Venus Eaton is desperate to escape the abuse of her previous faction although she is unaware and unprepared of the ordeals of Dauntless initiation. She is a stranger to her own brother until he accuses her of murdering their mother, and finds out th...
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VENUS
I OPEN my eyes to be greeted by a blinding white light, the white walls of the infirmary. With a groan, I drag the side of my hand across my face.
It feels like I'm lying on air. Either that, or my back is numb because I don't remember these infirmary cots being comfortable.
I attempt to sit up, but fingertips press against my shoulder, pushing me down. I blink rapidly, meeting the blue eyes of a nurse. She smiles warmly.
"You're awake quicker than I imagined!" She chirps. "Let me help you."
She carefully props up my pillows before carefully supporting me into a sitting position. I lean my head against the pillows, rubbing my eyelids. "How long?"
"Two hours."
"That's it?"
"Mhm," The nurse hands me a plastic cup of water. I finish it quickly, and squeeze it in my hand. The plastic eventually pops back into its original form.
And then I remember what happened, and I jolt forward quickly. My eyes scan the curtains, the machines around me, and I push the thin covers back.
"Woah, woah, there-" The nurse hurries toward me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "You should move slower otherwise you'll rip your stitches-"
"Stitches?" I croak. "It was that bad?"
"You bled through the shirt, we had to change it." She explains, and I groan again.
"What time is it?"
"About four," She responds, and at the mention of the time it reminds me of my brother.
"Has, uh... Four came by today?" I say, "At least, in the past two hours?"
"Four?" She says, tilting her head. "The last time I saw him was a few days ago, when he came in with an initiate after their fight."
I want to say that's good but it isn't, because from what I remember he was bleeding. I fumble with my fingers.
"Can I leave now?"
"Well, yes. Of course, I just need to apply some of this," She turns to the small counter beside the bed, and picks up a small grey pot.
"It's from the Erudite," She says, "It's meant to heal any scarring. I mean, the scars you've obtained today won't disappear completely but they won't be as prominent."
"I can apply it now, or you can get someone to do it for you." She continues, and I shake my head.
"I guess I'll get someone to do it for me," I say, and carefully get to my feet. I feel a little light-headed and weak, but I don't hurt. Probably after the drugs have worn off I'll start to feel the pain but for now, I'm happy the pain isn't there.
