Deviator

The Only Choice

2039
Clary

"No... No please don't..." I beg as the doctor approaches the bed, followed closely by my father and one of his loyal Protectors.

"Miss, it is what is best for you and the child. With the symptoms The Chancellor describes, I fear that you are in risk of having a miscarriage."

"Symptoms..." I shake my head no to tell the doctor I don't have any symptoms, but instantly I feel the nausea growing stronger. The room starts to spin again, and I must close my eyes to collect myself.

"Yes, miss Morgenstern. We need to take precautions to ensure the baby's survival. That is the reason we have created the incubators in the first place. Every viable fetus is a blessing and shall be protected by all costs." 

I want to tell him that I'm not experiencing any symptoms, but the vomit at the back of my throat is preventing me from speaking at all. Maybe the doctor is right. Maybe the safest thing is to remove my baby and let the machines take over.

As I open my eyes again, and the room comes back into focus, I notice the small smile on my father's lips. It's almost invisible to the naked eyes, but I can see it. I recognize it. It is his everything-is-going-my-way-smile.

Then it hits me. I'm not having symptoms... this is my father's doing. I'm sure of it. But just as I open my mouth to say something, I vomit all over myself.

"Oh my..." the doctor takes a step away from the bed. "We need to get that cleaned up before we can start the procedure." He turns to my father "Are you sure you don't want her to go to the clinic instead? It is a lot safer." He glances at the puke on my bed. "And a lot more sterile"

"No, it has to be here. I won't risk moving her." Valentine says while impaling the doctor with his determined glare. The doctor quickly averts his eyes.

"Alright. But this must get cleaned up first."

The houseservant instantly takes my cover away. As she leaves the room with it, other servants arrive to help me get cleaned up. I can tell the doctor ignores the restraints on my wrists, and the fact that they clean me here – in the bed, instead of untying me - he must know something is up. But he doesn't do anything to help me. No one goes against my father. Everyone is loyal to him. Mostly out of fear.

When the doctor is satisfied with the cleaning, he orders everyone to leave to prevent any more bacteria. Only the Protector stays behind with the doctor. I watch as my father whispers something to the Protector. Probably an order to watch me closely. Not that I can do anything.

Next to my bed is the mobile incubator. The transportable womb for my child. Tears starts to stream down my face as the cold sanitizer is wiped over my stomach. Not because it hurts. They have used a local anesthetic for the pain. No, the tears are for my child. I don't doubt that my father will never let me anywhere near the baby. I'm pretty sure that the Protector is going to kill me as soon as the baby is out and the doctor has left. That must be the "sacrifice" he was talking about. Though I doubt he sees it as a sacrifice. Not really.

"Alright Ms. Morgenstern, we are ready to begin. I promise that you won't feel a thing. Just try to relax."

Tears continues to stream down my face as I close my eyes and clench my fists. I have lost. I know I have. There is no way out of this now. The only thing I can do is to let him remove my baby safely, hope I survive, and then fight to get my baby back later. It isn't ideal, but I don't have any other choice.

I'm so sorry my love. I have failed to protect you. But I will do everything to get you back. I promise.

As I'm sending my silent prayers, I suddenly hear a lot of commotion. Muffled screams followed by a thump. A hand covers my mouth before I can scream. My eyes open wide in fear, seeing the Protectors mask hovering right above me.

"shhh. Don't make a sound. We have to be silent and quick."

I recognize the voice. It's the same voice that helped me the day I was banished. The voice that is so familiar, but I just can't remember who it belongs to. But it fills me with memories of love and family. He loosens the restraints on my right hand, so I can untie the rest while he starts removing his Protector gear. Once the mask is off, I remember him. He is older but it's definitely him. Lucian. My mother's best friend.

I can't believe what I'm seeing. I thought he died during the outbreak. My father said he died, but of course he was lying.

Suddenly everything makes sense to me. He always protected me while I was growing up. Sometimes he was even much more a father figure for me than my own father was. Especially after mom died. I should have guessed that he would become a Protector, just to be able to help me when I needed it. Because that is the kind of man Luke is. And have always been.

Once I'm free of my restraints I throw myself into his arms. He is slightly startled at first, but he closes his arms around me anyway.

"Luke..." I cry against his shoulder. "I thought you were dead...."

"Never." Luke responds while caressing my hair. "I would never dream of leaving you. Especially not before I know you are safe."

Luke lets go of me and hands me his Protector suit, including his mask.

"Put this on. We need to hide your identity."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. People will just think I'm off duty." He pushes the mask into my hands. "Please."

I know he is right. It is the only way I'll be able to leave this building, so I put it on along with the rest of the suit. It's way to big, but we fold it up and tug it in everywhere it's possible, and hope that it will be enough.

"This way." Luke guides me out of the room towards my father's study. I stop promptly and shake my head. I'm not going in there. Luke turns around and takes my hand. "Don't worry," he whispers, "your father isn't here. There is a commotion at the gates, that requires his attention. So, he is with the rest of the council. Surveilling the monitors."

"But... if they are watching the street cameras, then won't they see us?" I ask.

"No, not when we take the underground tunnels. There is an entire system of them. We use them to get around. And now we can use them to escape."

"How do we get to them without being seen?"

"Through the secret passageway in your father's study." Luke smiles at me and pulls at my hand so I follow him. And sure enough, behind a bookcase, there is a hidden door with a stairway behind it.

At the end of the stairs, there is a small vehicle. Almost like a car, but it runs on rails and only seats two.

"With this, we will be at the square in no time. And then the hard part begins."