GOLDEN REBEL HEART

Chapter 21

This is kind of a filler chapter, but we see how Taylor deals with Rue's death. I really hope you like it, please don't forget to vote and share your opinion on the comments below! Thank you so much for reading and supporting me, I love you all guys.

Songs for this chapter:

Tradition, The Belle Game
Cold World, Jon E.K
Wish You Were Here, Avril Lavigne
Where Do I Even Start?, Morgan Taylor Reid

-

Time seems to freeze after Rue's death.

After having spent hours with her arms wrapped around the lifeless young girl's cold body and weeping like a toddler, the strong arms that had attempted to pull her away from it had been the brisk break that had brought her back to reality. Her instinct had told her to run, and so she fled; run away from Utkarsh in a getaway car. Taylor drove for hours and hours, until the physical pain within her abdomen gave her no choice but to stop briskly along the road. She opened the door, collapsing on the ground with a hand clutching her chest. She thought that she had no more tears left to cry, but her eyes kept bleeding with grief, even when she had her back against the side of the car and the evening sky in front of her.

The American had given up. When the enemy's hands had been wrapped around her throat, she had given up. She had failed. She had disappointed Rue, and then she had disappointed herself. If only she had protected her, if only she had gotten Rue someplace safe. If only she hadn't been selfish, Rue would have been alive, instead of dead. She would be here, with her, laughing and being grateful because Utkarsh was safe and the Golden Path had been successful. Rue would be the one to hold Fuzz, not Taylor. It was only her fault if Rue was dead. It was her fault if she was too weak. It was her fault.

The American must have fallen asleep, and someone must have found her, because she doesn't remember getting to the infirmary. When she lazily opens her eyes, for just a moment, Rue is alive, and Utkarsh hadn't been bombarded. But then, she feels the oxygen mask over her face, and when she reaches up to take it off, she sees the dried blood beneath her short nails, and everything comes back to her and hits her with the force of a huge train. A weak whimper slips past her chapped lips, and the sudden urge to vomit overcomes her body. She bends over the edge of the bed, trembling hands gripping the sheets as she throws up noiselessly. Gentle fingers immediately gather her ruffled golden hair, and when the American briefly glances up, she sees a nurse with a bucket in her grasp, putting it gently under her mouth. The older woman rubs her back comfortingly, as Taylor keeps on heaving and then begins to spit blood. The sour taste of the crimson liquid makes her sapphire and tired eyes brim with tears, as she lies back down against the mattress. Taylor holds her abdomen, squeezing her eyes shut as she silently weeps. The nurse whispers words of reassurance and continues to caress her hair, gently coaxing her back to sleep.

When Taylor's breath slows down, and her whole appearance makes her seem peaceful, the nurse leaves her side and goes to the desk to update the American's file. Right in that moment, the leader walks in the infirmary with a cautious look on her face, her steps so quiet that the nurse almost doesn't hear her approaching.

"Hey, Yuma," Karlie says quietly. The nurse smiles up at her welcomingly and turns her attention to the woman, already knowing who she's here for. "How's Taylor?"

Yuma sighs internally. "She's stable, for now. She woke up a few minutes ago, but she fell asleep—now, actually. I guess that she couldn't handle what had happened yesterday."

Karlie frowns. "What are her injuries? Can I see her?"

"She's too weak now, Karlie," Yuma warns her. "Someone found her yesterday in the woods and they brought her here immediately. They said that she had probably fainted, but her injuries are not that bad. She just has an internal hemorrhage, which is small and will probably go away on its own. Nothing to worry about."