Just Annah

Two

"Look at the monitor." A voice said somewhere near me. "She's starting to come around. Her respirations are picking up, heart rate is rising, and her oxygen saturation is coming up." A warm hand covered mine. "She will most likely be in pain, with the injuries she sustained. That will need to be managed appropriately and monitored for change."

A warm, leathery hand touched my cheek and lifted my eyelid. I cringed when a bright light was shined into my eye. "Stop..." I croaked.

The voice laughed. She was older, I could tell that much. "It's nice to hear your voice, Annah. It's been three days."

The light went away and I opened my eyes. I was surrounded by a group of people, rough looking people with kind eyes. Caring eyes. The kind of eyes that my father used to have when he looked at me. I was in a hospital bed. A curtain was drawn around the group, most likely to provide privacy. I could smell harsh antiseptics.

I tried to sit up, but a pounding in my head told me that it probably wasn't a good idea to change my position just yet.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice was froggy.

"The slums." The same older voice from before said softly. She came into view and my heart dropped.

"Marie..." I whispered. "Marie Moore."

She grinned at me, the wrinkles at the corners of her green eyes turning up. "I figured you'd recognize me."

The one person that my father wanted dead more than anything was right under his nose in the slums... Imagine that.

She smoothed my hair back. "My- one of the patrols found you after hearing you scream and that dreadful brat's shouts. They found you lying on the street, bloodied and unconscious. He was gone by the time they found you though."

Alexander.

"I think you've got a concussion. And there's a hairline fracture in your left wrist. I'm thinking that came from the tumble you took from the car. I watched the footage from the security tapes. You took a pretty hard fall and a rough beating." She continued. "We gave you a small dose of Bone Mend, so your wrist is stable, it'll be just a little sore for the next few days.

I lifted my left arm and inspected the bruised area around my wrist. The pain was only a mild ache-nothing I couldn't endure.

"Other than those two major things, you came out with only cuts and bruises. You're lucky with the way he was beating you." Marie looked to to group around her. "Is there anything else you think we should do?" She paused, waiting for an answer. "Maybe offer her some sort of comfort? Ask about her pain?" Marie looked at me. "I'm sure you'd like to sit up a little more."

One of the people who stood by my bed leaned over to raise the head of my bed.

Marie took a seat on the side of my bed. "You all are dismissed." She said to the crowd around my bed. I could hear the annoyance in her voice.

She waited for them to pull the curtains around the bed closed. "Now, Annah, I need you to understand that when you do return to your father, you cannot mention that you have seen me."

I nodded and gave her a painful smile. "Your secret is safe with me..." I thought for a few seconds. "Why are you being kind to me? You could have just left me where I was."

Marie gave my hand a squeeze. "Unlike your father and his method of caring for his people, I believe that everyone deserves a chance and no one deserves to suffer- regardless of who they are. Now, I hope to have you moved to an open bed upstairs by this afternoon. I know of one bed that is open, but there will have to be some negotiating for it. The person that has the room can be a bit-" She was cut short by an angry voice.