The Trainee

Chapter seven

When you woke up everything felt fuzzy. Your head felt like it was full of cotton and your body felt full of rocks. You think about moving but decide your just too tired to do anything. You smelt antiseptic and heard shuffling near by. Were you in the infirmary? You felt something touching your feet and you try to move out of the way. You heard the faint sound of someone mumbling near you. Against your body's wishes, you try to look at the source.

Sitting up a little you see a jacket that was draped over the foot of the bed and a down turned head of black hair in a chair about two feet away.

"So you're from the underground." You jump at the sound of the voice. Corporal Levi stepped out of your blind spot and approached your bed. "I thought I recognized you." He continued. "I believe I worked with your father back then." You could only nod. "You must have been about 3 or 4 the last time I was there. I'm impressed though. You used to be a real spitfire. You fought me over an apple slice once."

He stops and looks at you for a moment. There was a look of understanding in his cool grey eyes. "Samson told me what happened. You broke the other girl's collarbone but not her neck. Why?"

"Not worth it." Your voice was raspy and you could taste the iron at the back of your throat. The corporal nodded in thought.

"Well, Samson wanted to be here when you woke up. Something about you guys being friends and all."

He tapped the back of Samson's head causing the boy to wake with a start. He looked around in a daze before he saw you.

"[f/n]. You're awake." He sounded genuinely worried. Before you can answer him his father speaks. "She just woke up."

He still looked worried. You wanted to pretend you were ok but you couldn't.

"What's gonna happen to me?" You spoke just above a whisper but Levi turned and looked at you.

"Don't bother worrying about it. Nothing they can do for now. Come on boy. You said you wanted to be here when she woke up. She's awake."

Samson grabbed his coat but looked back at you. "Dad. Can I stay? You can tell mom where I am."

The corporal kept a bored expression as he left and called over his shoulder. "This is on you when she steamrolls her way in here."

Without another word he let himself out. You are left staring at Samson.

"You're tired." You begin.

"You got stabbed." He interrupts. "Why?"

"Because the girls didn't want to train with underground scum."

You finally look Samson directly in the eye. He said nothing but sat on the edge of the bed and looked out the window. The sun was setting but the angle you were at didn't exactly give optimal viewing.

"Can I ask you something?" He says after a few moments. You didn't know what to expect but you said yes anyway. "How did you get here?"

"There is a lottery every other year in the capital." You begin. "5 people are picked from the entries and are given citizenship. You can do anything you want once you reach the surface. I had nothing to do so I came here."

He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at the sunset. The fading light cast gold shadows on the angles of his face.

"You leave anyone behind?"

"Two little brothers and a mother." You remember fondly the little faces of your siblings and your mother's smile. Your dad had died in a shipping accident a few years ago. You remember the days following the accident. That was when you decided to enter the lottery. You couldn't let your family struggle more.

"Why couldn't they come with you?" You could hear him testing the boundaries.

"I was of legal age." You say scooting up in bed. "Only one legal adult and what they can carry. The government gives us housing and food vouchers but only two months worth. I gave a month and a half's worth to my mom for her and the boys and walked my sorry ass down here with the rest."

Samson says nothing but smiles a little.

"What?" You ask catching his eyes.

"Nothing." He smiled "I just didn't expect you to give up your history so easily."

"Let's just blame it on the medication. K?"

"If that helps you sleep at night."

There is a comfortable silence as the sunlight fades away. There was a soft tap at the door that almost went unnoticed. Samson got up to answer it and Armin walked in.

"Oh hey Samson. I didn't know you knew [f/n]." Armin said putting his stuff down.

"I didn't know you knew [f/n]. When did you both meet?" Samson asked looking between you both.

"Yesterday." You answer. "Small world." You notice a book in Armin's hands. "Are you coming from the library Armin?"

"What? Oh, no." He drops it with his other belongings. "I was walking back from the mess hall and I heard about what happened. Are you alright?"

"I'll be fine." You smile.

"And the other girl?"

"She'll live."

He grabs a seat by the window and gets comfortable. You sit up more and feel that your chest was unwrapped.

"Hey Samson." You gently kick at him. "You wanna be a pal and go find some binding tape for me?" He agrees and comes back and tosses it to you.

"Should we leave?" Armin asked trying to be considerate.

"Oh, no." You assure them. "I shouldn't take to long. Just stand over by the door."

The boys do as instructed and you turn your back to them.

"What's that in your back?"

You turn and glare at Samson for a moment then it hits you. You forgot about your tattoo. You had a full back tattoo of a black tree with yellow, red, and blue fairy lights peeking through the branches.

"Its called the tree of life." You explain. "It's part of an old myth. My brothers wanted me to get it."

"Why?" Armin asked.

"They said that when they get up to the surface. They want to be able to find me."

Your chest tightens at the memory. You are startled by a hand touching you.

"Sorry!" Armin exclaimed. "I should've asked."

You cover your chest with a pillow and look at him.

"It's ok. You just startled me."

Armin cautiously approaches you again. You move your hair to one side and he begins to examine the piece of body art.

"Truly amazing." He mumbles.

The boys look for a bit longer and you remind them that you have to bind your chest. After you finish you feel more relaxed. The boys stayed until a nurse came and shooed them out.

"We'll be back tomorrow." Samson said grabbing his things.

"Please don't."

Samson ruffled your hair. "Sorry. That's what friends do. We show up when you don't want us."

Armin laughed. "It's true."