Built on smoke and mirrors

Chapter 23

My eyelids flutter open; my vision is blurry at first. I blink a few times, trying to make sense of my surroundings. The ceiling above me is white, smooth and unfamiliar. The smell of antiseptic fills my nose.

Soft sheets were pulled up to my neck, keeping me warm. They hold me captive, and I submit willingly to them. As the room comes into focus, I turn my head slightly, wincing at the dull ache that radiates from my temples.

I lock eyes with Ari who wears a sling around his neck. He sits by the window. Light shining in, illuminating his scabbed and bruised face. He looks tired. Like he hasn't slept in days.

"Where am I?" I whisper, my voice hoarse and barely audible even in the silent room.

Ari gets up with a grunt and walks over to my bed with a slow pace. A heavy looking black boot is around his foot, holding him back from being speedy. "You're in the hospital. There was an explosion, but you're going to be okay."

My brow furrow as I try to recall what happened. Fragments of memories flash through my mind—the ice, a bang, the burning building, screams, the blood. My hand lightly touches my side. I wince.

"An explosion?" I repeat.

Ari nod as he sits on the edge of the bed. "Yes, but you're safe now. We both are."

My eyes well with tears. After the show, I was going to make a run for it. But that never happened. I am still stuck here in the Motherwealth. Where it is dangerous. I take a deep breath even though my chest aches. "Why was there an explosion?"

Ari frowns. "I was told there was a gas leak and someone was smoking. One thing led to another."

There is something in the way he said it that tells me he doesn't believe it. His eyes shift around the room as if we are being watched. He is careful. I never noticed it until I went to the edge with him. He has always been careful. Say the right word, do the right move. He wants to stay here, and he was doing all he could to make that a reality.

"That's not really happened though, is it?"

He shrugs. "That's what they told me."

He won't say anything more. Eydis is more vocal than him. We are silent for a moment. "Are you ok?"

He nods. "Just dislocated my shoulder and broke a bone in my foot. They'll heal soon enough. You on the other hand got most of the damage. I wasn't sure if you would make it. You lost a lot of blood."

I swallow a lump in my throat. The image of the shrapnel lodged in my side flash in my mind. There was so much blood. It was on my hands, on the ice...

"Are we..."

"We're in Regal. As soon as you were stable, we flew here. I was told we would get better treatment here," he says. "It's probably true. The best equipment is here."

The arena was packed. Those people must have been in bad shape too. I was not the only one that got banged up. "What about all those people in the arena? Are they here too?"

He gives a dry, lifeless chuckle. "That's not how the Motherwealth works, Telvi. I thought you knew that by now. They will get treatment in their hometown. You are more important, so you get to go to the capital."

His words crush me, making it hard to breathe. All those people. Some must have died but he doesn't seem to care. They were watching us, so I feel somewhat responsible. If the show never happened, all those people would have been fine.

My body aches as I try to move into a comfortable position.

"I was told I could start skating again by next week," he says cheerfully.