Dark Angel (A 001 prequel story)

10 - Missing

When she woke up, Peter and Brenner were gone, the door closed.
It was nighttime outside.

"Welcome back" Emily said with an encouraging smile "The worst is behind us now. But you'll have to stay overnight so we make sure that you are recovering well".
"If it was just an illusion, why do I need to recover?" Rose asked after thinking about what happened.
The nurse's eyes turned sad "Eight's illusions are growing more powerful and accurate. I assume you felt like the fire was real, that you were going to choke in that room".
Rose nodded, shivering at the bright memories lingering in her mind.
"It had physical consequences on you" Emily said nervously "Your lungs were reacting like they were filled with smoke, your body temperature raised to a dangerous level. I'm sure that Eight didn't mean to kill you, but the state you were in when you arrived here were almost desperate. Just almost, thank God".
"Good Lord, I want so swim in the snow" Rose didn't know why she commented like that, maybe her brain was still messed up.
"I don't have snow, but some ice, if you still want something fresh" Emily handed her a bag of ice "Although your fever is gone".

Someone knocked on the door.
Rose hoped it was Peter, instead another young man greeted her with a smile and a bunch of flowers.
"I was waiting for you, then I heard about what happened" Jason said placing the flowers on the small table by her side "I stole these from the reception room and I brought you the hot chocolate you were supposed to drink with me".
Rose chuckled at the awkward situation.
Jason shot a glance at Emily, who gave her permission.
"And we were meant to be home for Christmas Eve" Emily blurted.
"We still have some hours if you need to take a flight" Jason said positively and teased Rose with an elbow "If you can pretend you feel very sick, we'd take you to a real hospital and then kidnap you and travel to the Maldives together".
Rose laughed "It would be great".
She sipped her chocolate, listening to their vacation plans, but soon she felt tired again and drifted to unconsciousness.

On the next day, both Emily and Jason have left for their vacations.
Rose was free to move back to her room.
She halted at the sight of someone sitting on her bed.
Eight was sobbing.
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to scare you, not to hurt you".
Rose didn't budge. She didn't want to blame the girl, but she couldn't say it was alright.
"That was a very powerful illusion" she said randomly.
"I think I've never made one like that" Eight said looking at her shaking hands "I'm just scared of losing Eleven. I need a friend and I feared you were stealing her from me".
"Well, you didn't think of making me a friend of yours" Rose said entering her room and checking that everything was still as she remembered. Nothing of that was hers, yet she felt jealous of her own room like Eight was jealous of her best friend.
"I've been alone for most of the time. I can't play with the other children. I have only Eleven".
Rose remembered her own lonely childhood. Different, feared, misunderstood.
"You're not alone, Eight" she said without looking at her, hating to call her a number "Now I need some rest".
Eight stood up from her bed and walked to leave the room, then changed her mind and walked to the young woman and hugged her.
Rose froze, feeling her sobs shaking her, then wrapped her arms around her.
"It will be alright. You will make a lot of friends".
"Papa won't allow it".
"Then let's make him change his mind" Rose enjoyed feeling conspiratorial "You deserve friends".
They hugged until Eight stopped crying and was comforted enough to pull her lips into a smile.
"I'm truly sorry for attacking you".
"It was an interesting experience. Just warn me first, next time" Rose joked. She definitely didn't want another next time.
Eight made some weird gesture over her heart "Promised".
"Eight?" Rose called before the girl closed the door behind her "Do you know where Peter is?".
The expression on the girl's face wasn't comforting at all and Rose grew more nervous. What was going on?
"You should ask Papa" Eight just said, then left.

Rose crossed her arms and walked back and forth, hoping that she was just getting paranoid.
She had expected Peter to be around when she woke up, but she thought he was resting after being up for the whole night to watch over her.
But hours passed, morning became afternoon and then evening. And still no news from him.