Camp Red Lake

Chapter 45. Escape

"I was in a medically induced coma for two months..." He began as he leaned his back against the wall and dropped from his crouch. "Dr. Lowell was the physician that tended to me the day I got shot." I nodded my head, then took a seat as well.

"Yeah, I remember. The lady with the short bob and grey eyes." He nodded.

"As I'm sure you remember, she was really fond of me." I laughed.

"So fond, she went on to call you the closest thing to a son in her eyes." I teased. Croy's ears flushed red.

"Achem! Yeah, well...her." He agreed.

"I don't remember anything, the last thing I remember from that day was holding you." I clutched onto my necklace as those memories began flooding in. I could feel my throat closing.

"After I was wheeled away, the doctor said my body went into some sort of shock. She said I had lost a dangerous amount of blood because the bullet nicked an artery." He paused as he gestured to the very visible scar I'd desperately been avoiding. "I flatlined for two minutes. When I came to, my lungs refused to work. They had to put me on a ventilator. After a bunch of tests, they discovered I had asthma and that my constant years of smoking, had finally caught up to me." I could feel my lower lid twitch.

"You dumbass! Why the hell did you smoke so much!?" I scolded, an instinctive flick of my wrist slapping him on the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey! I'm sorry, I was bored!" He apologized. The indignant pout, and the cinch of his brows all made him look adorable. I couldn't help myself then. A resounding snort escaped my respiratory system, (I'm still unsure which orifice it came from) as I broke into a bout of genuine laughter.

"How I've missed your dorky ass!" I admitted, causing his entire face to go pink. Once I'd settled down, Croy cleared his throat and continued.

"The doctor said I had to be placed in a coma in order to recuperate. The medical staff didn't have enough resources to maintain me in that state for the time they expected, so they decided to cut their losses. Since they knew I was an orphan, they knew there wouldn't be any relatives to fight for me. I was going to get unplugged five days after everything had happened. Dr. Lowell fought against them, but the warden's uncle was her superior. She knew she wouldn't win, so she resigned."

I blinked. "Wait, then how did you get out?" I asked, my hand still fiddling with the dagger around my neck.

"As luck would have it, Dr. Lowell's brother worked for the coroner's office. She explained the situation and since he owed her a big favor, he agreed to help. I was supposed to be unplugged at a certain hour at the end of another doctor's shift, so Dr. Lowell went in fifteen minutes before and walked right through security's front doors. Apparently, the staff had yet to be notified about her resignation, so she took full advantage of their idiocy."

I rolled my eyes. As absurd as it sounded, I knew it was probably true. The bumbling idiots that were running that camp were nothing but teenagers and an old woman playing dress-up.

"She called in her brother, who also strolled right in, and they wheeled me out covered in a sheet." He paused for a second to gather his thoughts. "Dr. Lowell signed my death certificate and everything. Since the office didn't report her resignation until three days after, it legally looked like she had dispatched me. When the warden's brother was questioned, it was found that he had been under the influence of...something, so he didn't remember her actual quitting date, he'd guessed it."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I can honestly say I believe every part of what you just told me, but how in the hell, could the warden over look that?" I asked as I massaged my brows.

"She didn't." He clarified as he shifted his posture. "But in order to prosecute Dr. Lowell, she would've had to admit losing the body of a cadet to a judge, and then probably give an explanation as to how Violet got ahold of that gun. She was stuck, so she let it go. In her mind, I was as good as dead anyway." He paused again as I crawled over and leaned against the wall beside him.

"I spent two months unconscious in a small cabin that the doctor owned. She took care of me in the miniature infirmary she had. When I finally woke up, I asked about you. She told me she didn't know anything and then proceeded to explain that she'd quit. At first I was...upset. The thought of you being locked up in there without me, it messed with my head.

So one night, I snuck out. I had the full intention of busting you out, but Dr. Lowell followed and stopped me. She explained that Violet's parents were suing, and that the entire facility was being investigated. She urged me to wait, so I did.

Another two months after, the facility was shut down. All the juveniles that were underage, were returned to their families. Jason and everyone else sort of went on to find their own way. Once I had fully recuperated, around the six-month mark, I set off on my own." He paused.

"Did they know? Myra and Jason and Allison. Did they know you were alive?" Croy shifted his gaze. "Myra and Jason did. They helped Dr. Lowell get me out of there; they were her lookouts." I bit my lip. Now I understood what Myra had meant when she asked me to forgive her someday. She'd lied to me.

"Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you didn't contact me as soon as you had healed!" I protested. Croy sighed.

"Remember I said everyone was released?" He asked. "That meant Scaggot and his lackeys too." I scoffed.

"So? I'm not afraid of him." Croy sighed and placed his hand over mine.

"I know...but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. I know he's been tracking you." He explained. I furrowed my brows.

"Why the hell would he track me?" I asked indignantly. "I never did anything to him!" Croy shook his head.

"I know, but he doesn't see it that way. He blames you for what happened with Violet." He clarified.

"Me!? She was the psycho one! She shot and nearly killed you!" I huffed, my blood boiling.

"Look, there's no point in getting mad now. All that matters is that we can finally be together..." He trailed off as he leaned in, aiming to kiss me. I raised my hand and pressed it against his mouth to stop him. He blinked, bewildered. Without another word, I stood up and got ready to leave.

"Please..." Croy begged. "Don't leave." I froze when he suddenly embraced me. It didn't take long for my body to melt into his. A few tears poured down my cheeks as his warmth engulfed me. I buried my face in his chest then. "Don't you ever, disappear like that again. If you do, I'll hunt you down and shave your head." I whispered.

"Noted." He replied with a chuckle as he rested his chin on my head. After an uncounted amount of time, I pulled away.

"Still. As much as I love that you're okay, I thought you were dead for two years." I reminded. "I need some time to think..." I admitted as I turned.

"If that's truly how you feel, then take your time." Croy conceded reluctantly. I let go of his hand and made my way towards the door, stepping out of the apartment and into the crisp night.