Ultramarine | The Darkest Minds Fanfic

Chapter 14, Sheena

I actually slept for almost a full day. When I woke up, it was like someone had rang a gong by my ears. I shot up from bed, and saw that everyone in this room was still fast asleep. Vida, Chubs, Liam...but no Ruby. I shook my head, and walked out of the room.

　　According to the clock the agents oh-so-benevolently left on the wall, it was roughly 5 in the morning. I took a look at my hands and my feet, and instantly decided that I needed a shower.

　　After finding a baggy T-shirt and a pair of cargo pants in a linen closet, I dove into the cold, pressurized water, and didn't think about anything, not until I came out and got dressed.

　　There was an itch in the back of my mind, something that didn't feel right, like I was forgetting something, until I remembered what it was, and rushed towards the tunnel door.

　　Cate. First thing in the morning. I sat there, looking back at the clock every ten seconds, fearing that she might have left.

　　At around 6:30, she appeared with Dolly and Vida. "Morning, Sheena." She gave me a smile, but I couldn't return one.

　　"Do you have to go?" I asked.

　　She nodded. "Yes."

　　"Then let me come with you." I said, and Vida nodded beside me. "I'll go, too." She said.

　　To this, she chuckled a little. "No. I'll need you to take care of everyone else." She raised her eyes from us, and saw into the empty hallway behind us. "Where's Ruby?"

　　Vida cursed under her breath. "I'll go get her." She dashed away, calling out Ruby's name.

　　Cate put her hand on my back, and said, "I'll need you to take care of Cole, okay?"

　　I bit my lip, and shook. "He can take care of himself."

　　Cate lifted my face, and gave me a warm smile. "He can't sometimes. You know that better than most."

　　I let out a long breath, couldn't say anything in return.

　　Vida came back after a while. "Can't find her. Where the fuck had she been?"

　　Cate pressed her lips. "Maybe she's still sleeping? We could wait for a moment longer." Dolly shrugged in response.

　　And we waited. For an hour.

　　She didn't show up.

　　Finally, Dolly made the decision and insisted on moving out. As they were about to cross the threshold, Cole appeared from behind us.

　　"Safe travel." He said. "But I won't get my hopes up if I were you, Conner."

　　Cate waved it off. "Worry about yourself, Stewart."

　　And that was the last thing she said before she turned away and walked into the tunnel. At that moment, I have this weirdest impulse of wanting to catch her by the back of her shirt and dug my heels in, because every goodbye at this point could have been a last. Stay. I wanted to say. There's nothing for us out there. Vida followed them out. In a distance, I saw Cate stopped to say something to Vida, and when she turned to walk back towards me, her expression was very complicated.

　　Cole closed the door behind Vida as she came back into the light. Before I could take the chance and snuck away, Cole had already put a hand on my arm and started pulling me down towards the agents' sleeping quarters.

　　There, he opened one of the rooms, and pulled me inside. He leaned on the desk, and I decided that I was going to keep away from him, so I sat down on the bed, which was beside the opposite wall of the room.