Above

29

Estelle
I wake up in the helicopter on one of the benches.
Leeciy sat across from me, his head buried in his hands.
September holds my hand, tight, scared. "She's awake!"
I push myself up, my hand flying to my head.
September helps me to sit, making sure I was leaning on the wall of the helicopter.
Luca was next to me, his arm in a makeshift sling.
Leeciy jumps up. "How do you feel?"
"Ugh." I lean my head back. "I feel very... Ugh."
September chuckles. "You got your ass kicked."
"I know." I sigh. "I didn't want to fight her."
"Your sister's mean." Luca mumbles.
I shrug. "She's not usually like that."
"Are you okay?" Leeciy asks. "Like emotionally."
"I dunno." My voice wavers. "I'm disappointed and hurt."
Luca reaches over and grabs my hand. "It wasn't meant to be."
"I wish it was." I sigh.
Logan walks in from the cockpit. "We'll be home in five minutes."
I nod. "Thanks."
She smiles sympathetically.
I look at Leeciy. "What's wrong with Luca?"
"His arm is broken." He says. "He might have a concussion but I'm not sure."
I glance over a Luca, who sadly played with his bowstring.
"You have two black eyes, a fat lip, a slightly swollen cheek, and a bruise all around your neck." September says. "You look like a mess."
"I would think." I try to smile but that just makes my lip hurt.
"Erich could probably help with a lot of the face stuff." Logan says. "He worked wonders on Annaliesee's back."
I look down at my feet. "Good."
September rubs my arm soothingly.
The helicopter lands, so we grab our things and get out.
Luca is grabbed by Fran, who yells at him, then softens at the sight of his arm.
Nigel is hugging Logan, tightly. His speech about how Logan was a miracle pops into my head and makes me feel really guilty for taking her.
Cirus ran to Leeciy, clinging onto him like a monkey to a tree.
September grabs my forearm gently. "Let's get you to Erich."
***
I sat silent on a hospital bed while Erich poked and prodded at me, talking softly to September.
I stare forward at a crack in the wall, finding asylum in the small shots of pain that shoot into my body when Erich touches a particularly tender spot.
Disgust and hatred for myself fill my mind.
I did something wrong. It's my fault she didn't come with.
Luca is hurt because of me, and now he can't defend himself and its all my fault.
Leeciy hates me and its my fault, because I let my feelings get in the way.
Erich touches my stomah and I hiss in pain.
"Sorry." He mururs, placing a hand on my shoulder.
"How much can you heal?" September asks.
"Almost everything except your neck."
I nod.
He places a hand on my face, sending soothing waves into my bruised skin. Then he does my stomach, sending the same waves.
"You'll be stiff on your abdomen for a few days, so avoid doing sit ups and crunches, but other than that you're pretty okay." Erich orders like a doctor.
I nod. "Thanks."
"Be more careful." Erich says. "Bruises like that, you'll need to fight back."
I nod.
September stands. "We'll be leaving then."
Erich nods, then walks out the door.
***
Yeeva
I sit in my bunker, watching all the girls comb their hair and talk about whatever.
I'm thinking about Michoon, much like usual, times like these remind me of him and where we grew up.
The orphanage was always loud filled with screaming and fighting. 
I pick at my nails, which I've grown out, because when I finally kill that redheaded bitch, I plan on scratching her eyes out.
I push my nails into my hands, just making the little crescents deeper.
The door to the bunker opens loudly and everyone shuts up, or gets up and stands at attention. Besides me of course, the captain is a person, and I'm stronger than him, so I stay sat on my bed, my only interested in my nails.
"Neeva, you're wanted by the president." He says loudly.
I sigh. "Okay, whatever."
***
The sight of Maverick, bruised and scratched gives me the slightest satisfaction, mostly because her and Estelle share faces.
"Neeva, dear, please sit." The president offers.
I shake my head. "What am I here for?"
"Too close." Maverick says. "They are too close."
I want to stomp on her face.
"The traitors showed up today, earlier." The president says. "They attacked Miss Maverick."
"Just call her Maverick, the sound of Miss Maverick makes me want to gag myself with a spoon." I say. "I can't take them!" The president yells, standing suddenly. "They got too close."
I roll my eyes and cross my arms. "And?"
"They hurt one of our recruits." She says pointing to Maverick.
"They killed twelve of them and this one shocks you?" I ask.
The president glares at me. "This one is different and you know that."
"How so?"
"Maverick is leverage, and with her we can control Estelle, but it seems we can't anymore." The president taps her chin. "She is still different to me."
"Yeah, whatever makes you happy." I sigh.
"What should I do, to teach them that there's a line and they can't cross it?" She asks herself.
"Make one of those menacing videos that really just hurt us?" I ask. "What am I here for?"
"I need your help to plan an attack." She nods. "Yeah, that's a good idea."
Maverick hisses in pain after touching her eye.
The president angrily sighs, her nostrils flaring.
I shrug. "Whatever you want to do, you rule after all."
She sits back down to think, pushing a hand through her thick curtain of hair.
I pick at my nails, waiting on an answer.
Maverick leans over and whispers to the president.
The president smiles. "You're right." She stands, packing her things. "There's no better lesson than termination. Alarm the troops, they're all ambushing tomorrow morning."