Chapter 5.3

In the morning, (I presumed it was morning, but there wasn't any real way of knowing given we were currently underground), Theo was curled up in the bed across from me, fast asleep. Unfortunately for me, my bladder decided it needed to relieve itself, and I was tangled in wires and tubes. I tried unpicking them, but then I got impatient and started pulling at them randomly. From somewhere an alarm goes off, the type of alarm that's designed to make hearts race at the sound.

"What do you think you're doing?" A harsh elderly voice hissed.

I flinch, like a child getting caught doing something naughty. I glanced at the doorway, where the elderly woman stood, her arms crossed with her slightly hunched posture and pursed lips.

"I need to go to the toilet." My voice sounded more pleading than I would have wanted. By that time Theo had started to stir from all the noise. She rolled over and peeled off her blanket, slowly rising to sitting position, but her eyes were still tiny slits like she was half awake.

The elderly women huddled forward and methodically pressed buttons on the machines above my head, and the sound ceased.

"What's going on?" Theo slurred, rubbing her eyes.

"Nothing dear. You can go back to sleep." She said gently, then turned to me with a disapproving look and produced a curved bowl from underneath my bed. "Here." She stated.

A few seconds later I realised what it was for. "But-"

"I'm not listening. I'm too old for picking up people from the floor, so you do it here." She stated firmly. I really wanted to argue, but she was already hobbling away.

Even more unfortunate for me, was that Theo had finished wiping the sleep from her eyes and was now wide awake, trying to hide her smirk by scratching the side of her face.

"You enjoy my misery, don't you?"

"I'll draw the curtains for you, shall I?" She was clearly loving it.

After I'd gotten over the life-threatening embarrassment, I called "Theo I think it needs emptying!"

She drew back the curtains sharply, "you're so gross, there's no way I'm touching that after it's had your piss in it."

"But I might spill it if I put it on the floor myself." I replied, half-joking, making movements to reach to the floor, but it was clear that I was about a foot shy, and if I dropped it, she was in danger of a urine shower.

"Don't!" she hissed in panic, then flapped, trying to find a pair of gloves or cloth so she did have direct contact with the bedpan. After rummaging through some draws, she found a pack of disposable gloves. She carefully but hesitantly took it off me, holding it out away from her body like it was toxic waste. Her expression was convoluted into that of disgust, and I held back a laugh when she froze and realised, she had no idea what to do with it now.

"It's all yours now." I grinned.

"My god I forgot how annoying you could be. How could I forget that?"

Almost like a staged comedy, Raven Harrington chose her moment to appear just as Theo turned. Thankfully she stopped shy of chucking it on her, but I did wonder what would have happened if she had.

"Am I interrupting something?" Her cool voice intruded.

"Not at all. Excuse me, I need to get rid of this idiots' piss." She huffed.

She nodded seriously, and Theo disappeared in pursuit of a method of disposal.

Despite that slightly traumatising impact of the event which will not be named, my mood was light. Theo and I were joking like before all this had happened and physically, I was feeling better. But Raven Harington's expression was sobering. I reminded myself why I was here, and that not all of us were free.

"Where's Tommy? Is he okay?"

"He's fine. It's his story that's a little worrying."

"What did he say?"

"He described having a dog that only he could see. We contemplated that it was a response to trauma, only he said that you had an invisible protector too."

"So you recognise that he's not the enemy? He's a victim like the rest of us."

"Having trauma doesn't make you innocent. You didn't answer me."

I thought quickly. Should I let her know? I really wished he hadn't said anything, it would have been less trouble but maybe if she knew, he would be safe. But what would she do with that information? "What if it was true?" I answered obtrusively.

"It would collaborate your friends' story." She answered with similar vagueness. I didn't like how ambiguous that was. Once, it was collaborated, then what?

"And if it wasn't true?"

"Then he would get assessed. /for his safety and our own."

"you mean get assessed to see if he's crazy?" I clarified.

"To see how far his delusions and hallucinations go." Right. To see if he was crazy. They didn't believe him, and if I didn't help, they would label him as delusional. I couldn't let that happen; it was our fault for taking him here in the first place, he'd been through so much cruelty in Garlantia, I couldn't let that be his reality here too.

Despite making up my mind, I was anxious. My heart raced, and my palms stuck to the sheets with sweat. Not even Aliana and Sean knew about Shadow, and Theo only found out by accident. Now I was going to lay down my only defence I ever had to a woman I didn't know. To a woman who I didn't even like.

I hadn't tried contacting shadow since before I sent him off to lead the dogs astray, for a second I thought he'd gone. Our connection felt weaker, and it took a couple more seconds for him to appear at my side. I let out a shaky sigh of relief when I saw his oversized swirling form tower over me.

How was I going to do this? How would I prove his existence to someone who couldn't see him? I searched the room for inspiration, and my eyes locked on the desk in the far corner. Shadow slowly glided over to it

"What are you doing?" Raven Harrington's eyes flickered from me to the desk, her eyes sliding over where Shadow stood. I had to give her some physical evidence, or she'll probably think I'm crazy too or just trying to get him out of it. After a few attempts, Shadow picked up a pen and threw it in her direction. Just before it hit her, her hand flung out and snatched it from the air.

Her back was facing me, so I could read her expression, but she stared at the pen that had seemly come from nowhere for a moment too long. She was shocked. She never entertained the idea that Tommy was telling the truth, something so fantastical just couldn't be. She came here for confirmation of that and got the opposite. Then she turned, tenderly holding the pen in her fingertips. She was good at controlling her expressions, a skill that probably served her well in her profession, but this was something she couldn't hide. Her eyes widened a fraction, and her complexion paled.

"What just happened?" She asked, she studied the desk as if there was some kind of trick I must have utilised.

"You got your answer. Now, what are you going to do?"

"What was that?" I could see the gears in her head slowly turning. She glanced at the place where Shadow stood and chucked the pen back. He caught it, and her eyes went even wider. He put it back in its place on the desk. She strode up to the desk and inspected the surrounding area if it was some kind of magic trick. Her eyes went straight through Shadow. "What are you?" I thought she might be talking to Shadow, but then I realise her gaze is directed at me. Eyes polluted with hysteria. "What did they do to you in Garlantia?" She added.

"They did a lot of things but none of it was to do with Shadow." I retorted.

"You named it? Like a pet?" She asks mockingly.

"He's not my pet." I felt uneasy at how she was reacting. In fact, I'm not sure I expected her to react at all; her stone-face persona had fractured and the emotion that was spilling out… was disturbing. I felt like a strange creature under her gaze, like a brand-new toy she could play with.

Shadow sensed my unease, and in the next moment, he was by my side, standing between me and Raven Harrington, an invisible shield. But suddenly, something felt wrong. My connection to Shadow was rippling, and he toned in and out of focus. My body was suddenly boiling, like suddenly being emerged in a hot bath, waves of heat spread throughout me, hotter and hotter. Until- "I think I'm going to be-" too late. Just as Shadow disappeared from view completely and I retched over the side of the bed. If there was any solace, it would be that I think I might have got some vomit on Raven Harrington's shoes. She quite quickly stepped back to avoid any more splash.

"I think you should leave now." Anna stated firmly. I wondered how long she'd been standing there.

She quite readily agreed and left with a hint of revulsion. I think it might have been the puke.

"You shouldn't exert yourself. Whatever you did, didn't do your recovery any favours. I'm going to give you something for the fever, I'll get the professor to check on you in a few hours."

I nodded, which sent out waves of nausea.