NORTH CAROLINA

'Us Against The World,

After a frantic and nerve-wracking diving incident, both you and JJ finally resurfaced, gasping for air and disoriented. It didn’t take long to realize something was seriously wrong. A wave of nausea and dizziness washed over you both, leaving you clutching at each other for support. Pope, his voice thick with panic, quickly assessed the situation. "It's the bends!" he exclaimed, urgency snapping in his tone. John B didn't waste a second, throwing open the doors of the van and speeding toward the hospital as the symptoms intensified.

The world outside blurred as your vision wavered, and every breath felt heavier than the last. Your head pounded, and JJ, slumped beside you, looked just as bad—his face pale, his jaw tight against the pain.

Now, in the sterile quiet of the hyperbaric chamber, the two of you lay side by side, encased in the strange hum of decompressing equipment. The faint beeping of monitors was a constant reminder of the ordeal you’d just survived. The pressure inside the chamber was meant to save your lives, but it felt claustrophobic, almost like being back underwater.

JJ turned his head, the movement slow and careful as if any sudden motion might hurt. His blue eyes, usually so full of mischief, were clouded with guilt and fear. “We almost died,” he murmured, his voice hoarse and uneven. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

JJ: “We almost died. I should’ve never have let you go down there with me…”

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air. You could see the regret etched into his features—the furrow of his brow, the way his lips pressed into a thin line. JJ wasn’t one to admit fear or mistakes easily, but now, stripped of his usual bravado, he looked utterly defeated.