The Runaway Sister

thirty-one | inside injuries

I wake up to the smell of chemicals and the sound of machines beeping. I hear hushed whispers all around me, and a warm hand over my cold one. 

My eyes open slowly. Someone hisses, "Turn the lights off, idiot," and then the sun has been extinguished, replaced by darkness. 

"Hey there, sweetheart. Glad you're awake." Sullivan's warm voice fills the air. I turn my head, and see him sitting on a chair next to the hospital bed. 

The door bursts open, and I see Luke sprint into the room, Zachary in tow, a monotone expression on his face, opposite to Luke's cheery grin. 

"It's my dearest, most favorite sister!" My brother exclaims, walking up next to Sullivan. He places a hand over his heart. "You had me worried, you know, sleeping for three days. Shame on you." 

I raise an eyebrow. "Well, if you would've showed up sooner, the maybe I wouldn't have felt the need to sleep for so long." 

In the hospital room, I see only three out of my six brothers: Sullivan, Luke, and Zachary (who leans against the wall with a mild face, watching me closely). 

"Happy to see me, are you, Zach?" I ask him pointedly.

He shrugs. "Could've gone a couple more weeks," Zachary replies dryly. Then, he turns more serious. "How do you feel, Ev?" 

Now it's my turn to shrug. "As good as I can possibly feel after being locked up, starved, and beaten by some psychotic Russian ginger." 

Sullivan strokes my hand with his thumb. I glance at him. He frowns back at me, his face torn between concern and rage— most likely directed at Ginger. 

The door opens again, and this time, Alexander enters. He looks at me, and his hard eyes visibly soften upon taking an inspection over my current state. 

"The doctor will be here soon," He says, matter-of-factly. "Logan and Cassian are fighting over what to bring you for lunch. Pizza or pasta?" 

My mouth waters at the sound of real, delicious food. Not the slush and warm water that was given to me at the base. Food. "As long as it's real." 

Doctors rush into the room, and my brothers leave. A nurse changes my bandages and another one asks me questions while writing my answers down on a clipboard. 

"Do you know your name?" She asks. 

"Eve— Evelyn Rhodes," I reply. 

"Date of birth?" 

"The tenth of March." 

The nurse smiles. "Happy early birthday." 

I frown. "What is the date?" 

"It's the sixth." 

She continues to ask me more questions, most likely to see if I'm still mentally fit. I answer them with ease, but the thought of my mind being messed up chills my bones. 

The medical workers leave soon after they arrive, and all of my six brothers enter the hospital room. Logan and Cassian wield trays of pizza, pasta, cupcakes, and cookies. 

Zachary helps me sit up in the bed, and my brothers lay the food on the table underneath the television. Luke makes a plate for me, full to the brim. I almost can't lift it. 

I can't eat any of it. I don't deserve it. I bite my lip, staring at the heavenly smelling food that rests on my lap. 

"What happened to Benny?" I finally spit the question from my head and out into the room, consequently making everyone stop eating and turn to stare at me.