Part 3 Ch.20

"Wake up. Elenora-" Carson's furrowed eyebrows are replaced with a smile as soon as I open my eyes. I think it's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. "You asshole." I murmur. I can feel the sleep pulling me under again. I realize that I'm on the bed, he must have moved me. "Asshole? I broke you out." He puts his cold hand on my forehead and I lean into it. He curses. "Just what we need. A fever." He leaves for a second. When he comes back, he wakes me up again with a wet cloth. I flinch away from it. It takes me a second to remember what we were talking about. "You put me in there in the first place." I fight to stop the words from slurring together. "Is my family safe?" I've forgotten where they are but a terrible feeling fills me with dread. Does Marcus have them? I frown. Marcus...he's dead. It's Romero I have to worry about now. God, will it ever end? I feel a pressure on my hand. "They are fine. Don't worry about them." His words sooth me and I start to relax. My eyes fly open. I grip his hand as tight as I can. "The Marksman. He's going to kill you. The Marksman." "The Marksman? Who? Elenora, who is he." I try to respond but my tongue is heavy. I slip away once more. 0~0~0 The fever's gone, I think. My mind is a little clearer, but it still takes me a moment to remember where I am. I sit up slowly and look around. The room is dark and I can't see any light through the curtains, it must be night then. "Carson?" My voice sounds weak in the empty room. I clear my throat. "Carson?" The effort from sitting up leaves me lightheaded. I gingerly lift up my shirt and look at the thick bandages that wrap around my stomach. Thankfully, the stitches haven't broken, it seems. I rotate my wrists, trying to feel through the bandages around them to see if the skin has healed yet. I decide to leave them on. Thankfully, the cold feeling from the AIM metal seems to be gone. I open a portal and it appears instantly, without sputtering this time. My eyes land on the nightstand next to me. Among the first-aid contents strewn all over, there are pills and a cup of water, these must be the antibiotics. I take them and my eyes land on a letter. I recognize the handwriting, even after all these years. The piece of paper seems to have been ripped out from a notebook, there's not a lot written on it. Elenora, I had to go to work-they're looking for you. I can't look suspicious. I'll be back by dawn. We need to talk. Don't leave, for once in your life listen to me. See you soon. I flip it over but there's nothing on the other side. The clock by the bed says three am. I look at the date on it and can't believe it. It's been a week since I've killed Romero. I grab the remote by the bed and turn on the television, trying to find any news about me. I need to know what they've told the public. I need to know what Paxton knows. It takes me a while but I finally find a reporter. "Just last night, Yellow Thorn leader Elenora Santos escaped the hospital after an infection from her previous injuries rendered her unconscious, just a day before the death sentence was to be carried out. The police and the special unit, OCIU, suspects that various criminals from her organizations helped her escape." I snort at that. "Be advised, she is a dangerous criminal. If you see her, call the number on this screen immediately, and do not attempt to contact her. The police are doing everything they can to-" I turn it off, I know all I needed to know. Paxton must be looking for me. At least they know I'm not dead. For a moment I debate on contacting them, I'm sure there's a phone here somewhere. But I stop. I need to fully recover before I reappear. For now, Paxton and the others are safe. But as soon as I return, the Ravagers are going to attack. I need to buy them more time. I need to get stronger. I...need to sleep. I'm exhausted and I haven't done anything but sit up. I wince as I lie back down. I'm still conscious enough to be thankful that the morphine is still in my system, then I sleep. 0~0~0 By the time Carson returns and is about to leave once more, I waken. The first thing I ask for is water. After drowning two glasses, I'm ready to talk. "Why?" I tell him. "Why am I here." He's sitting besides the bed on a chair he brought from the kitchen. I take a moment to study him, he looks absolutely exhausted. I wonder when was the last time he slept. Carson glances down at his hands which are cradling a cup of coffee. "I don't know." "You don't know?" I repeat. "How-" "Look, it was a spur of the moment thing. I'm sure you'll appreciate the impulsiveness of it." "So you let them capture me. You let them suck away my powers, torture me, and almost kill me. Then you were  'Gee, you know what? That was a shitty thing to do. Better go fix it.'" "I didn't know." He snaps suddenly. "I didn't know until after I saw the videos that they did...that to you." He can't even bring himself to say it. I scoff. "Just when I was beginning to think that maybe this OCIU wasn't so corrupted, you went and proved me wrong." "I tried to tell you to leave but you never listen." "What?" I remember our conversation in the car. "Oh. 'You should travel the world, Elenora'. What a great warning. You know, next time you decide to stab me in the back, at least make up your mind weather you want me dead or not." That was harsh, and I'm not so sure he deserved it. Still, I got shot because of him. A few words won't hurt him. I suddenly remember something."The Marksman, your partner. He's a dangerous man." Carson goes still. "My partner?" "He's the one who shot me." "He's the one who shot you? But he never misses-" "He was thrown off guard." I close my eye and try to remember the other man but the details blur. "There was another one...I can't remember him." He's stood up now, and set his cup on the nightstand. "Describe him." "I don't know. He had a thin mustache, I think. He was a bit fat." He waits. "Is that all? How could you not remember." "Hey, you try getting shot and having a perfect memory afterwards. Asshole." "I think I liked you better when you were unconscious." "I liked you better when I was unconscious too. At least then I didn't have to listen to your sorry excuse of an apology." He stays silent for a moment. He looks at me sincerely, there's guilt in his eyes. His expression is so intense that I look away. "I am sorry Elenora. I didn't know they were going to give you the death penalty. I didn't know they were going to...torture you. I...I'm so sorry." I study him and nod after a moment. "I know." We're quiet. He pulls me out of my thoughts and sits back down, reaching into his pocket. He pulls out my pendant. "Here, I saw this in the evidence. I thought you might want it back." My eyes sting and I'm not entirely sure why. "Thank you." I reach for it and he puts it in my palm. His fingers linger there for a second then he stands up. "I'm going to work." He says. "Don't call my phone, I think it may be tapped. And don't get up, we need to let that heal." I nod. My eyes follow him as he walks out the room. I run my fingers through the pendant's groves and after a moment's hesitation, put it on.