Allegiant - alternate ending

NEW CHAPTER 61, TRIS

It is ten days since I woke up and yesterday they transferred me from the critical care unit. I still hardly even move my arms, but at least I need fewer painkillers now. Every time I wake up Tobias is here, cautious and attentive. Friends came often too. Thefirst time I saw them no one of us was able to speak and I think I was not theonly one who almost couldn't see anything through tears of happiness.

I was very excited when I met Caleb. He is still angry that I went into the lab instead of him, but I know he understands and he had to agree that this was the only possible way. He looks different now, despite I am still not sure in which way. More determined and emphatic, I guess. And I see that Tobias observed this too, otherwise I am sure he wouldn't allow Caleb to see me. Tobias still gets tense, when Caleb is around, but he is not so offensive to him as before.

In the first few days I was not able to remember many things from the past month. Tobias and Christina were very patient with me and they helped me to slowly recall the majority of memories. It seemed that they enjoy in these discussions too and they took effort to find plenty of footages and pictures for me. Each day he brought me some new documents and we enjoyed discussing them. The biggest excitement brought me additional, hidden chapters from my mother's journal and Tobias read them to me quite some times. He changed each day into an adventure - despite I am still not able to move, not even to sit up. And despite I get tired soon and I need frequent naps during the day.

Now Tobias already looks better too. He is much skinnier, but there is again some color in his cheeks and there is not so much black under his eyes. And the most important, I hear him laughing again. Also his laughter is a bit different now, clearer.

It is lunchtime and he just left the room to get something to eat. I have some minutes to edit my thoughts. I learned that about a year before my mom left the compound David got Jeannine to help him reach his goals in Chicago: to get rid of divergents in order to keep the projects going. Some lies were enough to convince her to intensify previous trials of Erudite to control divergent population. It was not Jeannine who was evil, it was David... I am grateful to Caleb that he killed him. The Bureau would be still more successful if they wouldn't have opponents, leaded by my mom. I would really like to see the device that was once hidden in our house and for which she risked her life. But then I realize that I still don't know why were divergents so important for the Bureau, why they wanted to hide them and how are they linked to the future plans of the Bureau...

I know now that the Bureau had even more evil plans for the future. They would be ready in some months. I got almost afraid, when I realized how much change did we generate – not only to Chicago, but also to the broader world. What will this mean for the future of all people and for the future of us? We went through so many trials and also the time here was not easy for us. I remember how hard it was for us after the Uriah's accident. I realize I still don't know what happened to Uriah. Nobody mentioned him...

In this moment Tobias returns. I don't want to ask him directly about Uriah, I know that it should still be painful for him. I am still not sure if it is good to talk about this. But then I decide that I have to know, "Are Zeke and Hana still here? I didn't see them in the last days."

Tobias gets silent and I expect to see grief in his eyes. But I realize that his expression is calm, almost happy.

I raise my eyebrows, surprised.

But he only winks, "I think it is time that I introduce somebody." And he leaves the room.

In some minutes the doors open again and Tobias is back. Next to him is somebody that looks exactly like Uriah. He seems a bit more cumbersome, but those seem to be exactly his dark eyes and his wide smile.

I can only mumble. "Is this... Uriah? How..."

They are both silently smiling and then the one who looks like Uriah says only, "Thank you." Also the voice is just like Uriah's.

I am totally confused, "Is this really you, Uriah?"

He smiles again, "Yes, I am alive."

My brain is buzzing of thoughts. "How is this possible? And why do you thank me?"

"Because you saved my life."

I cannot understand anything, so I just take a deep breath and stare at him and then to Tobias. But they don't need to be asked for further explanation. They are already talking over each other as they are trying to explain what happened. From Tobias's eagerness it is clear what a relief it was for him that Uriah is alive. All I can do is to listen and smile. Uriah is still not able to move as smoothly as before, but he says that each day it gets a bit better.

We are laughing and talking for about an hour, happy to see each other alive. Slowly my thoughts become very slow, and my lids are very heavy. Before I can say anything Tobias already recognizes that I need rest and he reminds Uriah that we should talk on later. As Uriah leaves I see Tobias through my sleepy eyes. He showed almost superhuman diligence these days.

"You should have told me." I say with a smile.

"I didn't want to excite you too much and I wanted to keep it as a surprise for the time when you will be strong enough."

I pause and I meet his eyes. This sight causes a thrill in my stomach. "You don't struggle with your kindness any more," I quietly say.

"And you believe in your strength now," he replies, with a small smile on his mouth. "I guess we are both a bit different. In a good way."

I still see his careful eyes and I feel a gentle touch of his lips before I am taken to my drams. I said to him that he is complete, but really I shouldn't have claimed this – till now.