Permanent Scars

Song For You

December 3, Tuesday. 6:05 a.m.

I don't know what happened. I must've fallen asleep. I've woken up in a cold, sunlit room. There is no noise in my head. I feel calm. I feel normal. I feel like I did when Daddy left so many months ago.

Rolling onto my side, I prop myself on my right elbow and wrap the blanket around my shoulders. "Brr. Where am I?"

Nothing looks familiar. I'm on a very high bed, and the floor is covered in threadbare carpet. The mattress must be at least one and a half feet thick. And the bedposts, they're really high. The walls are bare, aside from one round mirror near the door, and to my right is a heavy-looking nightstand. The windows are on my left, up near the ceiling. Is that grass outside?

My attention is drawn from the windows as a soft knock repeats itself on the closed door. "C-come in," I call softly, shaking my bedraggled head.

The door opens a crack and Adam's face peeks in. "Hi," he says in a low voice.

"Come here," I say, and pat the place beside me.

"Well, I don't wanna bother you," he murmurs groggily, pulling his face out and looking quickly behind him.

I sigh and scratch my head. "You're not bothering me,"

"Okay, then." Quickly slipping inside, carrying his guitar, he comes to sit at my left. "How'd you sleep?"

"I dunno. I don't think I even remember. My body kinda feels numb. Where am I? This isn't my room."

"No, it's Tris's house. You were barely conscious when we got here, and Tris treated your minor injuries. Your house was burning down and you were bound up in ropes with tape over your mouth. I think it was the Vandals that did it."

"Funny, I don't remember that," I murmur, noticing white bandages on my arms for the first time.

"Um, well, you weren't all there, so...yeah."

Still disoriented, slightly dizzy, I rub my forehead and rest my head against his left thigh. He gently pats my head. "I'm so glad you're okay. I couldn't sleep, so I spent the night making music. Just a bit ago I decided to get up and see if you were awake, since Tris had to sedate you in order to dress your wounds. You were out cold, and it kinda worried us. We took turns checking in, and when you showed signs of awareness, Tris said you were out of the danger zone."

He's rambling. I don't know what to think. The two of us are startled by Dylan poking in unannounced. "Oh, good, she's awake. Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's fine." Adam turns to study me as I pull myself into a sitting position. "You are okay, aren't you?"

"Yes... I'm okay. Just tired, that's all."

"Oh, good." He smiles, pulling me close. Dylan looks guilty and slightly uncomfortable before entering the room and taking a seat to my right, wrapping his arms around both of us with all the protectiveness of a big brother. I can feel his emotion; he's shaking. So glad that we're both still alive.

"Dyl, what—" Adam squirms, but his brother continues to hold us.

"You two have got to stop scaring the hell out of me," he mutters in frustration, finally releasing us as Tris enter the room, greeting us with a smile.

   "How are you feeling this morning, Amber?"

"I'm fine, thank you." I blink, somewhat puzzled by the name she's addressing me by. Though unable to mask the concern in her eyes, she nods approvingly.