Something Wild

Part V: Chapter Twenty

Here we gooooo see the end of the chapter for more A/N's

Chapter Twenty: Madison's POV

            I wake up to an unfamiliar blonde women cleaning the wound on my stomach. Air slips out of my mouth in the form of a hiss—pain blossoms where her hands dance across my abdomen. With the little strength I can muster, I smack her hand away my arm.

            "Don't touch me—" I try to say harshly, but it comes out barely as a squeak.

            "Ah, you're awake," the woman smiles and stands up, before calling out the door of the bedroom. "Valerie!" I hear erratic footsteps rushing toward the room, getting louder as they approach, and then suddenly—

            "Peaches!" Val sighs, her shoulders immediately relaxing, tension falling away from her body. "Damn it, Dylan, you scared the shit out of me." Dylan just grins and starts to walk out of the room, as she passes Val, she hands her the medical supplies.

            "She's a more difficult patient when she's awake," Dylan points out. "I think you can handle changing the bandages. There's a lot to catch her up on." Dylan squeezes Valerie's shoulder before sliding out the door and closing it behind her. Val doesn't move from her spot across the room, just staring at me. Her smiles falters as she takes in the bandages and bruises that cover my skin.

            "I look that bad, huh?" I say trying to make light of the situation, but the laugh that attempts to fall from my lips gets caught in my throat. Pain erupts through my abdomen as I start to cough. My head throbs with each cough that I force out of my body. Val is at my side hastily, her hand curling at the base of my neck, her face contorted in concern.

            "Take it easy, Madison, you're not in good shape," she whispers delicately in the space between us. For the first time, I take in her appearance. Her hair is matted back, dried blood causing pieces to clump together. Her right eye is swollen, a purple bruise paints a target on her face. The lips I'd grown used to kissing are split, cuts litter her cheek bones, and I cast my eyes away from her.

            "I should've gotten to you sooner..." I can't imagine what she went through, but if it were anything like I endured during the times I was with Samuel...then I have a faint idea. "I'm so sorry, Valerie."

            "No, don't do that to yourself, Mads," Val soothes brushing her fingers softly across my cheeks. "It's my fault I was taken, please don't blame yourself for this."

            "I should've been with you; I should've known you left!" I yell, guilt riddling holes in me like bullets. Despite the pain that radiates through me, I cry. The tears trail down my face in hot tracks; but there is no healing. There is no peace. There is pain, and guilt, and shame, and so much regret. Regret for sleeping while Val went out on her own. Regret for not finding her faster. Regret for killing all those people...just like my father. Just like Jacob would've. Without a second thought. Without hesitation. Cold blooded. Calculated. And Samuel knew it, he watched as I did it. He challenged me and I took his bait. "You could've died."

            "You could've, too." She regards me softly. "Please don't harbor this guilt on your own, Madison. I went to scavenge on my own instead of waking you up, that was on me. Not you." There's a look on her face, one I can't quite place. She won't look me in the eyes, her gaze dancing around my face but never meeting mine. She worries her bottom lip between her teeth, her fingers twirling a piece of my hair.

            "Val," I say cautiously, pieces falling into place. An obvious secret being kept. She finally looks me in the eyes. "Why didn't you wake me?"