The Colony

Beth

I can hear both boys chatting away. I've lain like this for a good five minutes letting them be annoyed with one another. The conversation is short and sharp.

Hamilton sounds particularly agitated.

"When's she going to wake up?"

"Give her time. Her body is under a lot of stress."

Pregnancy stress or grief stress I wonder? Both could put a damper on one's mood.

What bothered me the most was Hamilton still being in the room. I was hoping, that by laying here pretending to still be passed out, I might learn why he was still here.

But I hadn't learnt anything and it was probably time I "woke up".

So, I sat up abruptly.

Both boys immediately stopped and stared, wide eyed at me like I'd just woken up in a coffin in the middle of a funeral.

Hamilton is pacing at the far end of the unit. His hand is wrapped in a bandage and he holds an ice pack to it.

Tom is on the floor by the foot of the bed. He looks worse than I would have thought. His left eye is swollen shut and there's a huge gash across his left cheek.

"Woah, Beth! Take it easy," Tom says, shooting up from the ground and placing his hand on my shoulder.

"What's he doing here!?" I almost shout.

"It's okay. He knows."

"Knows? Knows what?"

Tom was talking gibberish and I really wish he would just spit it out already.

"About your situation." Tom glances down at my stomach.

My gut drops. "Why'd you tell him!? We can't trust him! He dobbed my Mom in! Remember? Or did your peanut brain not hear anything I said? Don't let them take me away!"

"Beth, I would never do that," Hamilton says from the end of the bed, flexing his injured hand.

"How can I trust him!?" I'm still yelling at Tom at this point because yelling at Hamilton would make him feel heard and I wasn't about to give him that satisfaction.

"You don't have to trust me," Hamilton says. "But I made a promise to your mom to protect you. I plan on honouring that."

I'm horrified! Mortified! Why would Tom tell him!?

I couldn't trust either of them now and it was all Tom's fault!

Why did he have to tell Ham!?

I begin to get out of bed but Tom's too strong for me and he pushes me back down.

"You need to rest."

I scowl. "Get your hands off me!" I hiss, locking eyes with him.

He backs down, standing back with his hands in the air as though I've got a gun to his head.

"We have a plan," Tom says gently.

"A plan?" I shout. "The only plan I'll be following is one where you both get out of this room!"

"The plan," Ham interrupts. "The rumour about you is obviously true. Except no one knows it's you. The Resistance wants to contact the topside-"

"Nobody's alive on the topside," I interject, spitting the words at him.

He shakes his head. "That's what we all think. But about two months ago now we received a radio call from someone on the outside. They're looking for someone. A girl. And we think they mean you. How they know you have periods, or are carrying a child, we don't know."

"I haven't told anyone in the Resistance about the rumour being true. But I take it your mom knew. We hatched a plan to get her topside to make contact with them." He looks down at his shoes. "But it obviously went horribly wrong."

"No shit it went wrong! She's dead! Why should I believe anything you say!?"

"You don't have too. The Resistance are using the rumour to fuel an overthrow of the Council. And the Council are killing everyone involved so that they can find you. That means it's our job to protect you and keep you hidden," Hamilton finishes.

"So," Tom interrupts. "We have a plan. Before you start showing too much we need to smuggle you to the topside."

"But it's radioactive!"

Hamilton shakes his head. "It's not. There's people topside. And as I said, I think they're coming for you."

"But we don't know what kind of protection they have! What if it harms the baby?"

"Beth," Tom says. "You wouldn't even be pregnant if it was still radioactive. You're the start of the next generation. You're valuable to everyone."

I scowl. This was a terrible idea.

"How do I know he won't betray us?"

"You don't," Hamilton says for himself.

"But the plan is,'' Tom continues. "For us to continue life as normal. At first it will be okay. When you start showing you can say you're bloated and you can borrow my sweaters. That will hide it fairly well. In the meantime we'll be planning a master overthrow of the Council. The Resistance will take over and we'll smuggle you out safe and sound."

I'm in disbelief. It was a stupid plan.

"I hate this plan."

"There's one catch though," Tom states.

"I hate the plan even more."

"As soon as you start showing, we need to show the Resistance."

My mouth drops open. "No!"

"It's the only way it will work."

"And have them dob on me? The Council will kill you both and whoever else is in that stupid Resistance and take me away."

"They wouldn't dob on you. This is the fuel they need to secure freedom for themselves and you."

I stare between both boys, my mouth wide open. This was ridiculous and dangerous.

I gulp. If the only way to protect me and my baby was to have the two boys I was loathing most in the world right now start a revolution in my name, then I suppose I was going to have to take it.

I look at Tom. "When will I start showing?"

"In about ten weeks."

Bloody fantastic this was going to be.

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