The Underground Palace

Chapter Twelve - Sorry

Alex felt drowsy.  Her head was pounding and all what she wanted to do was sleep a little longer.  She was utterly exhausted and even though she was awake, she couldn't find the energy to open her eyes.  She knew she was lying in a bed, that she could feel.  Perhaps a hospital bed because the mattress was lumpy and the sheets were itchy.  She could hear voices softly whispering on top of her, or perhaps arguing quietly was the correct term to use.

'I can't believe you allowed her to go down there and risk her life-'

'Me?  You agreed too!'

'We need to get away from here as fast as possible.  We're still too close to the Underground Palace for my liking.'

'Well that's obvious.  Once Alexandra has gained more strength I'll organise a helicopter.'

'We don't have time, she needs to get out of here now.'

'I'll talk to her doctor once he comes back with the results.'

There was a pause.  A long pause in which someone grasped Alex's hand and squeezed it slightly.  Alex wanted to squeeze back but her hand didn't want to obey.

'How's Linda?'

'Not good'  There was another silence, then, 'I'm sorry you know.  I'm so sorry for not listening to you all those years ago.  I thought I made the right decision.  We would have been safer with you.'

'Susan-'

'Don't!  You were right.  I was so stupid for not listening to you-'

'It doesn't matter.  What's in the past, is in the past.  We just need to focus on the future.'

Alex willed her energy forward and found the strength to squeeze her mum's hand back.

'Alex?'  At the sound of her name being called, Alex's eyes fluttered open and she found her mum standing by her side and her dad on the other side sitting on a chair.  Susan looked tired, her face was grey and had aged perhaps twenty years since their farewells back in the forest.  Richard looked exhausted, the bags under his eyes drooped low and his eyes were bloodshot.

'Hey,' croaked Alex.  Immediately Susan reached for the jug of water next to Alex's hospital bed and poured her daughter a drink.  She took a straw laying on the table and popped it in then held it out for her daughter to take a drink.  Alex took a couple of sips then smiled up at her parents.

'I'm really tired,' softly spoke Alex.

'Of course you will be hunny,' her mother soothed her.  Susan reached out and tucked her hair behind her ears.  'How you managed to escape is a miracle.  You have several broken ribs, severe bruising, had to get stitches in your arm and the doctor thinks you might also be suffering from a severe concussion.  He should be back at any moment with your scan results.'  Alex let her eyes close for a few seconds then she reopened them.

'I didn't escape mum,' she quietly said, 'he let me go.'  Susan gasped and looked up at Richard, who looked slightly astounded.  'He said he didn't want me.  I feel so bad mum.  I left Glen.  He was there somewhere and I left him.  He'll never forgive me.'  Susan swopped down on her daughter and embraced her into a hug.  Richard leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair, still taken aback.  Marco let his daughter go?  

The door to the hospital room opened and a kind looking middle aged doctor walked in holding a clipboard.

'Ah!  You're awake!  Good, good.'

Susan stood up and wiped Alex's tears away using the back of her hand.  She smiled down at her daughter fondly before turning to the doctor.

'What's the results?'

'Just a concussion.  Quite a bad one but since you're young, fit and healthy you'll be back to normal in no time,' the doctor said cheerily.  Immediately the doctor, Susan and Richard began negotiations and discussed how soon Alex could be discharged or transferred to another hospital.  Alex zoned out.  She couldn't stop thinking about what the doctor had said, "be back to normal in no time".  What was normal now?  What did she have left in her life that could be considered as normal?  Magic existed.  Rulers of Good and Evil existed.  Prophecies existed.  Seven Children existed.  Glen no longer existed...

Before Alex knew it, the doctor was gone and the room was silent again.

'Are you hungry?' asked Susan gently.  Alex shook her head.

'No,' she replied.  Alex turned to her dad and prepared herself, 'the others?  Did they get out?'

'Thomas, Kirsty, Neo and Oliver are safe.  They're really worried about you, we were all very worried.  We thought you were dead when they told us you were still in.'  Alex took a deep breath and tried her best to sit up higher but gasped as a wave of pain rolled over her.

'Don't sweetie, you still need to rest.'

'We need to go back,' started Alex.  'We left Glen and Holly behind.'  Susan gasped and Richard looked angry.

'Definitely not,' stated Richard.  'We nearly lost you and we have five of the Seven Children, that's more than what we had yesterday.  We can't risk any of you at the moment.'

'Oliver and I went in and saved three.  If five of us go in again we will definitely be able to free Glen and Holly, I'm sure of it.' 

'No Alexandra,' firmly spoke Susan.

'Security has now tripled.  Marco was naive to think that his palace was impenetrable and he has learnt his lesson.  He will not make the same mistake twice.'

'But Glen?  He will die if I don't save him.'

'You won't be able to save him.  We've lost that chance,' insisted Richard.  Alex turned to her mother, tears streaming down her cheeks.

'How can you be okay with it?'

'I'm more okay with losing Glen than losing both of you.'  Alex leaned back onto her pillows and closed her eyes.  Arguing with them was a lost cause.  

'You need to rest more sweetie, your dad and I will leave you to sleep some more.  We'll just be outside if you need us.'  Alex made no move nor said anything as they both stood up and silently walked out of the room together then gently shut the door behind them.  It was true, her body was tired and knackered but the physical pain she felt was only minuscular to the emotional pain that smothered her. 

Can you hear me?   Spoke a voice in her head.  It was Thomas.  Alex froze.  All of a sudden she felt very naked and insecure.  Her own thoughts were no longer safe.

I can hear you, she responded.

Good.  Richard has the four of us under surveillance but we have an escape plan.  We're going to back to the Underground Palace to save Glen and Holly, you in?

Alex grinned and sighed with relief and happiness.

Hell yes.

Thought so.  Rest up.  Escape plan commences at eighteen hundred hours.

Alex glanced at the clock in the corner of the room.  6pm was currently three hours away.  Plenty of time to sleep a little longer.

What's the plan?

I can't tell you.  That will ruin the surprise.  See you soon sleeping beauty!

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Woohoo!  Are you ready for more action?  I am!