A Different Divergent: A Better Tomorrow

~fifty-five~

Chapter 55

My eyes fly open and search out Tobias'. His face betrays the same emotions I'm feeling right now: sadness, confusion, anger. This can't be happening ... not again. Harrison is gone? I watch as Tori's knees buckle and can no longer hold her. She wilts to the floor without making a sound. Tobias hurries off the bed to her side. He gently lies his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her but she shakes off his touch. Tears wet my eyes, and a few overflow and slowly roll down my cheeks. Tobias sits back down next to me and gently cups my face, wiping the moisture off with his thumbs. We see Zander in the doorway across the hall. He gives some final instructions to his now somber staff then slowly walks into my room, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry but he didn't make it," he quietly says, verifying what we already know. "Do any of you know his next of kin so I can contact them?" He looks at Tobias and me but neither one of us really know much about Harrison's personal life so we all look at Tori who seems lost in her own little world. "Tori?" Zander kneels down and puts his hand on her shoulder. "Does he have a family?"

"No," she stoically says as she slowly lifts her head. Her eyes look hallow, lifeless. Her spark has faded. "His family is long gone. What happened, doc?"

"I'm afraid I don't know. I have to do an autopsy before I can answer that question," he says. "I'll do it first thing in the morning."

"You'll do it now," she brusquely demands. Tobias and I look at each other. We've never herd Tori sound like this.

"Zander, can you do it now?" Tobias asks.

"I'm sorry but I can't," he says. "I've got to get home to let the babysitter go. She has a curfew. Gavin isn't responsible enough to watch his brothers and sisters yet."

"That's fine," Tobias says. "But we need you to do the autopsy first thing in the morning."

"We need the report as soon as possible," I say. "Hopefully it will give us a place to start the investigation."

"Four!" Tori says. She's definitely not happy with this development. "We need an explanation now!"

"You're absolutely right, Tori, but Zander has to get home to his children since Stella is away. If there was another doctor we trusted available to do it, we'd have them start the autopsy immediately but there isn't so we'll just have to wait a few hours."

"Fine!" she scoffs. She gets up off the floor and storms out of the room.

"Don't worry about her," I say as we watch her depart. "She's really taking his death hard. She blames herself for putting him in harm's way in the first place. She recommended him for the position, and she's been handing out the work assignments."

"It's not her fault," Tobias says.

"Everyone in this room knows that but guilt is a heavy burden to carry," I say.

"I understand why she's eager, and I feel bad that I can't get right on the autopsy," Zander says.

"Don't feel bad," I say. "Finding out what's going on around here is important but your family is more important so go home."

"I think I will. It's been a long shift. You should take your own advice," he says.

"As soon as Marlene says we can, we'll go," Tobias says. Zander gives us a confused look. "Tris' blood pressure is a bit high, which is probably my fault. I told her to go for help when we found Harrison."

"It's not your fault," I say, squeezing his hand.

"Oh," Zander says, realizing we aren't using the exam room as a private meeting place. He gets the blood pressure machine out of the corner and hooks me up to it. He hits the button and stands by waiting for the reading. When the blood pressure cuff releases my upper arm, we all look at the numbers. It's still elevated but not nearly as high as it was. "I think you're fine to go home. Try to take it easy but I understand that there's a murderer to catch. I'll tell Marlene that your blood pressure dropped to an acceptable level and I let you go." We thank Zander for everything then walk out of the infirmary hand-in-hand. The tone on the Pit floor is somber. Obviously, word of Harrison's death has begun to spread. Many people look like they want to stop and ask us questions but Tobias' fixed Four stare makes them think twice, and we are not disturbed.