're after us too?"
Yes, of course. That's why two of them were floored, and why she was trying to help one of them. But then again, from his view, and after everything that had happened... She found it hard to blame the poor thing. Suddenly, he just collapsed, just like that.
Feeling the pressure lessen slightly, she reached for Liam, to see if he was okay. Her hand passed through thin air. She started to panic as everyone disappeared, and she didn't recognise her surroundings any longer. No, she was in the car... driving on the wrong side? No, the drivers seat... Her heart skipped a beat. She was back in England? How? Then a chillingly familiar voice piped up beside her.
"Mum, can Rose come over for tea on Saturday?"
"Rose? Oh, Rose Middleton! Of course she can, she's a nice girl. Her father's a doctor too, right?"
Lilith turned her head slowly towards the pretty blonde girl in the seat across from her, what colour there was in her face slowly drained out again.
The conversation went like it had before; mother and daughter chatting animatedly while present Lilith sat silently dreading what was coming. Her lips were sealed shut, and she was unable to move enough to indicate her mother to stop, to watch out...
"You could have saved us, Lily." Clarissa spoke softly, sadly, but her eyes were accusing. Her voice still refused to work. "Why?" She began shouting and screaming at her then, all the while the other car was rapidly approaching.
This time, however, she was not knocked unconscious. She could feel every piece of shrapnel penetrating her body, and watched her beloved sibling die in front of her very eyes.
She needed to wake up...
Lilith struggled with returning to consciousness, but was relieved when she felt the syringe in her pocket, and found herself able to touch Liam's arm. Another had entered the room, and she took her chances. Her hands were still shaking, but this time, she didn't hesitate in injecting him. There was a flash, a crack and the kid, Matt, was thrown back against the wall, between them both. There was a small clatter as the impact forced her to drop the needle. She'd gotten most of it in, right?
Her eyes widened slightly as the man approached, threatening to kill the kid. He couldn't have even been in his teens, why did anyone want to kill a boy like him? What could she do to stop it? Before Lilith could even think of doing anything, another charged into the scene, armed with a... Sword? He was running towards them, and then, they weren't in the hospital anymore.
Lying there on the floor, Lilith stayed silent for a few moments longer, before she touched Liam softly. "Are you okay?"