The Peregrines

Chapter 11

My mind was a jumble of feelings - dazed, confused, and scared, yet also incredibly grateful to be alive and not kidnapped and to see Jake and Emma safe and sound, which was a relief to me. As I reflected on this, a wave of gratitude washed over me, leaving me feeling at peace. I shut my eyes to steady myself and eavesdropped on their hushed conversation about me.

"No offence young man, but you and the girl are going to be a problem," said the doctor. "Both of you can't be allowed to meet Mr. Bentham like this."

"Me?! Problem?!" Jake said with full offence.

"His brain is addled, and so is the ball of electricity lying over there," Sharon said. Gotta add that new nickname to the list. "If the blondie and I could just talk with them in private, I'm sure they could be brought around. Might we have the room to ourselves?"

The doctor left reluctantly, his departure filled with a tinge of reluctance. As soon as he disappeared from our sight, I slowly opened my eyes, only to find a small group huddled at the foot of the bed, looking down at me. Speak of a small group, where the hell is Addison??

"Where is the troublesome dog?" I asked. 

"He got across," Emma said.

"Right," I said, kind of not convinced as I frankly cannot remember for the life of me. "Have you heard from him? Is he back yet?"

"No," she said quietly. "Not yet."

I considered what that might mean—what might have happened to him—but I couldn't bear the thought. 

"We promised to go after him," Jake said. "If he can get across, so can we."

"That bridge hollow might not have cared about a dog getting across," Sharon butted in, "but you, he'd peel off and toss right into the boil."

"Go away," Jake said to him. "I want to talk to my group in private."

"Why? So you can climb out the window and run away again?"

"Not a bad idea," I muttered. Emma shot me a mean look. "KIDDING! I'M KIDDING!!" Jeez, since when does she not take jokes anymore?

"We're not going anywhere," Emma said. "Besides, Kira can't even get out of bed."

Sharon wasn't swayed. "I'll go to the corner and mind my own business," he said. "That's my best offer." He sat down on Nim's one-armed chair, whistling and casually cleaning his fingernails.

With Emma's help, I sat upright, and the three of us formed a tight circle, conversing in low voices. After ensuring no one was around, she seized hold of mine and Jake's ears, scolding us in a harsh whisper. "What is with you two today?! You don't go zapping who you want," Emma released my ear and poked at my chest. She turns to Jake, "And you don't pop off at who you want either!!" She released his ear and flicked him in the nose.

"Oww!" Jake yelped.

"These people were only trying to help us, both of you should apologize to the doctor." She hissed.

"I know. I'm sorry. I was just freaked out," Jake said.

Emma sighed deeply, "I'm sorry, you both had me so frightened," Her gaze shifted towards me, and she clasped my hand tightly. "The amount of sacrifices you make truly amaze me. From the moment I met you to now. But these last couple of days were different, and I understand that you sacrificed yourself to protect what remains left of your mother's wards." She pauses. "But the last time you got kidnapped, I truly thought we'd actually lost you... and if we were to tell Miss Peregrine that you died trying to save her, despite your grudge against her, and her wards, your brother and our fellow ymbrynes... I promise you, Kira, she would lose herself, and this time, it would be permanently," Emma explained.

"Sure," I said, not believing a word she said, and Emma definitely did not take my response lightly.

"Kira, I need you to understand this. As soon as you left Miss Crow and Raven's loop, the news got out fast about a peculiar child disappearing from the care of their Ymbrynes," Emma paused.

Jake felt like he had a chance to speak up, even though it made sense that he wasn't familiar with my full story of when I was younger and how much trouble I was, let alone that it was me that has left and not some random child, but that's a story for later. "Hollows??"

With a look of irritation, Emma directed her gaze towards Jake, silently conveying her annoyance. "No, you buffoon, shush," Emma looks back at me. "Anyway, rest assured that Miss Peregrine and all the Ymbrynes got wind of it-"

"Wind of it? what??" Jake interrupted.

Emma growled in irritation, "News spread fast and they heard about it!" She quickly explained. "It's always a pretty big deal considering a missing child's life is on the line because they're unprotected and exposed to Wight and Hollows attacks, that or they can age forward if they wandered out from their loop."

"Sweet," I commented in a tone that suggested that I was bored of the story already.

"No! Not sweet!" Emma snapped before quickly calming herself down. "When your mother asked who the missing child was, Miss Crow told Miss Peregrine with a lot of difficulty that it was you who had left," 

"That's new. Crow has feelings now," I muttered and rolled my eyes.

"Kira, I cannot even explain the sadness Miss Peregrine has gone through." Emma looks over to Jake, "Your grandfather was with us at the time of Kira's disappearance. He felt so bad for Miss Peregrine, seeing her in this state of misery, sadness, depression, loss etc... He swore, promised and even vowed to Miss P that he'd find her child," Emma looks back at me. "And bring her home to her,"

"When I left, I had already given up on my mother, just as she had practically, in her own way, given up on me! Whatever she felt when she heard that I left, I felt exactly the same when she left me! She's only getting a damn taste of her own medicine!" I snapped.