AWARE (After Allegiant)

Chapter Twenty Two - Miss Eaton

Tris

"I didn't want to Tris!" Christina exclaims. "You have to understand!" She making wild hand gestures whilst raising her voice. The few people in the critical care ward stare at us with an 'are you really screaming in the building that my loved one is dying in' face.

"Keep it down okay?" I say in a hushed voice moving my hand towards the people looking at us. She follows the direction that my hand goes. Christina shrugs.

"I don't care what they think." She says to me and then in a much louder voice says. "I don't give a flying fu-"

"Okay that's enough." I cut her off. She looks slightly disappointed. I take her hand and lead her to the corner of the room. My head is buzzing with thoughts.

Is Tobias okay?

What does Christina want to tell me?

I'm hungry.

"Okay." I sigh. " This better be a good Goddamn explanation." She looks straight into my eyes with her chocolate brown eyes.

"I didn't want to do it." She says this in a calm, smooth tone. I believe her. How can I not?

"It was David, it was all him. He was talking into my ear with an earpiece. He was threatening me Tris, black mailing me. He said if I didn't do it he'd kill you and I just couldn't let that happen. Not again. He would've gotten Peter to do it but obviously that wouldn't have quite the same effect. So I agreed to do it. He got Mathew to make a temporary memory serum that would remove his memory of the last 5 seconds that it's injected. That's why he doesn't remember Tris. I had to do it in front of you, you had to see it with your own eyes, David would've killed me if I failed too Tris. You have to believe me!"

She pauses to breathe.

"I'm in his elite squad. Me, Mathew, Peter and a few others I don't know about." She is panting now. Trying to catch her breathe after her huge explanation. "Do you believe me?"

I nod. Relief floods through her eyes. I give her a quick hug.

"I believe you Christina."

"You can't tell anyone about this okay, not even Tobias. If you do he'll kill you Tris." Concern is plastered on her face.

"I swear on my life." I swear putting my hand over my heart. She sighs.

"Let's check on Four."

+++

"Tobias Eaton?" I ask the lady at the desk. She nods and types in a few things into her computer. She runs her tongue across her front teeth.

"Sorry. No can do. He's in a critical condition, any visitors could cause a meltdown." She tells me this without looking up for the screen.

"Excuse me." I respond. "That's my boyfriend in there. If he's dying, I'd like to see him." She looks up from her computer finally.

"I said I'm sorry Miss?-"

"Eaton." The name leaves my mouth without me realizing it. I can see Christina turn to me. She elbows me in the stomach, trying to tell me what I just said. I know what I said and I'm not taking it back.

"Miss... Eaton, but he's in a critical condition." She puts emphasis on 'critical'. I sigh and give up.

"Whatever." And sit down.