Rampant: A Divergent FanFiction (Book Two) ©

Chapter 15

                “What’s that weird looking splotch? Is that a tumor? It looks like a tumor.”

                “No Sage, for the hundredth time, Ally is fine. That smudge is her diaphragm.”

                “Oh. Well, then what’s that? It looks awfully suspicious.”

                “That’s her lung,” Grace said, and then with a little smirk, she pointed to the other smudge on the x-ray film. “And in case you’re curious, that’s her other lung. You see, humans tend to have two of them.”

                “Haha,” I said flatly. “Grace, I’m being serious.”

                “As am I,” she quipped; her tone that which would normally be used to soothe a fussy child. “I’m the nurse here Sage, I think I’d know if there was anything wrong. Trust me, she’s fine.”

                I nodded, but I could still feel myself frowning as I stared at the x-ray scan in front of me. As soon as I’d arrived at the dauntless infirmary, the very first person I’d come face to face with was Grace. She’d been alarmed, but after looking me over and noticing that I was completely unharmed, that expression had been replaced by one of confusion.

               “Sage, what are you doing here?” Grace had asked after a second of hesitation.

               “I heard one of Banks’s initiates, Ally, was injured pretty badly during her first fight. I have to know, how is she? Do you know where her room is? Is she going to be okay?”

                “Woah, slow down,” she’d said, raising her hands up. “Yes, I know who that is. She’s actually my patient. She came in unconscious and, from what her friends told me, she sustained many blows to the head and abdomen. I was worried she might have a fractured rib or a concussion, but we had some scans taken and she seems to be fine.”

                I’d listened intently, but it wasn’t until Grace had actually taken me to her room that I allowed myself to believe her words.

               I hadn’t actually entered the room, but instead watched from one of the observation windows. Inside, Zane and Iris had been by Ally’s bedside, and I’d felt somewhat comforted by the fact that she wouldn’t be alone.

               Her face had been a painful collage of blue and purple bruises, and the sight of them had me simmering with suppressed anger. Like Amar, I’d strived to keep as much unnecessary brutality out of the battles I’d assigned. However, it was obvious Banks had other things in mind. He wanted them to destroy each other, he wanted the savagery; he was trying to create a new kind of dauntless ideal.

               After I’d decided that, yes, Ally was indeed alive and well, I’d followed Grace to a different room where the doctors stored their scans and radiographs. Unable to control my paranoia, I’d pestered Grace on every suspicious-looking mark I’d seen. Thankfully, she’d always had an insufferable amount of patience, and she’d answered my questions without the slightest bit of annoyance.

               Even now, she only seemed slightly amused.

               “You know, if you’re that worried about her, you could just go into the room and check on her yourself.”

               “Nah, I better not. It’s crowded,” I hedged. Really, I was actually reluctant to go into the room because I didn’t think I’d be able to keep my calm in such close proximity to her. “So, how long are you going to keep her here?”