The Changed

Chapter 21- Tess

I snapped my eyes open and bounded out of bed. Nick mist have taken me back to my room last night. I couldn't believe how long I had slept in, it was now ten o'clock.

I ran into the Commander's office and found Caleb sitting a sofa. He jumped when he saw me. "Tess...!" He said.

"Where's Edward?" I cried.

"Oh right. Follow me," Caleb said. He took me out of the office and down to the infirmary. Caleb was the one who came and got me last night when they first arrived. Now he looked tired and sad.

When we got to Edward's room I raced in to see him. Caleb went back up to his room. There was an empty chair and blanket by Edward's bedside and I sat in it, holding his hand. There was a breathing mask over his nose and mouth and there were wires on his bare chest and in his wrists. Screens monitoring his vitals and fluids made soft beeping sounds. Casts and bandages were covering his body. I stared at the black and blue bruises all over his body. They must have beaten him almost every hour to get all of them. What he must have gone through...

Suddenly the door opened and a very tired Nick entered holding a cup of coffee. He froze when he saw me. "Tess? Hi, sorry I wasn't here to meet you. I just went to get a coffee," he said. He set down his cup on the table beside me and pulled up another chair from the wall. He sat on the other side of the bed. "Have you been here all night?" I said to him. He nodded and rubbed his eyes.

"Yeah, just in case he woke up and freaked out," he said.

"How bad is he?" I asked Nick.

"Not that bad..." Nick trailed off without looking at me.

"How bad is he really, Nick?" I whispered. He looked at me.

"I can't lie to you, Tess. He's really bad," Nick said. "They're saying he was a load of broken bones and a ridiculous amount of bruises. Deep slashes across his stomach means he's lost a lot of blood because I doubt they stopped the bleeding. We don't even know what the mental damage is yet and he is in a coma. I just don't know when he'll wake up or if he'll ever recover." I blinked the tears out of my eyes and stroked Edward's hair.

"Do you think he can hear me?" I asked Nick.

"I don't know," he replied.

"Do you think you could give me some time on my own with him?" I whispered. Nick nodded.

"Yeah, of course. Take all the time you need," he said. He got up, took his coffee and left the room. I watched him walk up and down by the window, waiting for me to finish.

I turned back to Edward and listened to his soft, slow breathing. I watched his battered and cut face for any sign of movement but it was as blank as a sheet. "Look," I said to him, stoking his face. "I don't know if you can hear me or not but if you can, you have to listen to me. I need you. I really need you to come back to me. After everything we've been through you can't leave me now." I noticed that his heart monitor had sped up. The beeping was getting faster and faster. I carried on talking.

 "You're the only family I have left, Ed. You promised to protect me and you have in so many ways but I really need you to wake up. I can't handle it for much longer." Ed started shaking. His head swivelling back and forth like he was trying to escape. I heard shouting from outside. Nick was arguing with the doctors. They must have some sort of alarm that alerted them if there was a change in Edward's condition. My voice lowered to a whispered.

 "Come back to me, Ed. Please." He gasped and sat bolt right up. His face was twisted with pain but in his eyes I could see the fear. With a jolt, I realised that he still thought he was with the government. The door burst open and the doctors came rushing in to try and force Ed back down. He was clutching his ribs but fighting off the doctors screaming, "No! No, no, please stop it!" I jumped to my feet, recovered from my initial shock.

"Ed, its me. Look, it's me," I said holding out my hands. The monitors were going crazy now.

"No...it can't... be... you, Tess. It's... just another...one of...their...tortures..." He croaked. He was so weak he could barely talk.

"It is me. It is, see?" I said. I touched his cheek. He flinched away but then his eyes widened.

"They...they got...you...again?" He gasped.

"No. We are with the Changed. Nick rescued you last night. We are safe now," I explained. "These people are trying to help you." I glanced at Nick who was standing behind me. I needed some help to try and convince him.

"You need to calm down, Edward," he said, putting hands of lightly on his shoulders. "You're not well and need to rest. You remember me? I helped you last night. I promise you that you are not with the government." Slowly, Ed's breathing slowed down and he let the doctors fuss over him. He laid back down with a wince. "I'm sorry Tess," he murmured. "I...thought...I was...still...with them." I took his shaking hand and squeezed it tightly.

"It's OK. I would have thought the same thing too," I whispered. "I'm just glad you're awake. You gave me such a fright last night. Your heart stopped."

"I know. I know," he mumbled. I looked around and realised that Nick and all the doctors had left us alone. Nick was waiting by the window again, looking in on us. I turned back to Ed. He was clutching his ribs again with his free arm. "Does it hurt?" I asked him, standing up. "I can go and get a doctor." He grabbed my wrist.

"No its fine," he croaked.

"Are you sure?"

"Just come here," he said. I hugged him tightly but was careful of his injuries. "Listen carefully," he whispered in my ear. "They...wanted...you...to rescue...me. I only...said...they didn't...because...they threatened...to kill...you and...Nick." He started having a coughing fit. I knew this was too much for him but he carried on talking. "They...put a...tracking...device on...your helicopter. They're coming...for us. They..have my...powers. They...managed to...replicate...them. You need to...warn them." He collapsed on his pillows, breathing in deeply.

"Nick!" I screamed. He stumbled in.

"What is it? Is he OK?" He cried.

"The government. They're coming. They put a tracking device on the helicopter," I explained.

"I knew something was dodgy. They let us go too easily," Nick said. "We have to warn the Commander!"

"Nick! There is something worse," I cried.

"What could possibly be worse?" Nick exclaimed.

"They replicated Ed's powers," I said. "They now have an impenetrable shield."

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Hey guys!!!!

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My Wi-Fi is not very good at the moment so I'm trying to get through the chapters as quick as I can.

Thanks,

CricketCat