Let Me Go

Chapter Twelve

North's POV

Well, fuck. Didn't see that coming.

The last few days have been crazy. There is no denying that. Between starting a new mission, learning about the injured bird, Kota's involvement, and now this. It's going to take a moment to wrap my head around everything.

I had warned Raven before coming in here because when I first saw this poor girl laid up in the bed covered in bruises and cuts, the overwhelming rage that consumed me was surprising. I'm a protective guy, just ask my brothers, but that is usually the extent of it. Just those I consider family get to see me rage about their care on a daily basis. Sure, the people we help I care about, but only for the duration of our mission. It may seem callous but as soon as they leave our sight, I usually forget about them.

Yet, this girl. This tiny creature of heaven. Something about her called to my instincts and had me raging out fury unto whoever could be so ungrateful for the gift they had been given. I hadn't meant to yell out, though it helped I wasn't the only one to do so. It didn't help that I heard my brother breaking down inside the room as well. We didn't have a clue what we would be walking into after hearing such a heartbreaking sound.

Honestly, I don't think any of us were ready for what we walked in on that day.

I knew Raven was like me when it came to such injustices. That's why I pulled him aside after our meeting. I needed to give him a heads up. One that we hadn't had. Instead, he surprised us.

My eyes had been on him when we walked into the room, gauging how he would react. It was weird to see his eyes not immediately go to the bed, but yet Kota sitting next to it. Not quite to Kota, but to the side of him. His eyes are what gave him away first. They widened in surprise then a small smirk graced his lips. Then it was as if something ran into him, knocking him back a step. When his arms came up as though he was wrapping someone within them, I knew things had definitely taken a step into a weird dimension.

Raven has always been of a different breed. Chalk it up to his upbringing. This was on another level though. Then when he opened his mouth and began speaking to thin air? Yeah, I was worried we would need to have him committed or something. It wasn't until he sat next to Kota and was speaking to him, as though the girl was communicating through him, that things slowly started coming together. Yet, I was still confused and worried. Maybe a little intrigued.

Appearances mean a lot to people. And mine? Speaks volumes of the type of person I am. Or at least, how people perceive me. Something tells me though that this girl won't judge me right away based on how I look. Not if she didn't give two thoughts about throwing her ghostly body into Raven's. That dude is far scarier looking than me. By a long shot.

Not that I should care how this girl looks at me. Or thinks of me. She's Kota's girl. Not to mention that she is currently unresponsive in a hospital bed.

But I know I want the chance to get to know her better. Only one person can give us the insight into this girl right now. We need to have him be our ears and voice. Learning everything we can about her can allow us to help her in the future when she does wake up. And she will wake up. There is no other alternative than her being better and being a part of our family.

"Raven," my voice startles many of my brothers around me. It might also have something to do with the fact that I used Raven's real name instead of a different bird name like I usually do. This isn't the time to be playing games though. We need to be serious. I'd been quiet, taking everything in while they were arguing about going after Kota and listening to Raven explain how and what he knew of what was going on. "Can you have the bird tell us what happened? Or anything she is comfortable sharing with us at the moment? Kota was telling us that he only knows the bare minimum of her life. I'd like for us to get to know her since we have the ability now with you here. Is that something that she would be up too?"

Learning as much as we can about her family, and essentially her, will allow us to figure out what steps we need to take in order for us to make sure that we can keep her away from whoever was doing this to her. The fact that we haven't heard or seen of a missing persons report speaks volumes about her home life. We will need to do a drive-by though of her house to see how they are reacting to her not coming home for several days. You would think even with her gone, some type of panic or other outward reaction to her being missing would ensue. Makes me wonder what we may uncover after this is all said and done.

Raven's attention is on the girl, ghost, as she explains something to him. It isn't long before he prepositions himself to where his back is to the hospital bed and is instead facing each of us. We all find seats or a piece of the wall to post up against while we settle in for whatever story is about to befall upon us.

"She, Sang, isn't ready to tell us about how she ended up here. Not because she doesn't trust for you all to understand, but because things are still a little unclear to her at the moment. She doesn't remember the events that led her to her current situation.

"That isn't uncommon. Many of the ghosts I've encountered in the past don't even realize they are dead until you point it out to them or they see themselves floating over their dead body. Most of the time they remember what happened to them. Sometimes they don't. If she remembers, she will tell us. Otherwise, she is willing to tell us whatever we may want to know.

"However, she says be patient with her. She's never had to open up to someone before. Not even with Kota did she really allow him to reach past the surface level of who she was."

With that being said, Sang, through Raven, gives us insight into what her life had been like prior to ending up in a coma within the Academy hospital. She tells us small things like her likes and dislikes. As well as things about her family. The things she unfolds tells of a life of misery and pain. I don't know if the poor thing has ever had a moment of peace and happiness.

That changes now though. With us by her side we will guarantee that only sunshine and rainbows touch her from here on out. And if someone says or does differently, well I'm sure a few of us wouldn't mind getting dirty in order to protect her.