Fourtris Now and Forever: Divergent No War

Chapter 22

Tobias POV

Tris wouldn't get up this morning. She looked sick and I didn't know what to do, so I'm taking off from work. After I told my boss, I arrived back home where I am currently trying to get Tris's fever down.

105 is what the thermometer said when I placed it in her mouth. I'm getting very worried.

She lay in bed stomach down, sleeping, looking very ill. How is it that she got this sick overnight? She was absolutely fine last night, but now she looks gaunt, as if she were on the brink of death.

I start crying, feeling both remorse for her and for myself. I was going to ask Tris to move in today; she practically lives here already.

I shake my head when I look down at her. Tears trace their way down my cheeks. I can't will myself to feel okay if she's not.

I slowly stand up, and lift her. I carry her like a baby down the hall and across the compound, all the way to the medic.

~~~~

They say it's incurable; the cure hasn't been invented yet.

"Four, your hope should be placed in the Erudite. They can possibly run tests to figure out what's wrong. I'm sorry but the antidote to this poison hasn't been invented yet. Do you want to bring her to them? They may be able to save her."

I look up at the nurse for the first time through my teary eyes. A poison? The first thought that comes to mind is revenge, but then I remember her full sentence. I try to sort through possibilities in my mind. If I decide to bring her there, there is a chance that they'll discover she's divergent. But if I don't-

"Take her."

I look down at her helpless form and I almost can decipher a nod.

I lean down and kiss her on the lips gently. The wheel her out of the compound and I follow. Every step of the way.

When I get there, I don't keep a low profile. I simply walk beside her, as if there was nowhere else I was supposed to be. I keep a straight face despite the pain I'm feeling right now. I look down at her and almost lose it again.

When we arrive at the intensive care units, I am stopped by a bulky guard.

"You can't pass," he tells me.

I look him square in the eyes and say, "Yes, I can. The love of my life is critically ill and you can't stop me from passing."

The guard immediately calls a few more and they restrain me, pressing my arms to my back and dragging me out of the intensive care units.

"Stop!" One of the young doctors calls. He looks like he just went through initiation. "Let him through."

I shake the guards off me and murmur, "Thanks," to the boy.

He looks at me and says, "Good to know my sis has someone looking out for her."

"You're Caleb?" I ask.

He gives me a slight head nod and continues walking me through to Tris's room.

"I'll be in charge of her here." He says, taking up an aura of sophistication.

~~~~

"Hey," Caleb says as he approaches me in my assigned room.

I look up at him and nod. Tris has been in the hospital for 3 days now.

"She's doing alright. We managed to slow the progression of the poison so that's a start. I think we're on the right track."

I'm silent and Caleb sits next to me. "Tell me," he says. "I know you want to say something. It must be weird, talking to her sister, but you can tell me.... She contacted me...you know... After initiation. She broke the news to me. She did it in secret, but nevertheless she did. She only told me three things. One, that she made initiation. Two, that she was happy with her life. And three, that she was happy that she had someone in her life who she loved a great deal."

I look up at him once again, tears coming to my eyes. What if I lose her, I think.

"I'm going to presume that if she loves someone that much, I would care for him, too. So I want you to vent to me. It's actually proven to lower emotions afterwards, and I want you to see the light in this situation."

I sigh and he asks me a question, "So... What you're name?"

"Four." I say.

"How did you two meet my sister. Tell me the backstory on the two of you. Convince me, number boy. I want to know if my sister's choice was worth it."

I keep my head down and say, "First day of her initiation. One of the leaders led them down to a building for entry. I was a ten story building and she volunteered to go first," I forget about everything that's screwed up and focus my attention on my story of how I fell in love with her. "She came flying down and all I registered was a gray blob. She landed right before me and I helped her up. I was her instructor, but with her, it felt like something more... It felt- It felt different. Like I was trying to help her. After a while, I decided to let her know more about me. I knew so much about her and basically all she knew about me was that I was intimidating and my name was a number. I let her into my fear landscape.... She learned my real name and about my childhood. And then... Things sorta clicked and the next thing I knew we were sitting at a rock alone and we kissed. And then...." I sigh. I went into too much detail. But I love Tris and I can't help myself. "Well... Let's just say... I don't know what I would do if I lost her... I love her."

"And she loves you. She would never leave this place without getting to say one last thing to you. She would never leave you. And I support her decision on this point. Even if you are a little too old for her... Me and her, we haven't exactly seen eye to eye, but she's still my sister. And I still look out for her."

I nod, looking at him stragely. I did not picture him this way.

"Well. I should get back to Tris. I'll keep you updated."

I nod in response and say, "Thanks."

That's when the tears come.