Elder Benson is dead.
He had a gift of taking pictures in a surreal manner and didn't care people thought he was strange.
When his body is found with a bluish substance in his system, everyone concludes that he overdosed on drugs.
And no one cares...
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An awkward silence filled the room as Simi watched the boys all stare at each other. Malachi's left hand was in a sling caste from his elbow to his fingers and his knuckles were scabbed. The look on his face was steely and Simi guessed a fight would break out if she didn't do something. She was about to gesture with her head when Peter nodded to Jamal and Kai and walked past them
He stopped at the door and turned back to look at Simi. He gave her a half smile and walked out of the room, and possibly out of her life forever.
Malachi walked to the hospital bed and sat beside her, the steely look on his face was replaced with worry and his forehead was creased. He placed his head on Simi's lap.
"I missed you so much Si," he said and continued, "It's been hell for me."
Simi chuckled a bit at Jamal's funny expression behind Malachi. He wasn't one to openly bare his emotions. All the same, Simi was glad that he was okay and not dead as Julia had promised.
Malachi turned to Jamal and caught him making smooching gestures with his hands and mouth. Jamal raised his hands in mock surrender and hugged Simi. He blew her a kiss and walked out of the room, leaving Malachi and Simi.
"I'm so-," Simi tried to talk but her voice was still scratchy.
Malachi went through a bag lying beside the bed and brought out a bottled water for her. Simi drank it in gulps, still feeling pain in her back. When she was done, Malachi gave her the rundown of what happened when she was unconscious.
"Julia had planned to blow us up in their house. And she'd ran away to someway far I guess. I don't think she knew Abby was aware of who she was. I figured it out and got you out of there. But she was inside."
Simi's eyes widened. Malachi's hand being in a caste made sense now. She asked in a scratchy voice, "El's parents?"
"They're devastated Si. They moved in with your family and Mrs. Benson's crying all the time. Your mother tries to talk to her but she's uncontrollable. We don't know what to do."
Simi couldn't even try to understand what Mrs. Benson was going through. One of her kids had killed the other and then ended up dead too. Two kids, dead within a year. The grief of that alone could push the woman over the edge.
"I trusted her," Simi said.
"We all did. I was so scared you were gone Si. Please promise me you'll never put yourself in danger like that again."
Simi nodded and asked, "Peter?"
The steely look appeared on Malachi's face again and he answered, "We sorted things out. I still hate the guy but I can't blame him for what happened to Benson."
Simi wondered if Malachi knew Peter was leaving the country. With how jealous he acted about her and Peter, he'd probably be happy that Peter was going away.
