What was Lost and Found in the Fire

Ch.12 Meeting Family

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Cyan/ Sang's POV

Location: Undisclosed Hospital, Nevada

Date: Night of The Escape, End of February

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We sit in the back of the ambulance truck in silence. 

Kay'ari had bandaged my wounds immediately after we'd gotten in, and they're nothing more than a dull annoyance now.

I'm lost in thought for a while, wondering about Leninora's reaction earlier. 

Something has been tugging at me, but the adrenaline is wearing off, making it hard to concentrate. I'm exhausted and hungry, and my thoughts are murky and jumbled. 

I saw the young man with vivid pink and blonde hair about my age running toward us and he had looked positively frantic. 

Leninora had taken one look at him and started to haul butt out of there. When I asked Leninora if she knew him, she'd just shrugged.

"Nope." She'd said.

Kay'ari and I had looked at each other and Kay had shook her head. Neither of us can ever tell when she's lying or not.

It's bothering me, but I'm not sure why...it feels like I've done something wrong. 

In the end, after much huffing and puffing, I decide to let it go. Leninora had been worried about the young man, enough to run instead of confronting him. 

That's enough to quell my urge to run back and investigate. Leninora loves confrontation. She wouldn't pass up the chance to fight with someone without a very good reason.

We all remain quiet, lost in thought, as we're escorted to the hospital. A thought occurs to me at the idea of being checked out at a hospital; a few actually.

"Leninora, do you have the paperwork? What about Kay'ari's?" My voice is quiet but the metal of the ambulance amplifies the sound nicely. Leninora looks back at me through the rear-view mirror and smiles.

"I've got it all taken care of, babydoll." Len's eyes return to the road as she continues, "Now, all you two need to do is focus on acting like victims."

Kay'ari snorts and leans into me gently as she shout-whispers, "Isn't that what we are?"

Leninora's face contorts and she whips her head around to glare at Kay. The car swerves dangerously and she looks back at the road to get the car back in the right lane.

"You are not victims. You are survivors!" Leninora says, the tone one of steely conviction.

"Victims are people who have horrible things done to them, things they didn't deserve. Survivors are the ones who fight through those horrible things and move past them. Right now, you need to be victims. The news is going to portray you as such, and I want you to encourage it."

I'm confused. "But shouldn't we be putting up a strong front for the others? You said you wanted us to be the example for them to move past this? How does acting hurt and afraid help anyone?" I ask.

"You need to convince the public that what Dontavion was doing is exactly what he was doing. He will be seen as an upstanding member of the community, being accused of some horrible things. Some will believe, most will not." My heart sinks at the reality of what she's saying.

"A lot of the other captives are going to be too afraid to step up, and that's where you two come in. Cyan Lavele, missing Lavele heiress, and Kayli Winchester, now Kay'ari Savage, a typical young woman from the wrong side of the tracks who became a saint with a heart of compassion." Kay'ari and I snap to attention at that little tid-bit....