How Allegiant Should Have Ended

Chapter 5

Tris:

-8 months later-

I wake up, later than I usually do, with the sun shining right through the window and into my hospital room. I squint as I wake up and try to prop myself up on my pillow. Tobias lays across the couch on the other side of the room. He's practically lived in the room with me ever since I've been here. He'll come in early in the morning , so I see him when I wake up, and leave at night, right before I go to bed. And on special occasions, like today, he'll spend the night on the couch.

He wakes up about three minutes after me. "Morning," I say. "How did you sleep?"

"Good," he mumbles. He stands up and shuffles over to my bed, sitting on the edge of it. "So, are you excited for today? You finally get to leave."

"Yeah, I guess," I say. "I thought you would be more excited, though. You haven't gotten a good night of sleep for the past eight months."

"Well, what can you do about that?" he says. "Someone's gotta stay with you all the time."

"I know," I say, smiling. "And I love you for that." I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek. I lay on his shoulder and he wraps his arms around me.

"I love you too," he says.

After a moments, he pulls away. "I'm going to go take a shower before we have to go." he says.

"Okay," I say, watching him walk away. "I'll be waiting."

After about 45 minutes, both me and Tobias are showered, ate breakfast, and packed up out things. I sit on my bed, waiting for Ashley to dismiss me, and Tobias perches on the edge of the couch with his head in his hands. I wonder what he's thinking about, but I don't ask. Whatever it his, he probably doesn't want to talk about it. He would have told me if it was something he wanted me to know.

We sit in silence; the only sound is the hum of the generator. I turn my head when the door opens.

"Are you ready?" Ashley asks me.

Tobias lifts his head and stands up. I try to climb off the bed by myself, but he wraps an arm around my waist and sets me on the ground. "Thank you," I say quietly, so only he can hear it.

"You're welcome," he whispers back. He lets me go, and then walks over to pick up our bags. I follow Ashley out of the room and Tobias walks right behind us. We make a couple if turns before we exit the hospital.

"Do you have someone to pick you up?" asks Ashley.

I open my mouth to say something, but Tobias answers for me.

"Yes," he says. "I'm taking her to her apartment."

I turn my head and stare open-eyed at him, a look of confusion spread across my face. "What apartment?" I ask.

"Surprise," says Tobias, smiling at me.

I smile back, thinking it would make Ashley uncomfortable if I ran up to him and we started kissing. He seems to get it.

"Okay," says Ashley. "Well, I leave you to it then. Goodbye Tris!" She turns around and walks back into the hospital.

"You ready?" Tobias asks when Ashley leaves.

I don't know if he realizes it, but I do. He's basically asking me if I'm ready to leave behind everything I've ever had or known. It doesn't take me that long to respond.

I grab his hand and look up into his dark blue eyes. "Yes."