“Get up,” growled Jayden, firing wild bursts into the end of the hall. “I’m almost out—I can’t keep them down forever.”

Kira struggled to stand, but her leg felt limp and useless; blood soaked her pant leg and pooled around her on the floor. “I’ve been shot.”

“I know you’ve been shot, just get out of the hallway!”

Kira lunged forward, crawling on her hands, dragging her leg behind her. The pain was growing now, and she could feel her own consciousness fading as her blood pumped eagerly onto the floor. Jayden cursed and fired more carefully, saving his shots, trying to keep the soldiers at bay one bullet at a time. Kira pulled the cure from her shoulder and held it up.

“Take it and run,” she said. “Leave me here and save Arwen.”

“You know, Kira,” said Jayden, firing his last bullet and throwing down the rifle, “I don’t think you know me very well at all.” He stooped, grabbed her by the shoulder and waist, and heaved her up to her feet, surging backward toward the maternity door, keeping himself between Kira and the enemy. The soldiers fired, and Kira felt his body shake with one impact, then another; his breathing grew ragged, his pace slowed, but he never stopped. Kira clung to him, calling his name desperately as he groaned and cursed and wheezed. At last he tumbled sideways into the maternity door, and they collapsed to the floor.

“Jayden!” screamed a voice. Kira turned to see Madison crouching protectively over an intensive care incubator, and her heart sank. She’s already born. Are we too late?

Beside her was Haru, wild-eyed and disheveled, clutching a gun. He aimed it at Kira. “Drop your weapons.”

“Jayden!” Madison screamed again and tried to rush forward, but Haru stopped her with an iron grip on her arm.

“Stay here.”

“He’s hurt!”

“I said stay here!” Haru’s voice was like thunder, and Madison pulled back in fear. “We are not letting them near our baby.”

“Jayden,” Kira whispered, “stay with me.” She looked around quickly, seeing Xochi and Marcus both standing straight against the wall, their guns on the floor and their arms in the air. Marcus moved to help her, but Haru roared at him to stop.

“Do not move!”

“My brother’s dying!” screamed Madison. “Let them help him!”

Kira struggled to sit up, careless of her own wound, and carefully examined Jayden’s back; he’d been hit by multiple rounds. A moment later Marcus joined her, carefully removing Jayden’s backpack to see how much damage had been done. Kira didn’t see if Haru had let him move, or if he’d just come anyway.

The soldiers from the hall were in the doorway now, guns trained on them.

“She…,” said Jayden, though his voice was almost too quiet to hear, “has … the cure.”

“What did he say?” asked Madison.