The Way Back

Chapter 26

TRIS POV

"Okay, Tris, it looks like you're good to go," Marlene tells me with a bright smile. "Just take it easy for a while, okay?"

"I will," I promise, grinning back at her because it is infectious. Apparently besides being a nurse, Marlene was also one of my closest friends. Her positivity quickly makes me realize why I chose someone like her as a friend.

"Ready?" Tobias holds out a hand to me when I hop off the examination table, and I take it gladly. I will probably need him to steady me for a little while.

With a cautious step, I reply, "Yeah, let's go."

We came to the infirmary for two reasons: to get my boot brace removed, and to visit an old friend who is now recovering from being in a coma for a couple weeks. While I was excited to finally be free of the restricting contraption, I was dreading to come here today if I'm being honest.

Among the other challenges I have faced while trying to reconnect with my old life, there is the problem of friends. I am not too socially skilled since I have almost always been alone the past year, and it gets more and more difficult to handle when I meet new—or, I guess not really new—people. The faces are hard to pair with names, and I certainly don't have any memories to associate with them. Every encounter ends in an awkward lull which then propels me to the safety of Tobias's side once again.

But today I have decided to come out of my shell. Starting right now, I am going to visit Shauna, one of Tobias's best friends who became a friend of mine as well. Other people will be there too I think, since she was just recently transferred from the Erudite hospital.

"Can you remind me of who she is again so I don't mess something up?" I ask, trying to force the limp out of my walk.

Tobias glances over at me to make sure I'm okay before looking ahead again. He leads me down a side hallway lined with doors. "Her name is Shauna," he reiterates. "She and I are very close, and she is engaged to my best friend, Zeke. She has been through a lot; besides getting out of a coma, she lost her younger sister, one of our friends, about a week ago." I sense his melancholy and figure that it is a touchy subject.

But I'm too curious for my own good. "Woah, wait," I say. "You didn't tell me this. Who was her sister?"

"Her name was Lynn. I'll tell you about her later." Halting at a door, he sets his hand on the knob and says, "Don't worry about Shauna. She's really nice. You'll like her."

"Is my anxiety that obvious?" I mumble.

Without responding, he opens the door to reveal a sterile, white and gray room. A girl attached to multiple wires and tubes lies in the bed in the center of it. She is a pale brunette. Pretty, despite the dark circles under her eyes.

"Four," she croaks, somehow managing to put a fragile grin on her face.

"Shauna." He lets go of my hand to reach over and hug her as carefully as he can, avoiding all the wires hooked to her. "You scared the living hell out of us," he chuckles softly. "Well, not me. I always knew you'd pull through, but Zeke on the other hand..."

Shauna giggles momentarily before wincing and covering her stomach. "Yeah, he's never really believed in me like you have," she jokes.

"Hey!" Zeke exclaims from the other side of the bed, pressing a hand over his heart in mock hurt.

I remember his brother Uriah from the party the other night. If Tobias wouldn't have told me they were related, I probably would never figure it out by their features. Or maybe I would have because they make it their mission to constantly make people laugh.