In Times of War

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen

Maria

I’m awakened by something breaking on the floor.

   I hear my mother say a word that I’d never heard her say before. The fact that I hear my mom’s voice gives me hope that all the things horrible things I remembered had just been some horrible nightmare. I cautiously open my eyes, scared that I’ll find that I’m not actually in my room at home. I find that it wasn’t a dream when I see the white hospital room. I blink a couple of times to make sure I’m seeing everything right, and I sadly find that I’m seeing everything correctly. After I take in my surroundings I feel hunger, but I push it down telling myself that I didn’t need to eat, that I wasn’t hungry. Mama realizes that I’m awake and runs to the door.

   “Alice! Tony!” She calls out the door. I don’t know why she would be so eager to let David see me, but my heart swells with joy to know that he’s okay. Footsteps thunder through the hallway towards my room and it sounds like a herd of elephants pounding through the hospital.

“What is it? Is she okay? Did she wake up?” Tony runs into the room firing questions like a machine gun.

   “If you’d shut up you’d see that I’m fine.” I state, crossing my arms. Tony rushes to the side of my bed and Alice follows right behind him. I see my mom quietly slip out the door, and I feel kind of sad that I didn’t get to talk to her at all. Alice waves her hands around to express her loud feelings but I can’t make sense of anything that she’s saying because David’s talking in my other ear and I see a big white thing on Alice’s hand.

“Alice, what on earth did you do to your arm?” I shout, making both of them be quiet. Alice looks down at her arm and seems to suddenly remember what it is.

“Oh, I kinda punched someone in the face.” She says innocently.

“Who?! Do I get to punch them too? What did they do?” I screech and throw the covers off of me and swing my legs over the side. I’m completely ready to hurt anyone that hurt her.

“They kidnapped you!”

“You punched Zacharias in the face? What were you thinking?” I get up and shake her shoulders.

   “I was thinking that he kidnapped my sister and beat the daylights out of her! You’re lucky our moms and Alex weren’t there, and that you were passed out. Otherwise, I’m not sure he’d be alive to be rotting in his prison cell right now! Now, will you stop yelling at me?”

“Wait, he’s in prison?” I ask, releasing her shoulders and turning to David.

   “Yeah, him and a lot of his men on a whole slew of charges. None of it would’ve happened either if Alice hadn’t been stupid enough to ride in the bed of my truck last night.” David gives Alice a pointed look as he speaks.

“You did what?!” I screech at her. “Do you have any idea what could’ve happened? What they could’ve done to you? Do you know what those men have done?”

“Yes, I do. Tony told me everything last night, now calm down and get back in bed before you have a heart attack or something.” Alice orders.

“No! I’m fine! Alice, you could’ve been killed because of me! Don’t you ever do anything that stupid ever again!” I wrap my arms around her skinny body, almost in tears because of what Zacharias promised me.

   “Mia, I’m fine. Now, calm down and get back in bed. Then you can tell me what Zacharias told you that has you so scared.” She tries to lead me to the bed, but I refuse, wanting to know how she knew he told me something. I start to panic and shake in fear of what could have happened.