The Delusion

Chapter 18

{Aaliyah's POV}

I wake up in an infirmary. Immediately I am gripped with fear. Where am I? What happened? Where's Carter? All these questions run through my head like a raging river unable to stop. I look around the room and I see Carter sitting in one of the chairs, asleep. I try to call to him but it just comes out as a cough. He jumps awake and looks around, disoriented. The his eyes fall on me and he gets up and walks over to me. He kneels beside me and pulls me into a tight hug.

"You're awake. Oh my god, you're finally awake." He murmurs.

I can't move my arms to hug him back. When he pulls back, I try to talk to him but it comes out as another cough. I cover my mouth with my hand and when I pull it back it's red with blood.

"Crap, not again." He says hitting a button.

I'm confused by what he means at first, but then it hits me. Pain takes over my body and I grip the covers. I grit my teeth.

"Ally, it's okay. It's okay you're gonna be fine." He says grabbing my shoulders.

A nurse runs in as I'm beginning to calm down. She rummages through a drawer and pulls out something. I lean away from her and shake my head, my breathing becomes fast. She pulled out a needle. Not again. Not again. Not another needle.

"Ally, it's alright! It's okay, it's just medicine! It's gonna help you." Carter soothes.

I let the nurse inject me with the liquid after some calming words from Carter. The liquid relaxes my pain and I sink back and let out a deep breath. I try and ask Carter questions. But still, nothing comes out.

"What's wrong? Do you need something?" He asks.

I make a writing motion with my hand. He nods in recognition and reaches in a drawer. He pulls out a notepad and a pen and hands them to me.

What happened? I write.

"When we went out to look for Micah the Officials grabbed him. You took his place. Then they-" he pauses and takes a shaky breath. "They beat you and injected you with multiple serums."

I take this in. Then I write some more.

How long was I asleep?

"One week." He puts simply.

Are Micah and Blue okay?

"They're fine. Micah is a little shaken but it's fine. Blue's in another room." He laughs slightly.

How are you?

"While you were gone? Awful. Now that you're here I'm better." He smiles.

I pause before I write again. Then, one more question comes into my head.

Hand me a mirror.

He hesitates. Instead of talking he walks over to another desk and pulls out a mirror and hands it to me. He runs a hand over his face.

I look into the mirror and I'm horrified by what I see. My eye is bruised and I have multiple smaller bruises by cheeks and chin. My lip is cut and I seem to have stitches up by my ear. I bring my hand up slowly to my chin when I notice my wrists. They're rubbed raw and bloody from the restraints. I bring up my left arm and that's when I notice multiple little dots on my arm. I grab the notepad again and write as fast as I can.

Why can't I remember most of this?

"The doctors suspect he injected you with a serum that made you forget. It didn't erase everything but it did most of it." He says.

That doesn't make sense. I was only in there for two or three days. He injected me twice and I only remember him hitting me once.

Carter, how long was I in there?

He stares at me for a minute. I can see the sadness and pain in his eyes as he answers my questions.

"They kept you in that facility for-" he stops and takes a shaky breath. "For two weeks."

I look down but don't write anything back. I look up him again. He's standing with his arms crossed looking at the wall.

"They said the bruises and the cut were inflicted about the day before we rescued you. They also said the Captain has done this to other men and women during an interrogation. But, they don't inject them, so I'm told. They have information that most of the time it isn't him doing the interrogating. It's another Official."

I nod and try to talk. I almost get his name out but it comes out as more if a squeak. He smiles.

"Don't worry. You're fine here." He promises. "I love you."

"I love you too." I get out quietly. "How did you get me out?"

"There's that voice." He smiles. "We had a little help from a very important person. Would you like to meet her?"

I nod. He hits a button and the nurse comes in.

"Go get her, please." He says.

"Okay." The nurse smiles.

I look at him curiously. She seemed very happy. Too happy.

"What's with her?" I ask.

"She's just excited is all." He says. "I am too."

I shrug and smile at him. We talk for a few more minutes until the nurse comes back.

"She wishes to see you in the hallway." She states.

"Got it. I'll be right back." He tells me.

I wait in my hospital bed for him. I look around the room. Basic really, just a few paintings to accent the pale blue wallpaper. He comes back in smiling. He sits next to me and holds my hand.

"Okay, you can come in." He says.

Someone walks around the corner and into the room. Her dark hair falls perfectly down to her shoulders.

"Hello, my little girl." She smiles.

She's here. How? She died. I thought she died. How is she alive? There's no way she could have survived out there.

"Mom." I breathe.