Volume I - Episode 108 Where: Melbourne, Australia When: 18 days after E-Day, 10:39 am Nikki watched Nicholas climb out of the police car. "Oh no," he said, his eyes falling on Daniel's motionless body. "Is he...?" "He's fine," Nikki said, between sobs. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to stop crying. Her tears landed on Daniel's cheeks, mixing with the blood that leaked from the corners of his mouth. "He's going to be fine." It had taken almost a minute for any of the Wolf Pack members to hear Nikki's screams, and even then only Nicholas had responded. The rest were in the car park, struggling to keep their newly-captured prisoners under control. It looked like there were four of them: the young boy and girl Daniel had hit with the car, and the slightly older teenage boy and girl who had chased Charlie with their quad bikes. Only the youngest boy seemed to be seriously injured. He lay in the middle of the carpark, screaming in pain. The young girl knelt by his side, giving him comfort even though her own left ankle was clearly broken as well. The older two still appeared to have some fight left in them, especially the girl, who Nikki assumed was pistol-boy's girlfriend. It took three of the Wolf Pack to keep her under control, and even then she fought against them, biting, scratching and punching at every hand that tried to grab her, and continually screaming some boy's name over and over: "Jason! Jason!" "What happened?" Nicholas asked, crouching at Daniel's side. "Shot?" For a few moments, Nikki made no sound. What the hell is wrong with me? she wondered. Why do I feel like this? Finally she found the strength to speak. "Help me," she said imploringly. "Help me get him in the car." "Should we move him, though?" Nicholas asked. "I mean...if he's been..." Nikki shot him a look filled with such rage and fury that Nicholas almost took a step backwards. "I'm not leaving him," she hissed. A low moan escaped Daniel's lips as they lifted him into the back seat of the police car. Nikki sat in the back seat with him, caressing his cheek, still unable to comprehend where this sudden overwhelming sense of loss and compassion was coming from. Daniel stared up at her with wide, terrified eyes. Nikki kissed him gently on the forehead. "Everything's going to be okay, " she soothed. "You're going to be fine. Everything's going to be fine." She watched as Daniel's face relaxed, her lies bringing him comfort. She took his hand in hers and squeezed it gently. It was supposed to impart love and comfort, but in the back of her mind she knew how useless the gesture was. Daniel was paralysed from the neck down. He had no idea she was even holding his hand at all. First published: Monday, 24 September 2012