Transparent: A Divergent FanFiction (Book One) ©

Chapter 7

                The school nurse, an older and kind looking woman dressed in abnegation grey, nearly had a heart attack the moment she laid eyes on me. I could only imagine the sight; the side of my face coated with sticky drying blood, white shirt tainted a deep crimson, and a faint bruise already forming near my eye.

                “Oh dear, here’s the other one,” she told her assistant, another friendly looking woman dressed in amity yellow, when she saw me walk through the doorway.

                “It’s not too bad-“I tried to explain when I saw their eyes widen in panic. “It’s mostly stopped bleeding. I could probably just head off to class, all I’d need is a note to excuse my tardiness.”

                “Nonsense young man, a blow to the head could be serious,” the abnegation woman said, taking me by my elbow as she started to lead me to the back. “You need to rest, and lay down,” she said and then turned to Randi, “I’ll be right back to check you in ok?”

                “I’m not hurt,” Randi answered quickly, turning to leave before either of the nurses could pull her in. “See you around Sage, and thanks again,” she called over her shoulder as she jogged off.

                The nurses shared a look, and I saw them shake their heads in worried disapproval before focusing all of their attention on me. With both of them on either side of me, we walked towards the back of their tiny clinic. Though I appreciated their concern, it honestly felt a little silly; I’d made it here just fine, and if I were to fall, my dead-weight would be too much for either of them. Nonetheless, I stayed quiet and let them lead me to the cots.

                “Hey, you made it,” Danny mumbled from beneath the large icepack that took up most of his face.

                “Yeah, how are you feeling? Is it broken?” I asked as I laid out on the cot that was much too small for my frame; my feet dangled over the edge and I had to clasp my hands on my stomach so they wouldn’t hag over the sides.

                “I feel great actually, that nice amity lady gave me some kind of shot,” he pointed to his neck with his free hand, “and any kind of worries I felt just, like, evaporated. I feel awesome. And no, it’s not broken, just swollen.”

                I vaguely wondered what they’d given him, but didn’t have enough time to really think it through before the abnegation nurse and her amity assistant returned.

                “How are you feeling?” The abnegation woman asked as she began to wipe at the dried blood with a wet washcloth.

                “Okay, my head hurts a little but it’s nothing unbearable,” I answered, wincing slightly when the cloth brushed over the gash on my temple. I tried to keep my expression neutral so they wouldn’t worry, but the amity nurse must’ve seen my reaction because a few moments later she pulled out a syringe and a little vial filled with a green liquid.

                “You’re in pain aren’t you?” she asked, attaching the needle to her syringe and tilting the vial upside down.

                “A little,” I answered, watching her every move with suspicion.

            “You have nothing to worry about, that injection will just help take the edge off,” the abnegation woman comforted me as she continued to clean my wound. She must’ve read my expression.

                I nodded; though the abnegation woman wasn’t candor, her words were said with so much sincerity, I knew I could trust her.