The Changed

Chapter 22- Caleb

The reason why I didn't wait for Tess was because I was suffering battles of my own. My mother had screamed and shouted at me last night for going with Nick. To be honest, I didn't blame her but that wasn't my problem. I had heard about what the government did to Tess and Edward. I had heard what my uncle organised but I never truely believed them until Nick went into Edward's cell the night at the government's base. While he was in there, Cain and I had seen some scientists leave a lab from down the corridor. They were carrying bottles of blood and other bits of equipment. The thing that scared me was that they looked awfully like torture weapons. It was too much to see and Cain had to shield my eyes.

Now I was back, I couldn't stop thinking about what I'd seen. With Edward as close to death as you can be down in the infirmary, I didn't really want to be down there. I sat up in my mother's office and read a book curled up on an armchair. I don't know how long I was there for but I was interrupted by Tess and Nick crashing through the door. "What the...?" I started before getting a crushing hug from Tess.

"He's awake and alive," she whispered in my ear. "Thank you so much for rescuing him!" I was slightly shocked but I wrapped my arms around her too. "Where's your mother, Caleb?" Nick asked urgently.

"In her room. She's just finishing some paper work," I said glumly. Tess was still clingly to me so I had to to speak to Nick through her unbrushed hair. Nick marched into my mother's room and came out again with her behind him. "...don't see how I have to listen to you," mother was saying. "Not after you took my only son into a place that is utterly evil!"

"A place that you were going to leave Edward to be tortured and die!" Nick yelled.

"To save the rest of us!" My mother screamed. I had rarely seen her this angry, even when she was shouting at me last night.

"Well that decision might have been the end of us..." Nick suddenly lowered his voice. "Edward told us that they have figured out how to take his power. They now have a shield that nothing can get through." Tess finally let go of me but held onto my hand firmly.

"They have his blood too," I said. "Cain and I saw them with the bottles of it. Who knows what they are going to use it for?"

"We do know this though," Nick said gravely. "We can expect them in a matter of days."

"And who's fault is that?" My mother said. I was surprised at her. She had seemed to have lost all hope and has resorted to childishness.

"If he was left there any longer we don't know what else they could have done with his powers. We are lucky to have a warning from Edward so we have time. Time we shouldn't be wasting arguing. Time we should be using to prepare for battle," Nick said through gritted teeth. I could see that he wanted mother to leave the room but he couldn't tell her to as she was the Commander. There was a battle of wills going on here.

"What do you want me to do?" My mother whispered.

"Get all the able men and women ready to fight. They need weapons and fighting gear. All children should help bring supplies into the buckers and the trucks," Nick instructed.

"You want us to fight? Are you insane?" My mother exclaimed. "They'll defeat us with their guns in less than an hour."

"I think you underestimate the skills in this base," Nick said. "The power one person has is enough to defeat ten men with guns, believe me."

"And how do we got through this shield that they have?" Mother said.

"I'm working on that," Nick said. "I'm planning on talking to Edward about what he knows but I really have no idea, I'll admit."

"Then there is no reason for us to get ready for battle, is there?" My mother yelled.

"I don't want to go down without a fight and the same goes for the people in here. This is our chance, April. To bring down the government and finally get our freedom, the thing we have been talking about for two years!" Nick exclaimed. Then we were silent. I don't know for how long but I swear I could hear Tess's heartbeat it was so quiet. Then finally, very slowly, mother nodded.

She swept over to a microphone and said, "I want everyone in the hall now!" She turned back to Nick. "If this is a chance we better use it," she said. "Go to Edward and question him." She marched out of the room. Nick followed her with me and Tess at the back. We went back down to Edward's room.

When we arrived, we found him taking some medicine with a nurse hovering over him. "...should give you some strength," she was saying. "Enough to talk but not enough to move so don't try."

"Thanks," Edward gasped. He looked up in surprise when he noticed us. "I didn't expect you to be back so quickly," he said.

"What was that stuff she gave you?" Tess asked in bewilderment. She was still holding my hand. "How did it make you better so quickly?"

"I don't know about better but it gave me a bit of strength. Like a adrenaline boost," Edward said. He glanced down at mine and Tess's hands. He raised an eyebrow at me but didn't say anything. I thought this was a good time to introduce myself as he clearly thought something was going on with me and Tess and there wasn't...was there?

"I'm Caleb, by the way," I said, releasing Tess's hand and stepping away from her.

"Yeah, I know," Edward said. He shifted his position slightly in the bed and winced. "Ouch," he said, holding his ribs with his good arm.

 "Does it hurt? Do you want me to get some painkillers? Are you OK?" Tess fired at him, running to his bedside.

"Tess! Tess, I'm fine," Edward said. "I just can't move much."

"OK," Tess breathed. "We've got a plan...kind of. But we are going to fight. We just need to figure out how to get past the shield that they took from you." I noticed Tess said 'took from you' and not 'tortured out of you'. She was making sure that everyone knew that this wasn't Edward's fault and I agreed with her. "We can find a way, I know it," I said. Edward looked at me over Tess's shoulder with grateful eyes.

"Umm...Nick, Tess, could you give me and Caleb a minute?" He said.

"Yeah," Nick shrugged. "Come on Tess, we can see how everyone is doing." He guided her reluctantly out of the room, leaving me and Edward. I stood there awkwardly, listening to the machines tracking Edward's steady heartbeat. After a minute or two, Edward finally said, "thank you for...you know...looking after Tess while I was...yeah, just thanks. You don't know how much it really means to me knowing that she had someone she could talk to."

"She had Nick too. It wasn't just me," I said.

"I know but Nick was for more...parenting purposes I guess. I'm saying thank you for making sure she wasn't totally alone without a friend her age," Edward said.

"Oh...well...your welcome. We've become good friends actually," I stammered.

"I can see that." We were silent for a few more minutes. "So...do you have a power?" Edward asked.

"Yeah, I control light," I said.

"Like, any light?" Edward asked in amazement.

"Yeah. Any light."

"Even light made by other Changed?" Edward said slowly.

"I don't know. There isn't really anyone else I know who can make light like me but I guess I could," I said, shrugging my shoulders. "Why?"

"Because my shield glows. You could take it out," Edward mumbled.

"Oh damn... You're right," I said. "I can take it out.... We have to tell Nick!"

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Hey guys!!!!!!

So, next chapter is going to be exciting but that meant that this chapter had to be a bit boring.....sorry.

As always, comment and vote.

CricketCat