Love Is Weakness

Hope

My light slumber was broken when I heard the sound of the door open, quickly pulling myself upright to sit against the wall, expecting Cage to have returned. I was relieved when it was only a guard who entered carrying a water bottle in his hand. He approached carefully and knelt before me, passing me the water bottle instead of holding it himself.

'Drink, quickly' he said, glancing over his shoulder nervously every now again as he waited for me to finish. I did as he asked and drained the entire bottle before handing it back to him, unsure if his kindness was another trick on behalf of Cage. Usually I would be supplied the minimal amount of water to keep me alive, never allowed to take it for myself.

'Thankyou' I said meaningfully, hoping to understand what was motivating this guard to be more lenient. He remained silent for a moment but did not move to leave, his gaze on the floor rather than looking at me.

'I'm sorry about this, no one deserves to be treated this way' he finally spoke, the sorrow evident in his voice surprising me for a moment. When I didn't reply immediately he rose to his feet in a hurry and left without a backwards glance, leaving me staring after him in bewilderment.

Once my initial surprise had faded away I was able to think more logically that this could be the key to my escape. A compassionate guard would be able to help me get free, first I just had to get him to talk.

What must have been a few hours later he returned once more, this time remaining at the door instead of approaching like he had previously.

'Hey, what-' I began, only to fall silent when panic flitted across his face and he raised a finger to his lips, glancing quickly at the door before slowly edging towards me.

'I'm just in here to check on you, I'll only be a few minutes' he whispered quietly, coming to stand nearer to where I was propped up.

'What's your name?' I asked softly after a moment, deciding that this would be the best way to start. The guard remained quiet for a moment and I thought he wasn't going to reply.

'My name's Michael' he eventually confided, finally taking his gaze away from the door to look at me. I smiled at him warmly and he returned it with a small one of his own, seeming to relax a bit more.

'I take it you haven't been a guard long' I said, leaving the question open ended to see what information I could gain.

'I was never meant to be a guard in the first place' he admitted, and I nodded at him to continue. 'I was a resident at Mount Weather, just any other citizen until I volunteered for the bone marrow transplant. I was one of the first to do it, to live a life on the ground was the dream. But after the attack, very few of us escaped and Cage promoted me to a guard along with the others.'

After the initial nerves he had begun talking quite freely, though I suppose he didn't find that he could have many conversations these days. His words died away and his face hardened, I could see him emotionally pulling away as he took a step back.

'You're the leader of the Skaikru, my people are dead because of what you did. I should never have spoken to you' he said, sounding angry at himself for having revealed so much information.

'No wait' I called softly as he backed away, my words falling on deaf ears as he left the room and pulled the door shut behind him. I pulled at my restraints in frustration and lent back against the wall, wishing that I had more freedom to move.

I was feeling more alert after having the water and decided it was about time I tried to get up and find a way out. My body was still aching all over but I ignored the stabs of pain as I manoeuvred into a kneeling position, using a nearby cabinet to pull myself somewhat unsteadily to my feet. I was unable to take any steps so had to hop and shuffle to cover any distance.