GOLDEN REBEL HEART

Chapter 9

Here is a slightly shorter chapter, which is more like a filler. I don't know if you've heard about the drama on twitter, but I don't believe Perez Hilton. I personally think that Karlie is a good and nice person and she would never betray Taylor's trust like that. If what Perez said is true, then I think that Karlie didn't do it to harm Taylor or did it in a purposeful way. Anyway, I still think that they are on good terms and that there isn't any drama between them, but I guess we just have to wait and see, right?

Hope you like the chapter, and please let me know what you think about it since there's a little bit of Karlie's story in this one!

-

The chaotic atmosphere hanging around her leaves her unmoving, speechless. Powerless. Nurses, doctors surround the fragile body of the American, who has yet to wake up from the terrible state of unconsciousness she has fallen into. Karlie stands on the doorstep, the people moving around the infirmary in a hurry, medical supplies in their hands as they run towards Taylor's bed. The rebel's breath is shallow, her eyes never leaving the American's still face, sapphire orbs hidden behind closed lids. The only thing that keeps her sane is the constant, although slow, rise and fall of her abdomen, because, that means she's alive, right? If she's alive, she's not dead, and that means that I haven't lost her yet.

Everything that is happening moves too quickly, but Karlie feels stuck, as if the time that passes  is slower than the one that passes outside of her body. It reminds her of a person that she's lost years and years ago; although, the only difference was that she had died in front of her, while Taylor was still breathing. Taylor was still alive. With an arrow inside her abdomen, but alive.

"Karlie, you need to leave,"

Sanjay is the one that tries to take her away from the scene unfolding before her eyes, and that's when the clock inside her head synchronizes with the one outside, hanging on the wall opposite her tall frame. The leader looks to her side, then to the hand grasping her arm. "I need to be here when she wakes up."

"She's still unconscious, we need to leave," the other rebel replies. "We need to let the doctors do their work."

Karlie firmly shakes her head. "No," she says. "I need to stay here. I need to know that she'll be okay."

"She will be okay, Karlie. We can't stay here," Sanjay tries again, pulling her arm along to drag her out of the infirmary, but Karlie stays glued to the spot. "Karlie," he warns. He sighs, and when the rebel doesn't acknowledge him, Sanjay adds quietly, "She's not her."

Karlie suddenly looks at him, unshed tears shining inside her jade green eyes, threatening to spill over and stain her cheeks. There's a look of understanding shared between their gazes, and the rebel clenches her jaw, now taking two steps backwards and exiting the almost suffocating infirmary. She hears nurses scream at other nurses to bring more blood, and she tries to erase its sound, still echoing inside her mind as they walk in the now dark streets of Banapur. The Golden Path had successfully repressed the attack, and fortunately there weren't as many victims as the last time. And yet, Karlie still feels like they've lost a battle.

"We'll wait here," Sanjay informs her, sitting down against the wall of a shop. The owner was sitting outside as well, but she was too distraught to even acknowledge their presence.

The older rebel could sense the leader's nervousness, seeing the way Karlie's fingers trembled as they played with the dirt on the ground. It was quiet around them, but every single civilian of Banapur was awake. Whether they were sitting outside of their shack to grieve their lost ones or they were outside, talking with others, everyone was awake. Although a lot of people had survived, the infirmary was full, filled with injured and burnt soldiers. Karlie closes her eyes, hearing the screams of the ones that were in pain, and for the first time in a while, Sanjay places his hand over hers and squeezes gently. When she looks at him, his gaze was lost somewhere else.