Watch As We Burn

Chapter 1

Blinking, I sat up. My hands flew to the bandage surrounding my abdomen, and I pushed the blanket down. I did not feel pain, I only felt out of place as my fingers ghosted across my naked chest, and started picking and undoing the bandages.

I do not remember how I got here.

The bandage fell apart, and although it was without blood, there was an ugly scab on my stomach.

I looked up, brushing my messy bangs back, and twisting my hair as I looked around the room.

It was white, with a big window to my right, letting me see the City below me. I was in the infirmary. The metal table beside me had a bowl full of blue water and a plate with purple food on it, and a packet of dough. My stomach growled loudly, and my face felt warm as I looked around the small room, making sure no one heard it.

I shifted, swinging my legs over the bed, cautious, but feeling fine. I don't understand why I am in the infirmary, unless it has to do with the wound across my lower body.

I wrapped the thin blanket around my body, because I'm naked. I took the packet of dough, ripped it open from the tab and pushed it into the bowl of water, watching as it expanded into soft, crusty bread. Grabbing it, I put it on the plate and grabbed the stick of purple food off the plate. I stood, wobbling with food in my hands.

I haven't walked in a while.

I walked around the bed to the window, and sat in a wheeled chair that was in front of it. I sat the plate on my lap, taking the purple food and picked a piece off and shoved it into my mouth, and my face scrunched up as I pushed it around in my mouth.

Forgot that this crap is made out of pure minerals, and not taste...

I had forgotten the name of it, but it felt like putty, and was soft and squishy texture wise. And purple. Not known for it's taste, it was invented to give to Guardians who were on long missions, to provide them with the provided vitamins and minerals, and to sate long-term hunger. Not the best tasting thing, but I wasn't hungry anymore.

I choked it down and snatched the bread rather quickly to wash down the raw taste when I heard a voice. "Miss, you're awake."

My eyes widened, and my posture went rigid. Holding my bread to my chest protectively, I jumped out of the wheel chair and flung it around, looking for the source of the voice and stepping carefully around the small room.

When I didn't see any source of the voice, I relaxed. Maybe it's just the medic bot outside of the door, my hand loosened its grip on the thin blanket.

I let out a sigh, then a white blob popped in front of me and I screeched, the blanket around me falling and I threw my bread at it, which knocked the thing back a few feet.

I landed on my bum, looking up wildly, and twisted the blanket around my person. I inhaled sharply, trying to regain the breath that was knocked out of me.

"Awake, and already defending yourself I see, Miss."

I cleared my throat, swallowing saliva, the weird taste of the purple mineral food stuck in my esophagus. "Ghost." I breathed, my eyes adjusting to the floating bot. My feet still remained planted in a defensive stance.

He hovered closer, nudging my arm. "Sit, you vitals are still abnormal." He glided to the chair, the thin plate still on the armrest. I stood, and rubbed my bum with a free hand. "Maybe they're abnormal because you scared me."

"I apologize, Miss. You have been asleep for a day, your recovery was going quicker then the Vanguard thought."

Recovery?