Precedent

Chapter Twenty-Two

I sit there for three days straight. Sabrina and Ryan alternate bringing me food. They give me updates on what's going on. My parents leave me alone. They don't have much (or any) experience in this sort of thing. If I were in their shoes, I wouldn't want to bother me either.

By the end of the third day, I don't know what to do. I can't stand this waiting. I can't stand not knowing. I need to do something. I need to fight or help out in some way. I'd do anything to take my mind off of it.

But I can't. I killed Franklin, and it put the people I care about in danger. I can't risk it happening again. Definitely if Franklin's got supporters out there waiting to strike. I've heard people saying we've won the war, but we haven't. One battle isn't a war, even if it ended in the enemy's leader's demise.

Feeling more depressed than I was previously, I decide to head down to the mess hall. I ought to at least start getting my own meals. It's the first step to rehabilitation, I think. It doesn't feel like that though. It feels like a walk of shame.

On my way down, I run into Sabrina carrying a plate of meatloaf and a glass of water. She seems surprised and relieved to see me. I don't blame her, with the shape I'm in.

"Olivia!" she exclaims, setting the food on a table that holds spare weapons. "I didn't know you were coming down today." I try for a smile.

"I thought I should rejoin the living. I don't smell like one of the living though." She knows I'm lying this time. She knows I'm not fine at all.

She gives me a sympathetic look that makes me squirm.

"It's okay," she tells me. "You don't smell too bad." I shake my head.

"Oh yes I do. I need a shower, desperately."

As I'm walking briskly away from her, I realize that I said what I said so she'd leave me alone. I want to be left alone. I didn't even know it.

I don't go to the showers. I just wander around. I don't even know why I'm pining. A-M despises me. Drew liked me though. The Drew of the past still likes me, unless Franklin destroyed the file.

I stop walking. The file. Suddenly I know where I need to go. I know where I have to go.

I quicken my pace to a jog, then a full sprint. I push past people, too excited and anxious to apologize. They don't ask questions though. They've probably heard all about me and my supposed "PTSD". I don't care though. I'm about to escape it all.

I don't stop running until I've reached Mission Leader's office. I'm pleased to see she's not in here. This way I can avoid having to explain what I'm doing. I don't feel like explaining my plans to anyone.

I head over to the door to Franklin's old lab. It's still open from when A-M and I dragged Taylor through. Good. If it'd been locked, I might've had to unlock it.

I take a deep breath before opening it. I step inside the corridor.

I run down the hallway. It's not as intimidating as it was the first time I came through here. I wonder why.

I reach the end of the hall in a matter of seconds. I open the door without fully registering that it's there. Once inside the room with the time warping machine, I check the file records. Franklin left it alone. He probably didn't think it was important.

Not destroying the file is, in my opinion, the best decision he made since his becoming the Originator. Maybe even beyond then.

I load the current file. I step into the pool, aiming the computer screen at the pool. That way I can control things from here. Before I hit enter, I reach down and grab the remote that Franklin left on the ground when he came after me. With this, I can come and go as I please. I can check on the Andrew of my time every once in a while.