Dauntles Black Heart

CH22

Thomas POV

"Good morning, is she up?" Four quietly says walking into the living room.
"She is still sleeping, and good morning." I say.
"Tris just woke up, I'm going to get breakfast do you want to come or I can get you and Emerald something? What would Emerald want?" he says, Tris then walks into the room wearing one of Four's shirts, it looks like a dress on her, and shorts.
"I'll go with you" I say, then carefully get up and lay Emerald's head on the pillow, then walk out the door.
"It's not your fault." He says.
"I promised you I would protect her." I says.
"Listen to me," he says, then steps in front of me and puts his hands on my shoulders. "You have protected her, will protect her, you will not stop protecting her. You love her, you will always be there for her. I have witnessed how much you care for her, how much she cares for you, I have known you for more than two years and I know you lay down your life for her." I don't say anything.
"Thomas, you would die for her, wouldn't you?" he says.
"I would" I say.
"I know" he says then we continue walking. We grab some muffins, and walk back.

Emerald is still sleeping, I set on the couch and Four and Tris set in there with us.
"I talked to Tori and she said that you can take some days off." Tris says to me.
"I know Eric will let Emerald off till she is better." I say.
"He actually came to check on her and said she didn't have to come in." Tris says. "He is really sorry about what happened."
"Why does he care so much?" I ask, they both shrug their shoulders. Then Emerald starts to wake up.
"How do you feel?" Tris asks her, Emerald seems to be a little disoriented.
"I'm fine." She says trying to set up, I help her. I hand her a muffin, she looks at it for a moment.
"It's a muffin" I say.
"I know that, I just... I don't know... is there something wrong with me?" she says.
"How do you feel, are you dizzy or nocuous?" Four asks.
"I... I have a headache, I'm dizzy, it looks and feels like everything is... moving. I wasn't moving my muffin but it looked like it was." She says, almost sounding confused by her own words.
"Thomas take her back to your apartment, Tris and I will meet you there in a few minutes." Four says, he and Tris walk out the room. Emerald tries to stand, but she can't keep her balance. I pick her up, one reason is she can't walk straight, second is because she is still drowsy, and three because she doesn't have shoes with her.

I lay her down on the bed.
"Thomas, what is going on?" she asks looking up at me.
"I don't know, Four will explain when he gets here." I say.
"Don't leave me." she says.
"I'm not going anywhere." I say then set on the bed next to her, I put my hand on her hand, she holds it as tight as she can, I can tell that her eyes are getting tired, they keep closing then when she realizes she opens them.
"Don't go to sleep on me." I say.
"I... I'm trying" she says. Four and Tris finally get here, they have computers and other things, then Marlene walks in behind them.
"I need to get a blood sample." Marlene says.
"Why" Emerald asks.
"To see exactly what you were injected with." She answers, Emerald nods. Marlene takes some of Emeralds blood, then puts some of it on a piece of glass then slides it into the computer. Four types furiously on the computer then there is a knock at the door, I answer it looks like a male form of Tris.
"I'm Caleb." He says then walks through the door. "Is this Emerald?"
"For an erudite you aren't that smart, of course that is Emerald." Marlene says.
"How are you Beatrice?" he asks turning to Tris.
"I go by Tris, and things are fine." She says.
"I see you are still with that boyfriend of yours." He says.
"Four is not my boyfriend any more" she says.
"Good, you found your smartness and broke up with him" Caleb says.
"No she is my wife" Four says.
"You got married to someone you have only known a year, he is too old for you." Caleb says.
"Can someone tell me what is wrong with Emerald?" I stop their conversation. Then Caleb starts to type on the computer, and Emerald fell asleep.
"The erudite have been working on a new serum, but every one they tested it on had died, nearly died, or was extremely ill. My theory is that she was injected with that serum." Caleb says looking up from the computer.
"Is she going to... die?" I ask.
"I'm sorry but I don't know." He says, my heart drops. I just look at her, Caleb had to go back to erudite, and Marlene, Four, and Tris were called into work. She opens her eyes after they have all left.

"Do you want something to eat or drink?" I ask her, she shakes her head no.
"Thomas please answer my next question with the truth." She says.
"I will, the truth and nothing but the truth." I say hoping to lighten the mood.
"Am I going to... die?" she asks.
"We don't know." I say after a minute of silence, she looks down at her hands then closes her eyes, tight.
"Thomas can you do me a favor?" she says not opening her eyes.
"Yes, anything" I say.
"I want you to read me a book." She says.
"Anything particular" I ask.
"I did hear some girls talking about a book, I think it was called 'the star faults' or 'fault stars' I can remember." She says, I know what she is talking about.
"'The Fault In Our Stars' by John Green" I say.
"Yeah that one" she says, I asked Zeke if he could get me a copy of the book, he can get anything. I set next to her, she lays her head on my shoulder.
"Please wake me up if I fall asleep." She says. I nod and start to read out loud to her.
"Chapter one. Late in the winter of my seventeenth year," she fell asleep a few times, I finish reading to her with the last line. "I do, August, I do" she cried, but who didn't?

"Why would you read that to me?" she asks wiping away tears.
"You told me to" I say.
"Why would you do this to me?" she asks.
"I... I... but you..." I messed up big time, note to self: DO NOT let Emerald read the book again.
"Calm down I was just messing with you, but seriously don't read me another book like that." She says, I laugh partly because she just played me and another part because she wasn't really mad at me.

"Did you know there was also a movie for the book?" I ask.
"Who would want to read that torcher then watch it on screen?" she asks, I just look at her, there are so many reasons I love her. "Are you going to put in the movie or not?" she asks, that's my girl, I get up and put in the movie. She snuggles up close to me and we watch the movie, eating popcorn and drinking juice boxes, I don't think alcohol will help Emerald.