The Key to My Hart

Chapter 7

I woke with a throbbing headache. There was a swaying motion and my stomach churned. I managed to lean onto my side and vomit onto the floor. Footsteps approached from several directions. Kaito was pushing me back onto the bed and placed a wet clothes on my forehead. Ryder knelt on the floor to clean up the mess I had made.

"S'okay. I can do it." My words slurred. Kaito shook his head as I tried to sit up.

"You were stabbed, Hart." Ryder picked up the now dirty towel and chunked it into a bag before tying the ends together. "Even if you do have fast healing, you don't need to move right now."

Kaito waved and started signing. "I only used bandages to keep your skin together because you had already started healing on the surface. We don't know the extent of your internal wounds so it's best if you relax for now."

"How is she?" I heard Rowan call out from the front of the bus where he was driving. Glancing around, I spotted Carlos, Finn, Sam, and Angel watching me from where they sat at the converted table. Carlos was preparing to stand, but I waved him off.

"I'm fine." I answered Rowan. "Just sore and a little queasy, but I'll live." Kaito sat down on one side of me as Ryder took the other side. "Where's Azrael and Chogan? And the Doc?" I added last minute.

I could feel Ryder meet Kaito's gaze over my head. Kaito tapped my thigh, wanting me to face him as he started signing. "Doc decided to ride in the Jeep with some of his equipment. Said he needed the quiet space to work. Chogan and Azrael are actually strapped to the chairs up top keeping a look out for us."

"Why do I feel as if you are leaving something out?" I asked.

"Because he is." Carlos answered. I could always count on him to be direct. "But it might be better for Chogan and Azrael to explain themselves rather than you hear it for one of us."

I take that back. "Fine." I wouldn't push any of them to talk, but it made me anxious thinking about what could have possibly happened while I was out. "What happened after I was stabbed?"

"Chogan and Azrael tackled the man that stabbed you. Rowan scooped you up and hauled you to the bus before anyone noticed how quick you heal. Doc and Kaito were right behind him. The rest of us were left to quickly throw the rest of our belongings onto the bus and high tale it out of there." Ryder leaned back in the bed and tugged at one of my braids.

"Why did we have to leave so fast?" There was a healthy pause after my question.

"Chogan and Azrael killed the man who stabbed you. He deserved it, but it freaked everyone at the base out." Sam was monotone as she answered.

Carlos and Finn scowled at her. "Can't you keep anything to yourself?" Carlos admonished her. She just shrugged.

"He did deserve it." I sighed. "I remembered him, right before he stabbed me."

"Who was he?" Rowan's voice startled me. I forgot he was always listening.

"When we had been captured and brought to the base, I killed one of the men for hitting Carlos. His friend threatened me. That friend was the one who stabbed me. I guess he tried to make good on his promise. Too bad he failed." I smirked, thinking of his corpse left behind.

"I remember him now." Carlos sat up straighter. "He came with us on our first mission. He'd said all sorts of derogatory and disgusting comments about Shenae. Chogan and I had to hold Xavier back because we knew he was trying to find a reason to attack us. Shenae may be a bitch, but no one deserves the sort of things he was suggesting."

Bile rose to my mouth at the possibilities. I slowly clambered to my feet. Ryder jumped up to help stabilize me. I waved him off and slowly made my way to the seat behind Rowan. Leaning forward, I wrapped my arms around his shoulders from behind, pleasantly surprised he didn't tense.