The Changed

Chapter 26-Edward

Caleb, Tess and I went down to the bunkers to check on how people were doing. There were loads of children, doctors and nurses down there stacking crates and folding blankets. I had no idea where they got all these supplies from but there was enough to last for months.

"It's going to be a bit close down here," I joked. "How are we going to cope with each other?" Caleb laughed but Tess didn't say anything. She had been quiet ever since she had come back from her meeting with Frost. "Hey, Caleb, could you give us a minute," I said. Caleb nodded and went off to help the other kids. I shifted in my chair and made her face me. Sitting down, I just got up to her chin. I took her hands and looked up at her. "What happened, Tess?"

"Nothing...it's nothing," she murmured.

"Really? Because I know you, little sister," I said. "Come on, what is it?" She took a deep breath.

"Frost said that if we wanted to survive this war we had to...to...give you up to him. We refused of course but still, he'd stop at nothing to get you back," she whispered.

"But he won't get me back, I promise you," I reassured her.

"Yeah, but I've seen his army. Even with our powers we have almost no chance," she said.

"We can beat him," I said. "I know we can. He doesn't know our plan so we always have a chance." She nodded and slipped her hands away from mine.

"OK," she said. "How about we go and find out from the nurses what we are going to do in here while the adults fight."

"Alright. Push me over to them then. I think I missed my last tablet dose so I don't think their happy with me," I said. She gave me a small smile in return, proving there was still something left of the girl I knew before all of this started. She moved behind me and pushed me towards the nurses who were checking off medical supplies from their lists. "You're late Mr. Halister," one of them said and passed me some tablets. I swallowed them in one quick gulp before apologising.

"Sorry nurse. It won't happen again."

"I'm sure it won't. Otherwise, you'll be on bed rest for the rest of this damn war," she warned.

"Where do me and my sister have to go now? Where do we sleep?" I asked.

"There's a smaller, private room over there, for you," she huffed. "You have to have a proper bed in your condition and it is already fully equipped with everything you need. As for your sister, she will have to get a mattress like everyone else. I will allow her to sleep in the same room." Then she went back to her job without another word.

"Friendly," Tess mumbled.

"It's a war. They haven't got time to be friendly," I said gravely. "Let's go and check out my room and get your stuff ready." Tess pushed me in the direction the nurse and pointed out. We found the dull grey door easily enough. Tess opened it and got me inside. As soon as a looked inside, I froze in my chair. The room was white and was full of medical equipment. The single hospital bed was in the middle surrounded by monitors.

It was exactly like the room Frost tortured me in.

"Ed? Are you OK?" I heard Tess ask but it seemed like a distant echo. My breathing shallower and sped up. I felt my heart racing. My hands were gripping the side of the chair. "Ed?" Tess say again. I didn't respond. Darkness was closing in on the edge of my vision. I felt myself slip from the chair and tumble to the floor. "Edward!" Tess screamed before I fainted on the floor.

***

I woke up in the dark, gasping from a hideous nightmare about being stabbed to death by the man again. But this time, the man wasn't faceless, he was Frost. I tried to sit up but my good arm and and legs were strapped to the bed. I panicked again and tried to thrash about but searing pain shot up my ribs and ankle. I had completely forgotten about my broken bones. My chest was killing me too. I screamed then, trying to get someone to help me. From somewhere in the darkness, I heard a door open. A nurse appeared by my bedside and turned the light on. I was in the same room that I had fainted in but it was painted red and had oak coloured floorboards instead of being white with tiles. How could that have happened? "What happened?" I asked the nurse as she check all the instruments.

"You had a panic attack yesterday afternoon when you came into this room. Scared us all to death. The doctors think you are just tired. In my opinion, you should be on bed rest. It's five o'clock in the morning now," she replied.

"I don't even understand. I thought this room was painted white and had tiles," I said. The nurse looked at me suddenly.

"This room has been red for as long as I've been here. It's never been white," she said slowly. She unstrapped my arms and ankles and explained to me that they were there because I kept thrashing around in my sleep and they were afraid I was going to hurt myself even more. She was about to turn the light out again but I stopped her. "Could you keep it on please. I don't really want to be in the dark."

"Of course. I understand," she said gently. As she closed the doors, I caught a glimpse of many children sleeping on mattresses on the floor outside in the bunker. I just saw Tess and Caleb sleeping next to each other by my door before it closed. I was glad Caleb was there for Tess because I was being a pretty lousy brother at the moment.

I threw my head back on the pillows. What the hell was happening to me? I seriously thought that I was back with the government. Looking at the room now, it looked nothing like the room where Dr.Brand and Frost were torturing me. So why did I see it so clearly? I squeezed my eyes shut to clear my head. When I opened them, I let out a stifled scream. Dr. Brand was in front of me, holding a syringe with that black stuff that I was still coughing up. He moved towards me. I tried to back away as if I wanted to fall through the bed. He lunged towards me. I turned my head away in fright and waited.

Nothing.

When I turned back, I found that I was alone in the room. There was no Dr.Brand or the syringe. I sat there, shivering under the blankets, staring at the same spot until Nick snapped me out of it three hours later.

"Edward!" He said, shaking my shoulder gently. I jumped and let out a yell before wincing in pain. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to startle you but you haven't moved since I came in here."

"I have no idea what's going on with me," I whispered.

"What do you mean?" Nick asked, sitting down in a chair next to my bebed. "Is it because of yesterday? Look, I spoke to the nurses and they think you're just tired and-"

"It's not that," I cut him off. "I need to tell you something but you have to swear to tell nobody. Especially not Tess, I don't want to scare her anymore then she already is."

"Edward-"

"Please," I said. The desperate look in my eyes must have made him make his decision.

"Fine. I promise," he said. "What is it?" I took a deep breath and told him what had been on my mind all night.

"I think... You know the black stuff I kept coughing up...do you think it could be still working?"

"I don't think so. It wouldn't work if you're this far away from the government," Nick said.

"It is still working," I gulped. "Just not in a physical way. In a mental one. The reason I fainted yesterday was because when I entered this room I thought I was in the same room Frost tortured me in with the government. Last night when I first woke up, I thought I saw Dr.Brand in this room, trying to hurt me again. At first I thought I was going mad but then I realised...they are still messing around with my head. Making me seeing things, trying to unnerve me. Who knows what else they could do? They might even be able to control me soon, make me kill all of you."

"What do you want to do?" Nick asked me. He hadn't changed his expression at all, like he was trying to hold it together for my sake.

"Lock me in this room and don't let anyone come near me, even Tess. Explain to her why and find Dr. Brand. He will probably be controlling whatever their doing to me," I said.

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CricketCat