CONFINEMENT

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

   Back at the apartment, Harrison tugged Castania in on one of the couches, and began preparing a mug of tea for her in the kitchen to sooth her. Carefully handing it to her while she sat on the couch buried under a thick blanket, the weight of the filled mug made his aching hand quiver with pain, and he cringed as a drop of the boiling liquid spilled over the side and onto his skin.

   Castania caught it. "You should put some ice on that." She said softly, and grabbed the mug to relieve him of the pain, stroking a finger over his as she did.

   "You should put some on your face first." He said firmly, and headed towards the kitchen again. Her eye was starting to bruise up, and her cheekbones looked swollen. Her nose hurt and was still a little bloody, but it didn't seem broken fortunately.

   "It doesn't hurt much," She turned to look at him as he searched through the freezer. "Honestly, the shock was way worse. It may have numbed me a bit."

   Harrisons body straightened up and whipped around as her words registered in his mind. "They shocked you?"

   "Yeah?" Her brow furrowed with bewilderment.

   Harrison frowned. "What for?" he said and left the kitchen, forgetting all about the ice packet. Castania avoided his eyes. "I just didn't do what they wanted me to do." She said apologetically, but with a bit of sarcasm. He felt a bit relieved to see that she still had a fire inside her, that she had no remorse for defying them. She still showed them that she didn't belong to them.

   "You never told me how you knew I was getting beat up? Surely it wasn't a coincidence," Castania said and he lost his train of thought.

   "Somerset told me," He said and sat on the back of the couch, gently stroking away one of her copper curls. "Albertha Somerset, a professor of mine." He corrected. "She didn't tell me how she knew, but I guess word travels fast when one of you lot acts out." He said with a smile, but all he got from Castania was a saddened smirk. "I guess it does." She said silently, then there was silence for a minute.

   "You didn't have to help me out in there, I probably deserved a beating or two," Castania said when the silence got too loud, and took his good hand. Harrison looked back at her with a firm glare. "I told you I won't let them lay a hand on you." His voice was stern, like he was telling her off but his words were so caring.

   "I'm just saying I don't want you to get in trouble because of me, I can fight on my own."

   There was that word again. Fight. He was unsure if she meant a petty dogfight with that bitch of a Saving Emmeline was, or if there was something else implied. Something rebellious, something she didn't want him to be a part of. It made his head spin, not knowing how much she knew about the rebellion. Had it just been a rumor that Teddy had picked up on? Something he had misinterpreted? No offense, Teddy was bright when it came to physics and biology, but not necessarily when it came to social settings.

   "Castania," He said slowly. "If it came to a fight, please just promise me you won't do anything stupid." His words were shaky, and she caught it right away.

   "Why would I be stupid?" She chuckled obliviously. "Besides, I don't think Emmeline would want to fight me anymore, I'm unsure if she's even alive still." Harrison watched her as she avoided his gaze. Either she was oblivious to what he meant by fight, which would be most desirable, or she was attempting to throw him off, not knowing how much he knew. Either way it would be foolish to ask her about it.

   Castania sighed and rose to stand. Going over to the fireplace, she noticed how a picture frame was lying face down, and when she saw the picture inside it, she understood why. Still, she couldn't stop herself from saying, "Lord, you have your mothers' eyes," As she stroked the broken glass of the frame. She swiftly turned around to face him when she heard him let out a growl. His face was tense, his jaw clenched and his kind silver eyes were long gone. "I don't want to be associated with that bitch."