Chapter 22.2

Sunlight streamed through the room as I opened my eyes once more. I was alone this time. I lay there unmoving for a moment, everything looked too good to be true. It looked too perfect. Sitting up was an exercise in pain management and I swung my legs out from under the sheets. I set my feet down on a cold wood floor, sending shivers across the bionic skin.

Everything was so quiet. I could hear my heartbeat, the rustle of the fabric as I shifted a little, the creak of floor boards outside the room. Birds chipped outside my window, their beautiful song felt like a lie. Nothing could be this calm, this serene with a war waging. No, the government is waiting for us, just outside. The birds are a lie. This, this has to be a lie. It's a holo sim or something, but this this can't be real.

I wrapped my fingers around the tube in my arm and gave it a sharp tug. A spike of pain shot out of my arm with a gout of blood. I took a tentative step towards the door. My knee wobbled for a moment, threatening to give out before locking up and steadying. My next step went just as well, but I could feel my entire body quivering. I focused on walking, on making it to the door and seeing what was beyond it.

With every step, my knees shook more and my body quivered. I ignored the bandages swathing my skin and pushed the images of the men slicing into my skin out of my head. Finally, I made it to the door and leaned heavily against it. I grabbed the knob and twisted, pushing the door open and seeing a hallway stretching out before me. Empty, I started walking again.

I could hear low voices, people in some room I couldn't see. Their voices grew louder as I got closer, but I still couldn't make out what they were saying. At the end of the hallway, an open doorway led into a sitting room where I saw Vicki and Nick sitting on a couch with two more people sitting with their backs to me. A red head and a man with the darkest skin I'd ever seen. Addison and Vince.

Vicki looked up and her eyes went wide. The conversation stopped and everyone turned to look at me. Nick looked down, guilt written upon his face. Vicki was the first one to stand and walk over to me.

"You should be in bed," she said.

"I'm tired of laying in bed," I muttered.

I reached out and brushed her wrist with my fingers. Her hand twitched away as I tried to grab it. She swallowed and her eyes travelled down my chest and then back up to my face. Sorrow and guilt written in the frown on her lips.

"I'm--"

I cut her off as I wrapped my arms loosely around her waist and pulled her closer. I rested my head on her shoulder and listened to her heart beat. Her body felt warm.

"Don't you dare try to blame this on yourself," I whispered. "Don't you dare. You already blame yourself for my accident and I know it wasn't your fault. I can't bear to see you blame yourself again and again for everything bad that happens to me. It's not your fault."

I closed my eyes and felt a recognizable lul to drift back to sleep.

"But..."

"Shh..." I said. "Don't talk. You'll try to blame yourself."

"It was my fault," Nick said. "I went into town, they probably have my picture."

"We've covered this, it's nobody's fault," Addison said.

"Kai's a traitor," I said.

"Tawny!" Vince and Addison shouted.

I flinched at the volume of their voices and pressed my face deeper into Vicki's neck. Her hair smelled good.

"She's right..." Nick said.

"Nick? What are you talking about?"

"The men interrogated me...not as long as Tawny, but they kept asking if I would take the place of my old boss. Work for them and...they'd stop."

"Stop what?" Addison asked.

"Stop hurting Tawny," he breathed. "The walls were so thin and she was screaming so loudly. When I refused, she'd scream louder. It didn't even sound human at one point."

"Did you agree Nick?" Addison asked.

"I couldn't," he said. "She broke before I could."

"Get her off her feet!" the doctor snapped. Vicki walked me over to a chair and sat me down. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"Just let her go," Vince said. "She wasn't going to stay in that bed for too many more sedation trips anyway."

"You said there was someone that needed my help?" I asked.

"Yes, honey, come here," Addison said.

A girl walked into the room, chains bound her wrists and ankles to a belt around her waist. She looked sickly and thin, but not beaten, just under nourished.

"Who is she?" I asked.

"We don't know," Addison said. "We just couldn't leave her there and we can't cut the chains off."

Authors Note:

Well guys, I have some sad(?) news. It's nothing too horrible like I can't post this anymore because horrible family tragedy or something, no, nothing like that. Just including 21.3, we are on the last 10 updates for turncoat. This one makes 9. I figured if give you guys some fair warning for fear of what you'd do if I didn't.

Updates will continue as normal. I'm so so so happy all of you have been taking your time to read and vote and comment. Your comments of love and adoration for the story make me smile every time I see them. I can't respond to everyone now so it's mostly just people with questions, but those who just post thanks or this-is-the-best-book-ever!!! Know that I see your comments and I love them as much as the people I respond too.