Strange Tides [Bree Davenport]

Chapter Twenty

Leaning back against the fluffy pink pillows, I let out a sigh, the icy lemonade in my hands sending shivers up and down my spine. The fuzzy blanket is wrapped around my legs, and the TV is blasting the latest teen drama. I'm not really paying attention to the TV, though. Instead, I'm scrolling through my phone, ignoring all the texts coming through from my friends and family. I could put my phone on airplane mode, but I like seeing them come in and ignoring them. 

I take a sip from the lemonade, enjoying the tartness of the lemon. I never knew that being in the infirmary was like being in heaven. The nurses Mr. Davenport hired have been running back and forth from wherever I send them, getting me anything I want. Grinning to myself, I sink lower into my bed, wishing I could stay in my infirmary room for the rest of my life. That way, I wouldn't have to go on missions with my freaky brothers, and I could hide away whenever I needed to. That would be the life, wouldn't it?

My smile slips off my face when I realize that I can't stay here forever. I have a responsibility as someone with bionics to save the world while teaching other people with bionics to save the world, as well. What a life I have. I know other kids and teenagers would kill to have my life, but it's not as glamorous as it seems. I used to have fun, I used to love saving the world, but now . . . it's different. Maybe, though, I'm the one that's different. 

The door to my room swings open quickly, hitting the wall behind it with a loud noise. My head whips toward the noise, and I nearly frown when I see Emmie and my nurses standing in the doorway, all wearing similar grins on their faces. Emmie's holding onto a blue clipboard, and she takes a small step into the room. I mute the TV and sit up in the bed, my heart hammering against my chest. 

"Guess what, Bree?" Emmie says excitedly. I blink at her as she stops in front of my bed, clutching tightly to her clipboard. "You're getting out of here! Aren't you excited?"

I blink again, setting my cup of lemonade on the table hovering over my bed. "What do you mean?" I ask, my voice cracking uncomfortably. I clear my throat, wishing my voice didn't do that. Thankfully, she's too excited to even notice that. "I thought I was going to stay in here the rest of the week."

"Your nurses and Davenport have decided to let you out early," Emmie says. Her smile dims for a second, but it doesn't fall off of her face, which is quite a shame. A part of me doesn't want her this happy that I'm getting out of my freedom. "I was going to say I also had a hand in that since I'm interested in nursing, but I'm not sure if I should say that now, based on how you're acting."

"You said it anyway."

This time, her smile actually falls off of her face, and I can see tears welling up behind her eyes. My heart flutters uncomfortably at the sight, and I wish I could take back what I said. I know I can't, though. I turn my head away from her for a second, clearing my throat again. Tears well up in my eyes, too, but I blink them away. 

There's still something wrong with me, I know it, I feel it deep in my brittle bones. 

I've been staying in this infirmary for days, but they still haven't figured out why I can't find happiness in the things I used to. Have I been like this my whole life? Or has some parasite been sucking my happiness slowly out of my body? I don't know anymore. All I know is that I can't find contentment in anything in my life anymore. I can't be happy with my brothers; I can't be happy with my friends; I can't be happy with myself. 

That's an issue, I know it is. But no one knows about it, but that's because it's my own problem that I need to figure out. What would Davenport say to me if he knew what goes on in my mind? What would my brothers say? Chase would be disappointed, Adam wouldn't even understand, Leo probably wouldn't even care. A small piece of my heart breaks off and falls away from me, leaving me feel so empty and lost.