Within the Walls

Chapter 30

The white moonlight pours into the room, illuminating fragmented shapes on the walls. He stares with wide, tear-welling eyes.

"Ruben!" I kneel beside him, shifting my eyes to the wound on his shoulder, and then to the shard of glass in his fist. "What the hell did you do?"

"I'm sorry," he says. He pulls his lower lip in between his teeth, turning away. "I thought that... I could make it look like an accident. If I just reopened the bullet wound."

My mind reels with questions. But I know that right now I need to get him cleaned. "Could you please let go of that piece of glass?"

He robotically unclasps his hands. The glass clinks as it hits the polished wooden floor. "I'm sorry," he says again.

"Hey, don't be sorry. I'm here to help."

As I take his other hand and help him to his feet, tears prickle my eyes and I lead him into the bathroom. I sit him down on the toilet seat. I sense his distant gaze lazily follow me as I turn away and pull out a white cloth from the cabinet beneath the sink. Soaking the cloth in warm water, I squeeze out the excess. I kneel beside him, bringing the cloth to his skin. Blood stains his skin as it trails down his side to the top of his pants. I clean his skin. The bullet wound needs stitching. My stomach twists and tears spring to my eyes. Blinking, I rinse out the cloth, wring out the crimson water and take his bloodied hand in my own. I wash off the blood, deciding that the laceration across his palm needs a couple of stitches, too.

"Ruben," I say. "I'm glad I found you, you're going to be okay."

"Please don't tell anyone," he says, voice panicked.

"Of course not. But I need some needle and thread. Where might I find it?"

"Downstairs. You can ask an employee."

I blow out my cheeks. "I will be right back. Stay there."

I brush the hair from his face and hurry out of his bathroom, breaking into a hasty jog down the hallway. I leap down the stairs at the end and almost crash into a Convex servant as she carries a woven basket of laundry across the foyer.

"I'm so sorry," I say, skidding to a stop.

"That's alright," she says before her dark brows furrow together above her hazel eyes. "You're Elizabeth Fallon."

"I am," I nod. "Call me Elle."

"Elle, it so nice to meet you. I'm Rosa," she says, smiling sweetly. "What can I do for you?"

"I need a first-aid kit... and a broom. Could you please show me where they would be?"

She must sense the urgency in my tone and spins around right away. "Of course, follow me."

Rosa leads me back up the steps, stopping at the first door on the left, reading 'Servant Equipment'. She unlocks the door with a key attached to a chain around her neck and pushes it open. Rosa scurries in and there is the sound of shuffling equipment, along with the light tap of my foot against the floor. She comes out and hands me both a broom with a dustpan and a first-aid kit.

"Thank you so much, Rosa!" Juggling both the things in one hand, I dig my hand into my pocket and pull out two coins. I press them into her hand. "Please accept it. I hope to meet again soon."

Then I turn and dart back down the corridor, closing Ruben's bedroom door right behind me, checking that I've locked it. I drop the broom and slip into the bathroom with the first-aid kit. Ruben still sits on the toilet seat, gazing with empty eyes into space. They snap up when I enter.

"Elle."

"You're a right mess, aren't you?" I attempt to break a smile on his face as I kneel, but it does not work.