The Hunt

Chapter 23: Hanna

I see my team through the hospital windows.

I'm not even sure why they let me in. Last time I came to the hospital, I didn't leave, and Mr. Peterson claimed I was mentally insane because of it.

But I could honestly care less if they threw me into the loony bin right now.

Minea, and the blond girl Viktoria, as well as a couple of other kids have bruises and cuts in various places, and even though they are being let out of the hospital soon, are still beat up pretty bad. Some of the other kids, the shier, more obedient ones, barely have a scratch. Maybe they were the ones who didn't follow Jonas as deep into the riots.

It's Jonas, Stephan, and a few other of their buddies that had extreme damage. They are all in one room, lying on beds, looking terrible. Stephan has dried blood all over his head, from a gash in his skull, and he looks unconscious as the nurses try to wash the wound. A few boys right next to the window have casts and bandages all over.

Jonas, and his normally athletic self, has major bandages all over his bare chest, and is pacing around the room with a limp. You can never keep him in the hospital for more than a day. Whether fully healed or not, you can't keep him cooped up.

I just watch him. I had let Garik send in back up to lift my team out of Tanek, and the regular military fought off the exiles. Garik hasn't talked to me all day, but I know he's furious. This will bring nothing but bad reviews on my team, which will bring down the reputation of Surga's ability to run the military even more. The capital can't be happy.

Finally, I step over and open the door to the room.

Jonas looks up at me, and then looks away immediately.

"Excuse me, can you leave us for a minute?" I ask the nurses, and they all clear out of the room.

When the door is shut, I cross my arms.

"I'm not even sure why I'm talking to you right now. You know what a moron you've been, and you know how angry Garik is going to be. The only reason I'm even looking at you is because I want to tell you myself," I say.

Jonas mumbles something, but looks away.

"I don't think you understand, Jonas. Garik hates me. The officials hate me. My team hates me. Soon, the entire city will hate me too. And I didn't even do anything."

Jonas lets out a sigh, "Hanna, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"I don't want your sorry. I want you to tell me, with all your theories and everything, how to fix this. My entire team is the hospital, this exile is nowhere to be found, and I'm stuck," I throw up my arms, "I could use a little help."

"Help?!" now Jonas speaks, "I've been there for you ever since you got the mission. I've been doing nothing but helping you."

"Oh yeah, is that why you ordered my team to jump into a riot?"

"Hanna, I said I'm sorry."

"No, you don't understand! You disconnected!"

"You weren't there. If you had seen everything that was going on, you would want to help them too."

"I don't care if you want to be the hero Jonas, but this is not your team, you don't call the shots. I do."

"Yeah, because only people like you are leaders."

I take a step back, "What does that mean?!"

Jonas realizes what he's said, "I'm sorry Hanna, I didn't mean-"

"No, I understand what you meant. Look, just get better already, so you can, you know, help me again," I snap and spin around, storming out of the room.

"Hanna! Hanna I'm sorry! Please come back!" Jonas calls, but the door closes and cuts him off.

I am banging my head against the wall of my dorm.

It's impossible. I have officially scoured every possible piece of evidence there is involving the mission, and nothing shows anything as to where the exile is. This exile is too smart, covered its tracks too well.

I give up.

I haven't checked my phone or computer in a while. There are too much media and comments about me that I don't want to hear. I'm infamous, inside and outside the military buildings of Surga.

And to make things worse, the door knocks.

"Hanna."

It's Jonas.

"Hanna," he says again.

I don't reply.

He doesn't wait for a reply though. He comes in and stands in front of me, his hands in his pockets, looking like a hurt puppy.

"Aren't you supposed to be in the hospital?" I ask, even though I know he would never stay there.

"I still have my bandages on. See?" he lifts up his shirt to reveal the bandages covering his stomach and chest.

Now I can't help but feel a little pity for him. He's obviously in pain, but he won't let anyone know, or they'd force him back in the hospital.

"Have you eaten?" is all I manage to say.

"I'm not hungry," he says.

I just stand there, facing him.

"I'm sorry," he says.

I don't say anything. I'm tired, stressed, worn out, and don't have the energy to fight with him.

"I didn't understand how hard your position was, until today, in the hospital. All I heard anyone talking about was you, all the TV blared was about you, even other patients were talking about you. If I was in this position, I would break down."

I want to tell him how I feel like breaking down right now.

"I'm sorry," he says again.

"It's okay," I let out a shaky breath.

Jonas looks at me, and I can tell he sees how tired I am.

He pulls me in, "Get some sleep."

I curl lightly into his injured chest, pressing my head in his shoulder. I can't stay angry at Jonas. It's almost as impossible as finding this exile.

Then, Jonas pulls apart, kisses me on the forehead, and climbs into his bed.

There's a moment when I just stand there. I touch my forehead, and then wander into the bathroom to do something, anything at all.

I stay up all night, thinking about everything. My mind can keep going, even after I'm exhausted, and I don't appreciate it.

And that's why, when my phone rings, I bolt upright and answer it immediately.

"Hanna, sorry to wake you," Garik says, although he doesn't sound sorry at all. Still angry with me.

"What is it?" I say.

"I need you to report to the main control room by the back door. We have an unexpected guest."

By the way Garik says that, I know something is up.

"Who is it?"

"An exile. Told the guards he needed to speak to you. Apparently, he has information on the exile you're hunting."

I feel the wind knocked out of my chest, new emotions flooding into me.

"Does he have a name?"

"He said his name was Javaar."