Retrospect

Twenty-seven

   "If she's dead, can I have her bag?" I heard somebody say, their voice sounding near and far all at the same time. I tried to open my eyes, but they were so heavy, I could only manage to open them halfway, enough to see two blurry figures staring at me.

   Almost immediately, my vision focused and the two figures cleared, turning into Miles and Ana. Seeing them reminded me of an aircraft, officers, fireballs, wires...

   I groaned as the memories suddenly rushed back to me. I attempted to sit up then, but my head felt like a bowling ball, so I fell back down again. Not to mention, someone had bandaged my wounded leg up so it was difficult to move it.

   As far as I could tell, I was on a couch in a small room somewhere that had low lighting and zero windows. I'd seen my share of Butterfly Shops to know that this was one of them. But how did I get here?

   Ana's arms were crossed, sporting an amused expression. "Looks like she isn't indestructible like everyone thought," she quipped. Of course, I had enough strength to roll my eyes at that.

   My gaze snapped over to Miles who stepped closer. Dirt was smudged a little on his chin and forehead and the sleeves of his jacket were ripped and tattered. He didn't blink as he watched me with serious eyes.

   Finally, once he was standing in front of me, he crouched down to my level, and I just now noticed the tiny freckles scattered across his cheeks. "Y'know, what you did was really dumb," he spoke softly, in almost a whisper. "I even told you about the scanners on the—"

   "I know. I'm really sorry," I whispered back, swallowing the guilt, knowing I had done this. I'd almost gotten all of us killed. And all because I was thinking of what I had wanted at the time. A hamburger. It was true, hunger could drive you crazy.

   I found myself searching for forgiveness in his eyes. Instead, I was met with his smile. "It was fun though. And it paid off too," he added, pulling the wrapped hamburger I'd stolen out from my bag lying next to me. "We already ate ours," he said, gesturing towards Ana.

   He held it out to me and I took it. Then, I made another attempt to sit up. My head was aching so much, I'd thought I'd pass out. And if that wasn't bad enough, my heart felt as if it was going to burst any minute. Slowly, I pushed myself up on the couch and shakily examined the hamburger, deciding whether the food would even stay down.

   I carefully unwrapped the burger, my eyes flicking to Miles' and Ana's which were still fixed intently on me. They looked away as soon as I shifted around.

   The hamburger was the most beautiful thing I'd seen today. Maybe I was exaggerating, but when I bit into it, my hunger instantly vanished. All of the flavors blended together perfectly: the tomato, the patty, the lettuce, the pickles, ketchup, and melted cheese. If my fridge was here, it would tell me to send the unhealthy food down the chute and pick some strawberries or broccoli.

   "Remember," Ana piped up, "finish the whole thing or we're giving you to the officers. Miles didn't carry you all the way here for you to waste it."

   I nodded and chewed and swallowed. So that was how I got here. I remembered feeling like I was rising up from the ground, but I wasn't conscious enough to see who had picked me up, whether it was an officer or somebody else. I'd have to thank Miles for that.

   Once I'd finished the hamburger and my stomach was satisfied, the whole room rumbled a little. I looked to Miles who seemed as calm as ever. "We're fine," he said in response, not even glancing over at me.

   "Where are we?" I asked, my voice coming out quiet and hoarse. At that moment, I realized I was very thirsty. I sifted through my bag next to me and took out my small water bottle, gulping down its contents as Ana replied.