Secrets | TMR | One

5:7

Over the course of the next few days, Adeline found that it had become easier and easier to navigate her way around the Glade with her brace. Each day, no, each hour that the girl spent aimlessly wandering around seemed to help, and by the sixth day she was almost able to complete an entire lap around the walls.

Of course, there were a few tumbles along the way, but it was nothing that a morning, afternoon or evening with the two Med-Jacks could not fix.

All in all, Adeline had successfully managed to avoid causing any lasting damage to herself - or anymore lasting damage. She had even managed to get herself out of bed each day, and make her way to the showers on her own.

Which is exactly where she resides now.

Her bum is planted firmly on the counter next to the sink, with nothing but a towel covering her modesty as she dangles her legs off the edges. She ignores the way tiny specks of water travel down the ends of her hair, turning into thick droplets as they fall from the tips and bounce against the skin on her shoulders and chest.

Turning to the left and tilting her head down, Adeline picks up her toothbrush and turns on the tap, flicking the end of the utensil under the flowing water for a moment to soften the bristles. Pulling it away, the girl quickly grabs the toothpaste and generously lather some of it onto the end of her brush.

Humming a soft tune to herself as she polishes her pearly whites, she absentmindedly begins tilting her head from left to right, and wiggling her toes, keeping the movements in time with the sweet melody dancing from the back of her throat.

After a moment, however, her head stops and her brows furrow as she stares at the wall opposite her. Closing her mouth around her toothbrush and dropping her hand, the girl clutches onto the edges of the bunker and leans forward, her eyes immediately locking on to her toes.

More specifically, the toes on her right foot.

Which are shifting back and forth.

On command.

Her command.

The movement is small, merely just a slight twitch, in fact. But it is her brain that is signalling the motion.

Adeline blinks a few times, unsure if it is just a figment of her imagination. A cruel trick of the mind. However, as she continues to stare down at her toes, she begins to feel it. The muscles appear to loosen up, and it becomes more than just a twitch, and she can feel it.

She can feel it.

In that moment, the happiness trembled inside of her, her joy unfolded like a flower in bloom, so much so that she almost found herself jumping down from the counter so she can run out and tell everyone the good news. However, she falters before her bum can slide from the bunker, deciding that it best not to get too ahead of herself. That, although it is movement, it is still small, and is probably not worth the risk of smacking her face against the wall in front of her when she ultimately falls.

Instead, she begins to shout, screaming for the one person she wants to - no, needs to - share this marvelous revelation with.

"Nick" she calls out, her head still bowed down for a moment before turning to face the exit of the bathroom. Bringing her hands away from the corner of the counter, she curves them around the edges of her lips and calls out once more. "NICK!"

Her voice is louder. So loud she would swear she could physically see the air shifting as the sound barges through it and forces itself through the cracks in the walls.

Nothing happens for a minute, causing the girl to huff impatiently. She pushes herself to the left until her entire upper body is leaning over the sink and her hands are pressed firmly on the surface at the other side, hoping that - by some magic - having her body half a metre closer to the door will somehow heighten the volume in which she shouts.