I hit the steep hillside. Hard. But not hard enough to come to a dead stop. Trees rush past in a blur. If I run into one, I'm likely dead. I bounce twice more, suspended in the air long enough to continue flipping, my arms held in front of me to protect my head.

Suddenly I'm free-falling again. There's a body of water below me, constantly switching places with the sky as I spin out of control.

And then, I hear him, in my head. My friend.

Straighten your body, NOW!

I do. My feet bust through the surface as I pin-drop into the freezing water. Somehow I must have taken a breath mid-air because the shock sends the air whooshing out again. Deeper and deeper underwater, my body surges downwards.

This is why I never do anything for anyone.

My ears hurt from the pressure. But above me is the blessed light. And I'm not talking about that bullshit Taos probably saw after he kicked the chair out from underneath him. I mean warm Enkhorian sunshine, thankyou very much. I kick and pull through the water as my lungs scream for oxygen.

I don't panic though. I've been through worse than simply drowning. My body says breathe anything, but I don't. I can't, as easy as it would be. Owen might be in the water with me.

The last meter is ridiculously drawn out, but finally my head breaks through the surface.

I take the best breath of my life. I suck that oxygen in. And again. And again. Until my body is satisfied.

'Owen?' I yell as loud as I can, though the white noise from the waterfall deadens my voice. 'OWEN?'

No response. I want to head for the riverbank. I can barely stay afloat from the ordeal. Then I see a hand in the water, reaching out.

I paddle as hard as I can against the current as the hand disappears in front of me. I dive underwater and open my eyes again. Owens body is drifting, lifelessly.

Not on my fucking watch.

I froggy kick towards him. I grasp his shirt and turn for the second time towards the brightness above me.

The months of digging dirt, lifting rocks and planting trees probably are unexpectedly paying off. I find a reserve of strength to carry Owen out of the water.

I look at his face. He's pale.

***

I half drop him onto the pebbles underfoot and check for his pulse. It's there, but really fucking slow. Breathing on the other hand, not happening.

Thanks again to work, I needed a emergency health certificate to operate at the edges of the settlement. Though this is not the way I imagined I'd be using it.

I take his chin between my index finger and thumb and pull open his mouth. My lips cover over his and I start breathing for both of us. Days ago Owen was a stranger. I guess I still know hardly anything about him. But the firstborn son of Enkhor is not going to die unseen and unknown.

Every twenty breaths, I check for his pulse. Still there. But still no breathe of his own.

'Come on, damn you,' I yell to him. 'Don't you bloody give up,'

I go again. And again. For how long, I don't know. I'm tiring. My own body wants to shut down. But Owen just lies there. Is his brain getting enough oxygen?

I start crying. Fuck I hate crying. Stop being a pussy, Dale.

I really want him to live. I want to do one good thing. I want to have Taos in my life.

I want, I want-

'Dale?'

I must have stopped paying attention for a moment, because he's talking between the breaths I have been taking for him. Them. 'Taos?'

'No, its-'

I don't let Owen finish as I pull him into my arms. 'Owen! I was so worried about you.'

'I, I went to see my parents. Their house is beautiful. I wanted to stay there. I wanted to rest.'

I don't know if I want to beat him for wanting to leave, or strangle the world instead.

But I don't let go of him.

'You belong here, Owen.'

'Please, Dale? Why can't I rest?'

I have no answers for that. I wish I knew. Nothing in life is fair.

'Your friend is here again,' Owen says. I wipe the hair out of his eyes.

'He can wait,' I respond.

'Okay.' Owen settles into my arms. Not the kind of rest he wanted.