Hidden Truths

Chapter Once

I woke up the next day in a slightly better mood than when I went to bed. Not only had the image of Alex's lifeless body and bloody leg momentarily haunted me, but when I went back to my room I had a visitor waiting for me.

Mother freaking nature.

As if dealing with Alex's blood wasn't enough, now I had to deal with my own.

I spent a good portion of the night groaning and cursing out loud.

Thank goodness whoever set up my room had the decency to leave me pads and tampons in the bathroom. However, I really wanted some medicine for the pain, alas when I checked, the medicine cabinet was empty.

When I went down to the kitchen for breakfast, Eli was already there as usual, he regularly prepared the breakfast in the house, and he did a good job at it too.

He plated up some pancakes and strawberry syrup for breakfast. He placed a loaded plate informer of me, before also placing a packet of medicine next to my plate.

"What's this?" I asked, even though I could clearly tell it was Advil, pain relief medication.

"I may have overheard your moaning last night... I mean at first I didn't know what to think, but then I heard you yell 'screw you mother nature' and it doesn't take a genius to find out what that meant" he said as smirked at me.

"Didn't realise I was so loud, sorry", I apologised, remembering back to the first week when Eli mentioned he hated his sleep being disturbed.

"It's fine, I couldn't sleep anyway" he brushed it off.

I continued eating my breakfast. Along the way I accidentally poured too much syrup and so every time I took a bite, the red syrup would start dripping down my lips. Way to make yourself look like an idiot, Mia.

"You, uh, have a little something" Eli said as he pointed to the corner of his own lips.

I twirled my tongue out to lick the syrup off my lips before it dripped further down and onto my top.

Eli's gaze fixated on my lips, before they met my eyes, "yeah, you uh, got it" he marvelled, his eyes almost flickered before he turned around and put the dirty dishes in the sink.

After I finished up with breakfast, I went to Alex's room, knocking at the door, but there was no response. I turned the knob thinking maybe he was still sleeping, but when I entered the room, it was empty.

I saw Jacob pass at that moment and I asked him if he knew where Alex was. He replied saying he was in the ward in a tone implying it was very obvious.

I stood there dumbfounded not knowing if that meant Alex was taken to a hospital last night.

Jacob could clearly see the bewilderment on my face because he instructed me to follow him.

We had entered the basement of the mansion; the only place Alex hadn't shown me, so I assumed it was simply used as a storage unit. However, to my surprise, once we ascended down the stairs, a long hallway with multiple doors on either side came into view.

Jacob opened one of the doors on the left, which lead into a very clinical room.

"He's on the second bed on the right", he stated, before he turned around and left me there alone.

I walked over, pulling the curtain aside and just as Jacob instructed, Alex was there; but instead of seeing him looking sick and tired as I expected, Alex sat there sucking on what looked like his IV pipe.

"Oh heeey, Mia! Wanna sip?" he exclaimed, turning the pipe towards me.

A confused look must have crossed my face at that moment because that was the only emotion I was feeling as I muttered, "what the hell are you doing Alex?"

"Oh, whatever was in that bag was weirding me out, so I got orange juice poured into it instead" He said, beaming a smile at me, and I couldn't help but let out a laugh at his goofiness.

I spent what seemed like hours with Alex as he joked around, almost as if he were heedless to the fact that he was shot yesterday. I tried subtly asking him how he actually got shot, but he was always one step ahead of me, changing the subject before I could get an answer.

"So it doesn't hurt at all now?" I asked as I looked towards his leg.

"No, I'm fine, I'm a big boy you know" he announced, huffing out his chest to make himself look bigger.

"Yet you continue to act like a little kid" I turned around to see Aiden rolling his eyes as he approached Alex.

Over the past few days, I had found that Alex & Aiden shared an odd relationship. Not once had I seen them act brotherly in any way, until yesterday when Alex was injured. Then again, what did I know about sibling relationships? I grew up without any.

"I'll give you two some time alone, but I'll be back later" I announced before getting up and giving Alex's hand a quick squeeze before leaving the ward.

As I left Alex's room, I found myself in the basement hallway and decided to look around at the other doors.

There was one directly across from the ward which had the sign "Dr. L. Sanchez" on the front, indicating it was the doctor from last night's office. I looked down the hallway to the other two doors on either side and then at the one on the end. The doors on either side appeared normal, but had no signs on them indicating what might be behind them. However, it was the door on the end that caught my attention.

A big metal door with multiple locks on it. Like something you'd see in a solitary confinement cell in prison.

"The stairs are this way Mia." I looked back to see Xavier standing at the bottom of the stairs, his facial expression cautioning me to go back upstairs, without any questions asked.

I rolled my eyes at him, of course he knew to come get me before my curiosity got the best of me, this hallway must have been packed with hidden security cameras.

I sighed to myself as I made my way back up the stairs. It seemed as though I would have to find another way to get my answers.

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Authors Note: This one is a bit of a shorter chapter, because I've been a little busy lately, but I've already started the next chapter, so might be up tomorrow!

Happy belated new year to everyone 🥂 hope you all have an amazing 2018!