𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 | liam stewart [1]

19. awake

When Pandora woke up she immediately smelt the sterile air, the antiseptic tinge burning at her nostrils. Her eyes flew open at the unnatural feel, her eyes stinging at how bright the room was. She was in a hospital, she realised. She looked around, trying to shade her eyes from the white, artificial lights. "What the-" She realised that she wasn't handcuffed to a bed, unusual for her. Her eyes focused in on the labatory equipment which was laid out on a trolley next to her bed. She read the word 'League' on most of the stainless steel. She was with the League? Her frantic multicoloured eyes then slid to the bed next to her, Chubs lying unconscious on it. He was covered in bandages, just as white as the rest of the room. He looked peaceful. Pandora turned back to where she was sleeping, looking down at her perpetually shaking hands. Her chipped nails had been fixed, the cuts which had littered her arms being plastered and fixed. She was in a blue patient's robe and an IV strung into her arm. She felt up to the source of pain at her neck, gently touching the unfamiliar feeling of bandage wrapped around it. The pain pulsed down her neck and onto her collarbone. She looked down next to her at the tray of surgical equipment, softly reaching down and taking the scalpel, gripping it in her hand. She felt safer with it as she brought her hand slowly back to her and hid the blade under the thin bedsheets which covered her lower half. 

She closed her eyes quickly as she heard someone walking closer. The sliding doors opened with the beep of a keycard, heavy footsteps following. Dora gripped her knife tighter in her hand before opening her eyes. A female Nurse was checking her IV was strapped up correctly, gasping as she realised Pandora was awake. "Miss Drakes," She trembled, dropping her flipchart. "You're awake, that's great, let me call Doctor-" She stopped talking as Pandora slipped from the bed and help the scalpel out, her hands still shaking. "Where am I?" She asked, wondering if this was a joke the Captain had pulled to entertain himself. "The League, you're with the League. You called us with the tracer Kate gave you, we brought you from Virginia back here. You're being treated for second degree burns, do you not remember?" She put her hands out, eyeing the IV which was tugging at Pandora's arm. "Please, Miss Drakes, just sit back down and we can explain everything," The woman smiled nervously. Pandora just stared at her. Memories hit her like a bus making her knees go weak. 

They were at the haven. She'd made it. With Liam, they could have a life together. Clancy Gray was the Slip Kid. Nothing felt quite right. She'd told Ruby to be careful. She'd heard their conversation. Then Ruby had looked inside her head. Pandora had felt nothing but fury. Until Liam had calmed her down. They were swimming and laughing and hugging and kissing. Everything was perfect again. She loved him. Her loved her. And then Ruby had been harrassed by Clancy. He was the leader of the haven, she seemed to recall. Pandora had hurt him. She'd caused chaos, like everywhere she seemed to tread. She was crying, there was a barrel to her head. Her snarky comments. The look of fear in Liam's eyes. Her shifting into a guard. Hitting the Captain in the face. He shot himself because of Ruby's mind control. There were Reds. Fire everywhere. Liam moved a truck and had ran away with Zu and Chubs. They'd caused a huge explosion. Chubs had saved her. She'd called the League. There was hot pain all over her body. Liam had arrived. He'd held her as she fell. Further and further into darkness.

"Stay the fuck away from me," She jabbed the scalpel into the air. She pulled the IV from her arm, ignoring how blood dripped from the hole in her arm and onto the clean floor. She walked to Chubs' body, sheilding him from the woman's vision. "Where's Liam, Zu and Ruby?" Pandora asked, her eyes glowing purple just to intimidate the lady. "I- I can get them right now," She nodded, trying to move to the door. "No, stay right there. I might be half conscious but I'm not stupid. Where's your radio?" Pandora asked, getting the nurse to slide it across the floor to her. Dora pressed on the speaker, telling the people on the other side to bring her friends to the infirmary or the nurse gets it. Three minutes later, Kate Bigby and three other armed soldiers arrived. They stopped before they could enter, watching the scene in front of them. Pandora held the scalpel to the nurse's neck, her eyes bright with confusion and anger. "Hello Kate, nice to see you again," Pandora grit her teeth, looking to the guards.  "Where are they?" Pandora spat angrily. She was so confused. "Let go of Lisa and you can see your friends," Kate stepped forward with her hands out. "Oh no, we're playing by my rules," Pandora's eyes glowed purple, making Kate freeze. "Of course, but you're high on meds Pandora. I need to make sure you're not going to hurt anyone," Kate didn't reach for the gun in its holster. "Well, I won't hurt anyone if you bring my friends to me," Pandora cocked her head. Kate turned to the guard and nodded. 

A few minutes later, Liam was pulled into the room, his hand holding Ruby's. "Where's Zu?" Dora asked, pulling the scalpel closer to the nurse's neck. The woman grasped, her eyes squeezing shut. Mercy had left Dora's body a long, long time ago. "Sleeping," Liam whispered, his eyes wide. He let go of Ruby's hand, leaving her by the entrance. A keycard was handed to him and he slid the doors open. He took one step in with his hands out. "Dory, please let go of the nurse," He stepped closer. Dora stared at him, her breathing uneven. He slowly approached her, her eyes stopping their glow. "I'm going to take this from you, okay?" Liam's hand clamped around the hand which held the knife. She felt the familiar warmth of his hands, pushing her back slightly into reality. She was just a confused kid. She didn't know what was happened. Pandora just stared at his blue eyes and blonde hair. Her face was pale from the blood dripping from her arm and onto the floor. He gently removed the blade from her hand and moved her hand down. Slowly, he removed the nurse from her grasp, letting her run back to safety, and replaced the space with himself. His arms softly snaked around her, the blade clattering to the ground as he hugged her tightly. "You're safe, we're safe," Liam whispered into her ear, swaying them softly.