Rose Among Thorns

8-silence

Rose pov:

I slowly begin to wake up, blinking as unfamiliar shapes and shadows fill my vision. Panic surges as I try to piece together where I am, an anxious tremor in my voice as I murmur, "Where...where am I?"

A gentle hand presses me back onto the bed just as I attempt to sit up. "Just lie down a bit longer until you're fully awake," says a calm, familiar voice. Only now do I realize I'm not alone—Oliver is here, standing by my side, his expression soft but focused.

"When was the last time you took painkillers?" he asks, watching me carefully.

"Um...around 9:30 this morning." My voice feels scratchy, and I watch as Oliver nods and moves his hands in a series of gestures, reaching over the bed to pick something up. I'm not sure what he's signaling until suddenly there's a glass of water and a few pills held out for me. I reach up to take them, only to freeze when I see that the hand holding them out isn't Oliver's—it's Nico's.

As I take the glass and pills, my heart quickens with a new surge of anxiety. I can feel the cooling sensation of the cream on my arms, and a realization crashes down on me: Nico must have seen them, all of them. A mixture of panic and shame wells up, and I try to sit up fully when a stinging ache in my abdomen stops me in my tracks. Reaching down, I feel the firm bandage wrapped around my stomach. I close my eyes, swallowing hard. They've seen too much.

Glancing up, I meet Nico's gaze, and his face is painted with pity, something I've come to dread. Without a word, I push myself up quickly, ignoring the sharp pain that flares as I swing my legs over the edge of the bed. I make a dash for the door, hoping against all odds to escape before they can say anything else.

But the door doesn't budge. I pull again, heart pounding as it dawns on me: it's locked. I turn slowly, meeting their eyes like a deer caught in headlights. Desperation fills my voice as I plead, "Please, don't tell anyone. I'll be fine—just don't tell anyone."

Oliver and Nico exchange a glance, a shared understanding passing between them, and then there's a loud thud from the other side of the door, followed by a muffled voice warning, "Don't punch the wall, Luca."

Oliver turns back to me, his voice firm but gentle. "We won't tell anyone, Rose. But we're going to have a serious conversation about this—and we want to help you with your injuries so something like this doesn't happen again."

Before I can respond, another sharp knock sounds on the door, making me flinch. "Can we come in yet? Is she okay?" I hear someone—Theo, maybe—ask impatiently from the other side.

"Go lay down, Rose," Oliver says, his tone leaving no room for argument. Reluctantly, I allow Nico to guide me back to the bed, his hand firm yet careful as he helps me settle under the blanket. The door opens, and Oliver steps out, a few murmured words passing between him and whoever is on the other side. Moments later, the others file into the room, each face etched with concern, filling the once large space until it now feels crowded and stifling.

For a moment, it's silent. I can feel their eyes on me, watching me as I keep my gaze fixed on the blanket Nico had just tucked around me. The tension is heavy, awkward, until a new figure steps into the room, drawing my attention. It's Theo, holding a plate piled high with various foods, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"I didn't know what you'd like, so I got a little of everything." He looks at me with such a soft, pitying expression that it makes my chest tighten, even as a tiny cherry perched precariously on the edge of the plate tumbles to the floor. The small mishap is strangely comforting, and a hint of a smile pulls at my lips as I watch it roll away.