☞︎ℍ𝕦𝕟𝕘𝕖𝕣 𝔾𝕒𝕞𝕖𝕤 ~ 𝔸𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕪𝕤𝕥'𝕤 𝕤𝕥𝕠𝕣𝕪 ☜︎

~The hospital~

When I next wake up, the bandages are gone. 

I'm still lying in the hospital bed, and I'm still restrained, but the bandages are gone. 

My eyes flicker open, glancing around the room. The doctor from before is gone, as is everyone else. I can't hear anyone outside, and I wonder if it's the middle of the night. I don't really know what time it is, not ever. 

I don't even know how long I've been here. It could be a few days, or it could be a few years. No... I would've noticed myself growing older. But it could very likely have been a few months. 

"Hello?" I call out, listening intently. There's a rustling in the room next to me, and a thump, like someone jumping out of bed and rushing over to the walls. 

A silhouette of hands appears on the blurred barrier. I jump, imagining an insane prisoner pounding on the glass and trying to get in and kill me. 

"Amethyst?"The voice sounds earnest and worried, plus... excited? "Is that really you? You're okay?"

I'm silent for a moment. And then I find the words. "N-yes. I'm fine. Mostly." I look down at myself, seeing the thin white scars tracing over my light brown skin like chalk marks. Whatever the doctors did to me must've erased the wounds and the pain, but they couldn't erase the scars. "Who is it?"

"Myles," he says, hesitating slightly. I sit up, trying to get out of bed but wincing when my leg hits the floor. 

"You're okay? Really? You were shot, why were you worried about me?" I mutter the last part, finding my way over to the wall. I place my hand over his silhouetted one. 

No one needs to be worried about me. I can take care of myself, without anyone getting in my way- no. That was the old me. Now... I want to save them. If they get in the way they'll get themselves hurt, like Myles did. Like Twyla and Luis, and Aegis, and... there's too many to count. 

The point is, I'm not worth it. I'm nobody. But I don't care. I never have. 

"Why should I be worried about you? Oh, I don't know, do you possibly remember when you were attacked by some maniac?" His voice sounds harsh, and I close my eyes for a moment, gulping. My hands cradle my body like I'm holding myself together, which I am. Myles seems to notice, because he whispers an apology: "Sorry."

I nod, mentally pushing the thoughts away. I don't need to think about that. Not now, not ever. It's over. It's done. 

"It's fine," I whisper, taking a deep breath and opening my eyes. "I'll get over it." 

Even I notice the quiver in my voice. I won't get over it. Never. But... I'll say that, if it makes him feel better. 

"Really, I'm sorry." The words hang in the air, both of us afraid to touch them. But I do believe him. He's that kind of person. One who says sorry and actually is sorry. Unlike me.

"Do you think we'll get out of here soon?" he asks. I think on it, and give him my honest answer. 

"No. We already escaped once. They won't let that happen again. They'll probably keep us here for... as long as they can." I know I'm being pessimistic, but it's true. I may not have done anything except run away, and I may not know what Myles did, but I do know that the capitol won't rest until we're under control. 

There's another moment of silence. I can tell he's trying to process what I said, so I make it easier and speak first. 

"Do you think Autumn will be okay? What did she even do to get in here?" With the words, I can feel every memory I have of Autumn climbing their ways to the front of my mind. Her hugging me, and telling me the capitol could see us. Her waking up and greeting me, an absolute stranger.