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 WAKE after what feels like a heartbeat, staring up at the ceiling above me. Someone shifts, and then a voice gasps my name.
Emily takes my hand, and as my conciousness dawns on me I start to hear more clearly and see my surroundings. The beeping of the monitor proving that I'm not dead, the smell of dsnfectants and medicine and the reality that I made it: I made it through hell.
"What time is it?" I grumble, my voice hoarse. I try to sit up but the sharp pain goes through my chest again. It's weakened, most probably with the drugs the infirmary gave me.
"About half six..." Emily guesses. "I bought you a burger if you can stomach it?"
Just the thought of food makes me want to vomit, so I shake my head with a groan. "No... no thanks."
"You had some visitors," She continues to ramble. "Harmonie and Ollie and a Dauntless girl and Max,"
"Max?" I repeat, confused. "Why... why would he...?"
"He wanted to know the full story," She explains. "About what Rhett did-"
"Ughh," I cut her off, trying to push away the cruel thoughts and the cruel memories. "I don't want to remember it. Not yet."
"I know." Emily murmurs, still holding my hand. I allow the beeping of the monitor drill against my brain, until my eyes close again.
***
"Are you sure she's okay?" I hear Emily's voice lightly, "She's sleeping so much!"
"She must stay in bed," A nurse says. "She has suffered very much. Sleep will heal her, if we allow it."
Emily sighs deeply and then it is quiet again. I don't know how many days have passed until I finally raise my head, gulping in a breath of fresh air like I've been underwater for too long and I've finally reached the surface.
"Venus!"
I'm taken back to see my friends, Harmonie and Emily and Ollie and Tris and Christina and Will at the foot of my hospital bed, their faces so relived and happy to see me finally awake. They're also dressed... so much more Dauntless than before, and their postures so much straighter and stronger and much more Dauntless than I remembered.
"Welcome back, Vee!" Ollie grins.
"I've missed you so much!" Harmonie is laughing, but she's also crying at the same time. I feel... better in myself, to be surrounded by so many people who actually love me. It's hard to say that I've never had that before, I've never felt this sort of support. It's comforting.
A nurse interrupts us. "Venus, if you feel better you are free to go. Just take things slowly, okay? I'm sure your brother will find you and explain everything to you, if your friends don't do so first."
