Candor or Dauntless -7 Days of Truth or Dare

Chapter 12

Tobias' POV

I wake to the sound of Tris sobbing. "Tris? Tris it was just a nightmare." I coo and rub small circles on her back. She shakes her head and continues to cry, it is then that I realise her phone is lying on the floor in a middle of a call.

"Tobias..." She starts to explain what is wrong but her voice is cut off by more sobs. "It's Caleb..." Her voice is hoarse and shaking. "He, he he called me upset about what happened today and he, he fell off the train." When she is done Tris double over and balled her eyes out.

"I heard him fall and the ambulance arrive and all the commotion on his phone." I pull her into a hug and get dressed quickly to head to the infirmary.

I pick Tris up bridal style and take her to see her brother.

We sit on the train headed to the Erudite Infirmary her head rested on my shoulder. Eventually the uncontrollable sobbing died down into soft sniffles. "He is going to be okay Tris." I try to reassure her but nothing works.

The train stops in the centre of each faction apart from Dauntless so when we reach Erudite it is easy for my to carry Tris off. We walk to the infirmary in silence and when we arrive we receive many strange looks from people in blue. Our black clothes make us stick out like a sore thumb in this sterile environment.

"Caleb Prior?" I ask the woman at the desk. Instead of saying anything her smile fades and turns into pity as she sees Tris in my arms. She gestures for me to follow and I gladly do.

"I'm sorry but it is family only at the moment." The nurse says before walking off. Through the small window I can see Caleb and I assume Mr and Mrs Prior.

I gently help Tris stand before holding the door for her. "I can't go in Tris but your parents are in there with him." I explain, she nods before entering the room. I see her mother run up and hug her before they both break down into another round of tears.

I don't want to invade their privacy so I sit on a bench just a little down the hall from Caleb's room. A nurse walks by and I can't help myself from asking how Caleb is. The news puts a knot in my stomach.
"Sir, Caleb Prior is in a very deep coma, there is no chance of him waking up." The nurse explains. I don't know what she thinks my connection to Caleb is but she strokes my shoulder before walking away. "You have my deepest sympathy." She whispers before trotting off.

Tris' POV

They say he won't wake up.

I don't believe them. I can't believe them. I don't want to believe them.

Caleb cant just not wake up. I know we aren't exactly the best siblings but I can't lose him.

I am sat around his lifeless body with my parents. "Don't go Caleb. Please, I need you. I need my big brother to tell me when I am being stupid. I need you to be proud of me when I have done something right for once. I even need you to be protective sometimes because that is when I am sure you care.Please Caleb, please. Just wake up for me." I cry into his hand as I stroke his soft skin.

"Beatrice?" My dad says gently pulling me away from my brother "We need to say goodbye." What? He has given up on his own son. I try to fight back tears as what he says registers. "The doctors are taking him off life support in three hours." My dad says letting a single tear fall down his face.

I don't fight it anymore. I let my tears fall as my dads protective arms wrap around me enveloping me in a warm bear hug.I stay like this for what seems like ages until my mom's arms hold my shoulders.

This contact feels alien. My parents only ever hugged me once before when I was ill in hospital, Abnegation sucks all the times I just wanted the comfort of my mother and father they couldn't do anything.

The first thing people ask when you go to hospital is how much does it hurt. I held up nine fingers. I felt
like my whole body was on fire yet freezing to death all at once and I could not breath. When I was discharged the nurse that was treating me said I was a fighter, I asked why and all she said was 'You called a 10 a 9' but now I realise... I was saving my '10' for this.

I feel no physical pain but emotionally I just want to shut down, turn everything off, be numb to the world for just a second. But I can't, this type of pain demands to be felt...

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It is time to turn the only thing keeping my brother alive off. Because they decided that there is nothing hey can do to help him.

Trying to find the words for a final goodbye are impossible. What do you say when they can't respond?

The next few hours are numb. People come and go from Caleb's room until it is just my parents and I sat there...

A few more hours pass and they leave. I hear a knock at the door but don't respond. "Tris?" Tobias. "Can I come in?" He asks carful to not be forceful. 'Yes, come in, please, I need you.' Is what I want to say but I can't. I feel his warm arms wrap around me and I breath in his familiar scent. "Come on, let's go home." He whispers and I follow him out the room taking his hand. I look back one last time at my brother before leaving him forever.

Tobias' POV

Tris doesn't say anything the whole ride back. It is late afternoon, we have been at the hospital since last night and all day today.

Tris' face is emotionless and she has a blank stare. It kills me to see her this way. I tuck her into bed and make some tea to calm her down.

The sun has only just gone down and I decide to let her sleep. Goodnight Tris, I plant a kiss on her forehead and start to leave. "Stay with me, please." She asks tugging on my arm.

"Always." I reply and crawl in next to her in our bed. I stroke her hair till she falls asleep. I stay there contemplating the events of today until I hear a knock at the door.

"Hey, where were you and Tris today for C or D? You missed it... Christina made Eric hang over the Chasm." Zeke says as I open the door.

"Her brother died." I don't know how else to explain it so I cut to the chase.

"Oh, well tell her I am sorry and even though he was an annoying twat sometimes he was still a good guy." Zeke says with a half hearted smile before leaving. That is one thing I will never understand about Dauntless, how can death be such a casual subject to anyone?

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Tris wakes me up by throwing clothes at my face. "Get dressed." She orders. "We are already late." She says whilst running round the room putting on leggings and combat boots.

"Late for what?" I ask confused about the rush considering her brother died yesterday.

"Candor or Dauntless." She shrugs and takes a sip of coffee.

I slowly stand up, take her hands and sit on the bed. "Tris I don't know what you remember about yesterday..." I begin I really hope she does not think it was just a dream.

"I know, Caleb died, I cried and now I want to have fun." She stands up her voice harsh and emotionless.
"Get dressed or they will start without us." She shrugs on a jacket before walking into the kitchen.

I don't know what has happened to Tris since last night but something has changed. Her care free manner is eerie and unlike her. Hopefully being around her friends will help.

A/N

Now do you get why I needed Caleb in chapter 10? Who is ready for a new side of Tris? Get ready for some major changes... As always, I don't own Divergent.