The Destroyed Girl

Chapter 15: Family Relations

RHEA'S POV
I finally feel well again. It's night time now. I sit up in bed, and Teresa checks my pulse and everything. This feels like the right time for questions.

"Do you care?" I ask slowly. "That you betrayed us?"

Teresa flinches. "Yes. I think about you guys everyday. But I don't regret what I did."

I shut my eyes for a second and then say, "WICKED tore mine and Minho's minds apart. They made us relive the mazes, see our worst fears coming to light. I watched people that I care about die hundreds of times. What kind of monster lets that happen on her own conscience?"

Teresa swallows thickly, looking away. "I'm doing this for the good of everyone."

"You didn't have to betray us," I snap.

"I did what I had to do. WICKED restored my memory. I remember my Mother, a Crank, sick. Me having to watch my mum slowly turn. I don't want any other kid to have to experience that," Teresa says.

A knock comes from the door. Janson. His walking isn't as smooth, mainly because I shot his legs.

"Get her cleaned up and new clothes. Chancellor Paige wants to see her after that," Janson orders.

Teresa nods quickly and Janson leaves. I clutch the bed rail and stand up slowly. I feel whole. Fine. It's strange.

"Follow me," Teresa says.

~

I change into a black shirt, with a black leather jacket, because they won't give me back my hoodie. I also wear dark blue jeans that reach my ankles and combat boots.

I look into the mirror. My scar.

It's fading. They healed it. It's fading.

I tie my hair up in a high ponytail, not feeling like leaving it down.

I head out of the bathroom and see Teresa, waiting patiently. She stares at me for a moment too long before motioning for me to follow her.

"Am I going to Ava's office?" I ask as we both walk down the lighted corridor.

People bustle around but stay clear from me. They know me. Or they're just intimidated by me and the scar.

"You will address her as Chancellor Paige, when you see her there," Teresa says, not looking my way.

I shake my head. "No, I won't. She's Ava to me. She doesn't deserve to be Chancellor."

Teresa shakes her head. "She's trying to find a way."

"Teresa," I say, exasperated. "We all want a cure. We all do. But this isn't the way."

"Then tell me what is," She challenges.

"Not this!" I exclaim. "Putting innocent children into a Maze to die. Torturing people! No. This isn't the way."

"If I could have it any other way, I would. But I can't," Teresa says, and stops in front of Ava's door.

"Will you be in there with us?" I ask, an eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Teresa answers.

The door opens and I walk in first, scowling.

"Rheana," Ava says, facing me, shock widening her eyes.

"Ava," I say curtly. "I think you should know why I'm here."

"You've finally changed sides," She says.

I scowl. "No. I still hate you." She flinches. Good. I've hurt her. "But I want a cure as much as you do. I'm volunteering to be a test subject. On one condition."

Ava actually looks shocked.

"None of the others get hurt. None. And you will not start the Maze Trials again. You will release the immunes. And you will leave them to me to take care of," I say firmly.

Ava stares at me for a while. "You always had a talent for manipulation. You always put up good deals. I'm willing to comply. Only after we've taken sufficient amount of blood from you will we release them, though."

I scowl. "How can I be certain you aren't lying?"

"I won't break our deal Rheana. I promise," Ava says, eyes pleading for my trust.

"And now I'm supposed to take your word for it," I say, chuckling humourlessly. "Do I need to remind you of what you've done to lose my trust? You infected my Father, you made me kill, you sent me into the maze, and you tortured me."

"I'm so sorry, Rheana. I really am," Ava says pleadingly.

I shake my head, my blood boiling. "No, you don't get what I've done to get this far. How I've managed to not kill you. How I've managed to not kill myself.

"And it's all because of you. My life is like shit because of you. And now I've lost everyone I care about because I want a cure as well and I have an infected friend and he might just die because of this virus and so don't give me your little, pathetic 'sorrys' and 'I didn't mean to'. It's all bullshit. So you either comply or I kill you right now."

Ava's eyes widen.

"Do we have a deal?" I ask harshly.

Ava looks towards Teresa, who looks just as shocked, and nods slowly. "Yes. I'll get Teresa to bring you to the other immunes."

"Good. Are they all immunes?" I ask, my tone cold.

"No, not all. But none are affected," Ava says.

I nod. "Okay. I want them all grouped together. And I don't want their training to continue. Until you're done experimenting on me, they're to be kept in good health and fed."

Ava looks stunned by my words but nods. "So do you want to see them?"

"No. I want to know. How bad it is?" I say.

"The virus is airborne," Ava says slowly. "Nothing we do can prevent it from coming in to Denver. We need a cure. And fast."

"It's airborne?" I say slowly, shocked.

This is bad.

"Yes. Now you see how terrible of a situation we're in?" Ava says.

I shake my head. "Start taking my blood."