Broken

:Chapter Four:

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• Sorry there have been so many updates lately, I've had the week off school so I've had a lot more spare time.•
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"Raise your arm as far as you can without hurting it too bad." Nick says completely focused on me. I open my eyes, though everything is blurry from the tears that have formed, and stretch out my arm about half way.

"I-I can't..." I say through gritted teeth, attempting to clear the tears from my eyes.

"Shh... I know, it's okay." He carefully wraps the cloth around my forearm, then my elbow and over my head to hold it in place, tying it at the end.

"Now if you don't move too much it should heal after a while. Are you feeling any better?" He asks sympathetically, brushing my uninjured arm with his hand and I smile at him. Now that my vision has cleared and I have gotten a better look at him, I become aware of just how tired he looks. Dark circles under his eyes and lazy, beaten-down posture – how long has he been up?

"How long have you been up? When was the last time you slept?" I ask lifting my hand to caress his face but I stop myself. What are you thinking? Stop it and pay attention. My hand hovers less than a foot away from his face for a moment before I give into my impulse, despite my insecurities. My fingers trace over his jaw line and he draws in a breath, letting his eyes close for a second. I let my hand drop and he looks back at me, clearing his throat.

"That's no concern for you, please don't worry about it. I'm not the one with a busted face and a broken arm." He utters dejectedly and flashes me a sad smile.

"How bad is my face? Am I any uglier than before? Or is that even possible?" I laugh lightly, breaking eye contact and looking at the ground. He gently lifts my chin with tips of his fingers so that I have to face him and smiles affectionately.

"Lib, no matter what happens you could never be anywhere in the vicinity of ugly." He expresses with a friendly smile.

"I, um, thank you?" I say so quietly I'm not sure if he hears, though his laugh assures me that he did.

"Was that a question?" He asks confused but with a partially hidden smile.

"I'm not good with compliments..." I trail off a little embarrassed. He smiles at me and I shake my head, trying my best to hide my grin. "What!?" I say, hitting him in the arm and he raises both eyebrows.

"Nothing, nothing. Are you ready to eat?" He grins and I nod, enjoying the levity of the conversation. He hands me a rabbit and stands up, brushing off his pants.

"Shall I make a fire?" He asks posing with both arms stretched to the sides and I giggle.

"That sounds good." I nod, rubbing my head in a weak attempt to soothe a head ache. "How long have I been here?"

"What?" He asks, letting his arms drop to his sides.

"Here - like in this group." I watch him carefully.

"As far as I know, four days." He answers and I frown. Four days?

I watch his figure fade into the trees and force myself to my feet despite the pain, favoring my left arm. My feet wobble for a second before I secure my balance. I have to see myself, no matter how hard I try I just can't believe that I don't look like hell. I need to know how bad I'm injured to formulate a plan. I have to get out of here before they kill me.

I look around for something reflective but find nothing close by; I know I ant go to far though. My collar bone throbs worse and worse with each forced movement. The wind shifts my hair from side to side, but not roughly; almost guiding me through the woods. It's actually quite warm and soothing, bringing me a welcomed feeling of comfort. I gently grab my broken arm as I walk to hold it in place and stop the painful swinging. After a few minutes it starts to get dark and I find a small pond, half the size of the last one and walk to the edge, letting the breeze calm my nerves.

My expression drops when I see the state of my face. No way. The water ripples as leaves are pushed from the trees around me onto its soft surface; making my reflection move but it doesn't help me look any better. I have a black eye that stretches so far it covers the right half of my cheek; along with a split lip, and small cuts covering most of my face.

There are low bags under my eyes from both sleep deprivation and starvation that do nothing g other than remind me where I am. Dark purple bruises spread along the length of my chin and neck, leaving little of my flesh to be it's normal, tanned tone. I tilt my head and bring a hand to my jaw, brushing the sore spot with the tips of my fingers.

Even my posture seems to have taken a beating. I stand with my head held low and my shoulders hunched over, showing off my broken arm; which is bruised all the way down with cuts where the skin broke from impact. According to Nick you could see bone.

My eyes fill with tears - tears I promised myself I wouldn't shed. Pathetic. Look what you've become - a helpless little girl.  My thoughts ring and I watch the first tear penetrate the water below me; I feel sick.

What now you're going to cry? You really have become what you dispose most. A helpless little girl. I grind my teeth angrily as more tears stream down my face, letting myself sit down. It's almost completely dark out now and I watch the rest of the sun start to sink into the horizon. My fingers trace over the top of the water, causing the surface to ripple under me. For some reason, this only fuels my growing anger. With just the smallest bit of pressure it breaks. Just like you.

I swat the water and it splashes onto the land. I stand up, wiping the excess tears from my face before starting my walk back to Nick's camp. I could try and make a run to my team, but I don't know where they are. Besides, I couldn't do that to Nick. The trees whistle in the breeze and I crack a faint smile. This walk is actually kind of nice, my thoughts start but freeze immediately when a hand comes from behind and claps around my mouth, pulling me backwards.

"Long time no see Libby baby."

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