Death Wish

Part 25

Eric carried me to a specific door and unlocked it with his thumbprint before walking inside.

My eyes scanned the sparsely decorated but neat room from my position in his arms. There was a plush sofa to my right with a wooden coffee table in front of it. The kitchen had granite countertops and all the normal kitchen appliances.

I only caught a glimpse of the living room before Eric gently sat me down on a bed in what I assume was his bedroom. A small part of me didn't want him to let go and to just cradle and comfort me in bed. All I could do was sit there and tremble in a mixture of shock and pain as Eric moved about his room.

I was only numbly aware of the soft black comforter under me. I winced as the raw skin of my stomach contracted painfully.

Eric had disappeared into a connecting bathroom before returning with a small first aid kit. He laid a soft towel down on his bed.

"Lean back," he insisted, and I compiled, letting my back fall onto the soft pillows. His bed was infinitely more comfortable than the scratchy cots in the initiate's quarters. The faint smell of citrus and mint wafted from the sheets.

Eric gently lifted my shirt just to where it stopped under my bra. The skin was scraped up pretty bad and would leave a gross scab. The bloody part was only about two or three inches wide with thinner patches of skin around it that didn't get cut so deeply. I swallowed slowly as Eric pulled out what looked like disinfectant.

"This may sting some," Eric told me as he covered the bloody wound with disinfectant. I held in a hiss of pain, but my hands still balled up into fists.

The pain subsided as he carefully dabbed at the wound with a cotton pad. I should have been a nervous wreck since my shirt was half off and Eric was less than an inch away, but instead, I just felt a mixture of worry and thankfulness.

If it hadn't been for him, I'd surely be at the bottom of the Chasm right now. I could only imagine who it had been behind those masks. Frankfurt, maybe. Or Lily. Or anyone ranked below me.

Eric was focused on cutting the correct amount of gauze as he worked quickly, and it took me almost a full minute to form any words.

"Eric?" I asked, and he paused his work to meet my gaze. "W-why did they try to kill me?"

Eric sighed as he bandaged up the wound with surprisingly nimble fingers.

"People get scared at this point in training," Eric explained. "They become desperate to move up in rank."

I nodded slowly. It had never occured to me that being fourth had put a target on my back. And considering I was the only female in the top five, I'd hypothetically be the easiest to dispatch. But how could someone resort to murder?

"But you're safe now," Eric added as he applied the finishing touches to my bandages.

"Thank you," I said sincerely, while trying to sit up, but the action caused my stomach to ignite in pain. I groaned in pain and rose a hand to cup the fresh bandage.

"Maybe you should stay down," Eric insisted as he put a large hand on my shoulder, guiding me back down. "You can, uh, sleep here, I guess."

I quirked a brow. "But it's your bed," I pointed out.

"Not quite up to your standards?" He asked with a gentle smirk, feigning offense. His voice was a low rumble.

"What?! Oh no, I just - Where are you going to sleep?" I stumbled, my cheeks flushing instantly.

"On the couch," He shrugged, hooking a finger over his shoulder.

Even though he wouldn't be more than a shout away, I didn't want to be left alone. Not like this. Not yet.

He seemed to read my mind.

"I can stay until you fall asleep if you'd like," He offered.

"Would you? Pleae?" I asked anxiously. "I-I know it's not very Dauntless of me."

He shook his head. "Even Dauntless get scared sometimes. It's ok to be... upset after something like that," Eric offered with a tone I could only describe as gently comforting.

I nodded slowly and stared up at him with wide brown eyes. "Thank Eric. Really," I said steadily. "If you hadn't been there I would hav- I would be-"

Eric shook his head, stopping my rambling as fresh tears appeared in the corner of my eyes.

"It's ok. It wasn't your fault, ok?" He said simply, obviously a little uncomfortable with being treated like a hero.

"Thank you."

He nodded once before taking a seat beside me with his back against the backboard of the king sized bed. An immediate sense of calm and security washed over me once I knew I was safe.

I relaxed into the soft comforter. My muscles slowly uncoiling so I could rest. I felt fatigue settle on my eyelids from the end of the adrenaline rush. Even though anxiety still bubbled in my stomach, the rest of my body was tired.

"I'm sorry about the other day," I suddenly said as I recalled storming fearfully out of the fear simulation.

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it, Candor," He replied.

"It's Ferris," I mumbled before slowly drifting off into sleep.