Chapter 5.4

I slept into the night soundlessly and the next few days went by before we heard anything more about Tommy. Theo stayed in the medical wing most of the time, only leaving for a few hours when she got too bored or hungry. We spent most of our time chatting with Anna when she wasn't busy. Well, Theo did most of the talking. Anna told us that the professor was her grandmother and that she was training to be a doctor under her provision, she'd only completed her first year so she had four more to go before she could be qualified. Each day we asked about what was happening with Tommy, and each day Anna had to report that she'd heard nothing new.

On the fifth day, Theo and I were half-heartedly playing a card game, she perched at the end of my bed and the cards scattered between us. It was silent other than the occasional exchange out the game, so we noticed them talking before they got into view; a young voice with a slight accent and another older feminine voice that I didn't recognise.

Theo leapt up and met him in the doorway, dragging Tommy into a desperate embrace before anything else could be said. "I'm so glad you're okay." Relief flooded through us both; he looked uninjured. I could see the top of his head poking out from under her arms, and when he saw me over her shoulder, he broke their embrace and rushed over. Before I knew it his arms were tightly around me. I was shocked at first, then I quickly returned his hug.

"I was worried that you were dead. I didn't know what happened to the people that got sick and they wouldn't tell me anything." He said, taking a step back. His expression showed an element of concern.

"I'm fine, we were more concerned about you. What happened?" I noticed that his eye was a little swollen and dark bruising was starting to fade underneath.

Theo hadn't noticed but she was horrified that she hadn't noticed it immediately, she tilted his head up and examined it in the light. "Who did this to you?" She asked, angry.

He looked awkwardly at me and shrugged. Theo immediately turned to the person who brought him in- a young woman with cropped mousy hair "did you do this?" she asked forcefully. I hadn't noticed she was there before, she was standing so silent, watching our exchange.

The young woman was taken back and vigorously shook her head "No it wasn't me. I heard that-"

"Theo don't worry! It wasn't her; it was my own fault. She was kind to me." Tommy interrupted her before she could say anything more. Theo relaxed a little, but her guard was still up.

"Thank you for releasing him." I thanked her, also hoping to appease the situation a little.

She nodded, then stepped further into the room, "you don't remember me, do you?"

I studied her face; her mousy brown eyes and her constellation of freckles struck slightly familiar but I couldn't place where I might have met her before. She was only a few years older than us, but I don't think I met her at school and I couldn't think of where else I would have seen her.

"No, sorry." I reluctantly admitted.

"We met before at the outpost before you and Alex got adopted by Sean." I vaguely remember her as a girl who introduced herself before I was removed from the activity room during the day. At the time I didn't understand social interactions so it didn't really go anywhere, but she was the only other kid that showed me any kindness other than Alex. I'd forgotten about her until she mentioned it but I still couldn't remember her name.

"I think I remember, but I'm sorry, I can't recall your name."

"It was a long time ago." She nodded, "My name is Bella. How is Alex?"

Theo's shoulder's stiffened, she glanced over with a look of dejection and discomfort, wanting to intervene but not knowing what to say.

"He got blown up in the invasion." I answer bluntly. There was no other way to put it.

"Oh…" I felt her shock and panic and she scrambled to find a response. Before she could add anything else, I asked, "How come you're here?"

"When Garlantia invaded I offered to fight. I was going to join the military when I turned eighteen anyway and that's only a few months away. But my dad insisted on sending me here with the rest of the civilians."

"So the other people here that aren't part of the FDD are the families of the military?" Theo asked.

"Not all of them, all sorts of people were evacuated but they would have some sort of connection with the military, yes."

I wondered if Alliana made it to one of the shelters? "What's the nearest shelter to XX?"

I think she realised why I was asking because she wore an apologetic expression and I knew the answer before she opened her mouth "That's us. There isn't another shelter for another couple of hours drive." That would be at least the same distance again that we travelled those three days, probably more.

I nodded and tried not to look too disheartened.

"It's not the end. There's still hope." Although well intended, her optimism didn't make me feel any better. Neither of us answered, and there was a moment of awkwardness that deemed too much for Bella and she quickly excused herself. "I'll best be going now. I'll probably see you around." She smiled awkwardly.

After checking Tommy was okay other than the black eye, she went to find some bedding and made up the bed adjacent to me while Tommy leant at the foot of my bed. When no one was talking to him, he stared off into space absentmindedly. He looked worn out- physically and mentally. "Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

It took a few moments for him to register that I was talking to him, then quickly replied "I'm okay" while avoiding eye contact.

"Did they do anything to you? Are you sure they didn't hurt you?" I didn't want to sound suspicious, but that probably how it sounded. I couldn't believe they didn't do anything to him. I've known people like Raven Harrington, they don't care what means they use to get what they want.

"They didn't." he assured me, but he wasn't very convincing.

Tommy said they didn't do anything to him, but he wouldn't say what happened. He would flinch if someone other than Theo or I came too close, and any sudden movement or sound would startle him. I know they did something, even if they both say they didn't. I don't know why he wouldn't tell us. Rex spent most of his time cowering under his bed; when he did come out, it was for some attention off Tommy.