Innocent Fugitive

Cum Fugitivum, Semper Profugus

Teresa woke slowly, the light stinging her eyes. When her eyes adjusted to the light once more, she realised that she was still in the hospital, lying down on the bed. She looked over at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past noon.
There was a nurse in the room, replacing the dead flowers in the pot on the bedside table with fresh new purple orchids.
"How long have I been asleep?" Teresa asked, startling the nurse. She turned and smiled a sweet smile.
"About three days. Don't worry, you're perfectly stable." She began to walk out.
"Do you know when I can leave?" Teresa asked, stopping the nurse in her tracks.
"Tomorrow most likely. You seem quite healthy, and if you don't do anything too exciting you'll be fine."
Teresa nodded and looked over at the orchids. "Thank you for the orchids, they're beautiful. I bet you didn't know it, but purple orchids are my favourite."
The nurse smiled. "No problem. But they actually were purposely placed there. Someone requested them for you." She started walking once more then turned once she reaches the doorway. "Congratulations by the way, gosh, it's happening more and more these days at your age." And with that she was gone.
Teresa was confused. What was happening more and more these days? And what did she mean by congratulations? Before she could ponder on it more, there was a knock on the door.

- - -

Bella and Joseph were playing cards. Joseph was winning, but Bella didn't care. Joseph usually won these things, being so good at it after all.
"Come on, Bells, you're not even trying!" Joseph said as he laid down an ace of hearts.
"Yeah, well I don't really feel like playing." Bella replied, putting her cards down on the table face down. "Plus, you were the one who wanted to play, not me."
Joseph sighed, and placed his cards face down on the table also. "You know there is no law against going to see her right?"
Bella looked at him exasperatedly. She sighed also, and picked up her cards then turned them over face up. "There. I played," she said, wanting to change the subject.
Joseph shook his head and turned his cards over as well. "A straight. I win, you only got a pair. Look, Bells, just go see her. Maybe she isn't a Fugitive anymore, but I bet you she still wants to see you."
Bella ignored this. Well, didn't ignore exactly, just didn't say anything in reply. Joseph just sighed loudly and stood up. He mumbled something about 'fine, be a sour puss' and left. Bella sighed inwardly. She reckoned it would be the right thing to do, to make sure Teresa was alright. "Margo! Get your butt over here! We're gonna pay a visit to someone..."

- - -

"Come in," Teresa said and surprisingly, Margo walked through, followed closely by Bella. Teresa smiled and looked down at her hands. "Come to kick my butt to make sure I don't talk? Don't worry, I won't."
Bella looked incredulous. Margo looked slightly annoyed and on the brink of laughter at the same time.
"I've been thinking..." Teresa began, not knowing how to say what she wanted to say. Finally she worked up the words. "Cum fugitivum, semper profugus. Once a Fugitive... Always a Fugitive." She looked up at Bella, their leader, the one who had gotten them into this mess then turned her gaze to Margo, loyal Margo, the short but feisty one who never turned her back on anyone. And she grinned, a deep, happy grin. A grin that said 'I'm more than happy' in no words at all.
Margo returned the smile and looked at Bella. There was a tense moment when Teresa was unsure of weather or not Bella would actually want Teresa back. But then her face twisted into a smile and she burst out laughing. 

"Stop... making... that face... Teresa!" She said in between laughs. 

Margo started laughing too, and Teresa, who was terrible at controlling her laughs, burst out laughing too. 

"So... How did it go again? Cum Fugitivum, Sander Provugus?" Bella asked, after her laughing died down a little. 

"Cum Fugitivum, Semper Profugus." Teresa repeated. Bella nodded and Margo smiled in a way of saying she liked it.

And all at once they said, "Cum Fugitivum, Semper Profugus!"