The Deathless Trilogy

1.8. Hope

As Declan and I return to the infirmary, I'm greeted by Mom sitting up in her bed and smiling from cheek to cheek. She stretches her arms out to me. "Isla," she calls, and her voice sputters as she begins to cry.

I stumble from Declan's side and hobble quickly to Mom before falling into her arms and hugging her as tightly as I can. She wheezes, pushing her hand between me and her bandaged chest, so I pull away. "Sorry," I say, and she shakes her head as if the pain is nothing. "How are you feeling?" I ask.

"I've been better," she says, scanning my face. "I'm so happy you're okay," she says in relief. "I was so scared I'd never see you again."

"Me too. You can't leave me like that again."

She smiles. "I promise I won't. Have they been treating you well here?"

"Yes." I turn back to Declan and wave him toward us. "Mom, this is Declan Kunkle. He's a Botanist here. I'll be training with him as a rebel scientist."

She's stunned in confusion, but she still extends her hand to him. "Nice to meet you Declan."

"Same to you."

"He just gave me the tour," I say. "We're on a massive tank full of scientists. It's kind of amazing."

"Wait," Mom says, looking back to Declan. "You're a Botanist? How old were you when the world ended? Five?"

He smiles. "I was preserved." She narrows her eyes in confusion. "You'll hear the whole spiel when you meet with the leaders tomorrow," he says.

I turn back to Mom and hold her hand as she raises her brows. "I can't wait to hear about what's been going on over the past twenty-five years of grueling survival."

I smile. Her old wit is back. "Have they been treating you well?" I ask.

"Yes, very well. It's nice to see other people for a change," she jokes, but the forced laughter makes her wince in pain. Her wounds concern me.

"Have they told you anything?" I ask, gesturing to the new bandages on her chest.

She shakes her head. "Dr. Patel just restitched the top of my cut, and said I'm fine for now." She's trying to make it seem less serious, like a Prowler claw didn't almost rip her open. "But Dr. Patel will see me tomorrow for more testing. Have they told you anything about the soldiers and how they knew your name?"

I smile as the words bubble up and leap off of my tongue, "Daniel's alive. He was trying to find me, that's how the soldiers knew my name."

It takes her a moment to digest what I've just told her, and she shakes her head as if to clear out space for more information. "He's alive?" she asks, tears in her eye. "Any word about your dad? About Eleanor or Ben?"

My muscles tighten knowing that my response will chip away at her hope, but I can't lie to Mom. "No," I say, "but I'm going to go to the bunker to get Daniel. If Dad and the Crowleys are there with him, I will save them too."

She furrows her brows. "Hold on, wait. First of all, what bunker?" she asks.

"The government bunker, where those soldiers who left the Prowlers at our house were from. That's where Daniel is now. The Deathless—that's what these people call themselves—are the rebels that soldier was talking about. They are going to attack the bunker, and I am going to go with them."

"No. No way, you haven't shot a gun in years."

"But I'm great with the slingshot. It's not that different." She laughs. "I'm serious, Mom. I have to help, I can't... I can't feel worthless anymore. You all had your jobs to help us survive and mine was to take care of the plants—"