Will could feel the throb of the artery below the girls ear. He could see now that the girl was Maven or May as he recalled, remembering her long dark hair and how she and Collin seemed very close when they were in their group, now significantly smaller, still a fact that seemed so hard to believe. The gash on her leg and the flow of blood that seeped through the makeshift bandage looked so grossly ill-matched in comparison to her petite, female body.

Lifting her head up carefully to expand her airways, his face close to hers, too many seconds passed. Behind them, the waves on the shore flowed in the steady rhythm that was missing from May's lungs. Will glanced at Collin, feeling his distress; he held her nose and placed his mouth on hers, blowing two quick breaths. He watched her chest laboriously. He repeated the procedure, breathing a loud sigh when her chest rose and fell; his own moving rapidly, short-winded and heart beating hard. He immediately got to his feet, removing his shirt and moving to her leg to compress the wound further. Luckily it was fairly clean and she had no other symptoms to indicate internal bleeding.

Everything was so accelerated, only seconds had passed, "May? Can you hear me?" he urged as he pressed down tightly against the wound.