Codependent (Eric coulter x gender neutral reader)

The Wake up (Chapter 2)

Lungs surged open, big, panicked breaths taking over as you felt your body arch in response to adrenaline rushing through you like a flash flood. Immediately your heart was speeding up an felt like it could beat itself out of you. Anymore panic and you might of have screamed loud enough to make the guard outside have to check on you. Instead of a scream through, you let a low, sad groan, it echoing through the room you were kept in. Your body started slowly curling in on itself, hands sliding down to grip your pant legs, just praying the feeling would go away soon. 'Why. Why out of all the decisions did I make the worst one.' you whispered, throat painfully dry from the cold air around you.

Out of everything that has happened, and is still happening, that memory is one of the hardest for you to relive. You hated yourself for that moment, hated the potential it had. Because maybe if you had just done things differently, like if you had pretended to be asleep until you arrived then caught them by surprise. Or perhaps if instead of trying to wake Eric up you just jumped up and charged them, stealing their guns and making the driver do what you wanted. 

Maybe if you had just done anything other than what you did, you and Eric would be free right now, back home having the hardest thing in the day to day being the recruit's that smart off the most. It haunted you, that idea, of how you could have saved you both. But despite the regret that practically lived in your stomach, what's done is done. You have to live with that truth.

God, you remembered when you woke up the second time, it had been the first time you saw this room, it was so dark, and cold, so so cold. The cold is what woke you up actually, the chill reaching your bones and pulling you from your unconscious state. Not much has changed there, because they, whoever they are, like keep you cold and in the dark. You honestly didn't know why, or what the point was, maybe just to make things that much harder for you, maybe to make you get a headache went you went from the dark to aggressive florescent lights, you might not ever know.

-- And the fear, oh god the fear that had flooded you the second you woke up; it was so strong it had kept you froze in place. Probably 15 minutes you had let yourself lay there, and it took most of that time to notice things like your hands were unbound now, and your mouth uncovered, head still felt like shit but that wasn't a surprise.

It took a lot of counting breaths and time but once you had calmed down you told yourself it was time to look around. Time to take your room in for the first time. You tried turning your head slowly, hoping to not make the pain worse. Once your head was up you started looking around, the room was bare and gray, it looked like it was all concrete, explain why everything was so cold. You twisted your head around, eyes settling on the corner of the room behind you. You hadn't expected to see a figure hunched over, leaning against the wall, head dipped low, it was startling. Before you could even really think your legs started trying to push themselves away from whoever was there. Your heart was racing again, back about to hit the wall. Then the figure slowly raised its head. Only when it did, did you stop pushing away. 

Oh my god, it was Eric. You couldn't believe how much worse he looked, he was still covered in blood, but bruises were really starting to form on his face and arms. Honestly if you hadn't spent the previous morning with him, you weren't sure recognizing him would have been easy at all. He, for lack of a better term, looked like shit. And for a while you just looked at him, getting used to it, to the beat up and bloodied him. Once you had taken some, you decided to try and gage how he was. Mentally at least. Because physically well, physically was pretty obvious. There was one problem with trying to do that though.

He had a completely unreadable expression on his face, it wasn't sad, happy, scared, mad, not even stressed. Completely blank like nothing was happening in his head, it kind of freaked you out to be honest. He slowly moved his eyes to you, looking at each other for just a moment more before he spoke "Finally awake." Was all he said, and besides the natural sternness of his voice, not even that had any emotion. "Where are we?". A small sigh left him, "How the hell should I know? I've been passed out for lord knows how fucking long." That took you back, I mean you didn't expect him to know but you also didn't expect that answer. It made you feel sad, and dumb for asking such an obvious question to get such a snarky reply. "... How's your head?" you asked, hoping to draw attention away from the previous. 

He shrugged, slowly putting a hand up to of feel it "Hurts like a bitch. Your's?", "Not much better." you replied, almost as if the pain heard you talking about it, it decided to make itself more present. That alone made sure you didn't touch yours like he had his. Probably had a goose egg the size of a softball at this point. You heard a sigh from him as he dropped his arm back down "Think you'll be fight worthy?" were the next set of words he said.

"Uhhhh, fight worthy? Just who are you planning to fight? We're trapped if you hadn't noticed.", you just woke up with a probable concussion. He looked like he stepped out of a war zone and yet he's talking about fighting? You were just lucky neither of you had passed back out yet.

What had been an expressionless face turned into a mildly annoyed one. "How about whoever brought us here. They'll be back to try and get whatever they want from us. That's who we fight, now you either are ready or you're not. Which is it rookie?". You simply gaped at him, sure dauntless were supposed to be fearless but you two got your ass whooped on your own territory. Now he wants to try again but in theirs? He really was as headstrong as everyone said.

"If you ever want to be a leader, then you have to be ready to fight anywhere, anytime, no giving up. That's what we do." his voice was completely in trainer mode now. Honestly if it wasn't for his current physical state, it would be easy to be intimidated. But he was right, that is what you're taught as a new recruit, you're the warrior faction. You fight till you win or die.

You also knew that with or without you he would be fighting as soon as he got the chance. "Fine, I'll fight. But if you don't remember, we got our asses handed to us last time. Whoever those guys were, they weren't newbies, they knew exactly what they were doing. How are we supposed to win?" "We make a plan." A plan, right. Plan plan plan. "You're right, last time we couldn't beat them, they caught us completely off guard, so this time. We do the same to them." "But they know we're her-" "They don't know we're awake." he said this while looking at the giant iron door, "If they did know, they would have already been in here."

You couldn't help but look at the door too. "Get back in the spot you woke up from, rest. When they come to check on us, pretend to be asleep still, and when they are in here. Jump them." That plan was basic, and risky. But you also couldn't think of a better one. You both could hide on either side of the door and try to rush them, but the moment they wouldn't see you guys they would be on guard. 

And there is no chance of busting through that door on y'alls own. Not even if you both were in perfect shape, that is a solid door, it's not going anywhere. Sigh. This would be difficult to say the least. You turned your head back to him as you simply stated "Alright." he gave a single nod in reply, watching as you scooted forward back into the place you were. ''

You were about to go over what happened next when a creeking sound pulled you out of your thoughts, you didn't move though, at least not until you heard coughing. Your body shot up immediately and turning towards the sound. In the room were those two figures you had come to recognize so well. They both were walking more into room, the two holding a shaking, half conscious Eric. They didn't even look your way, they just, threw him on the floor mumbling something about "a worthless waste of time." 

You spit in their direction as they left the room and ran to eric as soon as they closed the door, your stomach twisting seeing his state. His eyes were closed, sweat was beaded on his entire body. On top of that he was shaking and sometimes violently twitching, his muscles in some form of shock. 'Fuck Eric, what did they do to you?' you thought to yourself, gently lifting his head and setting it on your leg, trying to get his eyes to open to see if you could keep him awake enough to tell you what happened.

All you got were glazed eyes that would roll whenever he twitched. This was one of the worst you had ever seen him, they were getting less careful. "Shit, Eric, can you hear me? Please say something if you can.". what you got was nothing. He was too far gone right now, and even if he could hear you, he probably wouldn't be able to reply. You sighed, stomach feeling queasy as you lifted him up and pulled him closer. Trying to give his un-resting body some comfort, which unfortunately was all that could be done.