Survival ✘ Bellamy Blake

17. The Kane Reunion

17 | THE KANE REUNION

"Raina? It's me, Ryan. Can you open up the door, please?"

The nine year old raised from her bed, her feet hitting the metal ground with a soft thud as she walked towards her bedroom door and flipped the lock. She scurried back to her bed by time Ryan had noticed she unlocked the door and he opened it slowly, cautious if the little nine year old might've been standing behind it. His smile dropped to a small frown when he saw the child seated on her bed, legs pulled up to her chest and her cheeks were red and puffy. He shut the door behind him, then stepped towards her bed and sat at the end of it.

"You okay, kid?" He pretty much knew the answer but felt to ask anyway, hoping there'd be some sort of change in her response. Raina shrugged her shoulders, her eyes focused not on him but rather at the floor.

It had been like this for over a month now since Anna's death. Raina spent her days and nights in the room, only leaving if she needed to use the bathroom and she'd only ever eat if someone else had brought the food to her. And she only allowed Ryan, Finn or Raven to enter. Ryan finally took up the courage to try and talk some sense into her.

"Look, I know you're upset. You have every damn right to be too. But...You can't spend your whole life in here, R."

"Watch me." She snapped sassily.

"I can, but I won't because I don't want to see you waste your entire life in this room. You wanted to be an engineer, right? How's that gonna happen if you just stay in here all the time?" Ryan paused upon seeing her bow her head down. "We miss you, kid. Your father does too."

She twisted her nose at the mention of her father and Ryan sighed. "You're mad. I understand that. I was mad when my parents were floated too. You wanna know why your father floated your mother when she was getting better, - and one day, you'll learn why he did what he did. Just...not today. Not yet." She finally met his stare and he went on. "It's okay to cry, Raina. It's okay to get angry, but...what you're doing right now, isolating yourself from everyone, that's not okay. So what do you say you go talk to your father because God knows he needs you right now and then you can go find Finn? I heard he had a surprise for you and I don't know what but he wants you to come and get it. Do we have a deal?"

Raina hid half of her face with her arm but he could see the hint of a smile play across her face for the first time in awhile. She moved her legs away from her chest and bobbled her head in a small nod. "You have a deal."

Ryan smiled himself, relived he was able to convince her to leave the room. Of course, with the help of her dear friend Finn Collins. He held out his arm. "C'mere, kid."

Raina scooted closer to her uncle, leaning in for him to wrap his arm around the nine year old in a hug. He held it for a fraction of a second, then she recoiled back with a smile. "Now go on and talk to your father."

—

She was finally willing to talk to him. Kane was shocked when Shumway approached him and inform him that his daughter was wanting him. But what shocked the councilman even more was the fact she was going to be accompanied with the same man who shot the chancellor. He had no idea why but was expecting anything

Kane rounded the corridor, a blank  expression masking the nervousness  in his face as he entered the commutation room. Chancellor Jaha was already seated in a chair, his ear piece on and his attention now on Kane as the door flew open. "Ah, right on time. Your father's here, Raina." Jaha looked back at the screen for a second and Kane's stomach twisted in a knot. What was he supposed to say? "Take a seat, Marcus."