Learning to Trust

Chapter 22 - Home Sweet Home

Chapter 22 - Home Sweet Home

Tobias

I jump off the train at the second stop at Dauntless: the newer one by the main building. I don't understand why we call them "train stops" when the train doesn't actually stop. Walking down the stone-lined hallways, I walk straight past the main building.

I just can't deal with people's questions and sympathy right now.

I stroll down the halls without a care of where I'm going until I notice that I automatically walked to my mother's apartment without even thinking.

Looking at the door, I question if I should knock on it.

I have been in contact with her even though I haven't been home. I had talked to her on the phone for a while sometimes, whenever she was free.

She's probably not home. I should just come back later.

But then, ignoring my internal thoughts, I knock on the door.

The knob twists, and there stands my mother, smiling a sad smile at me. I'm not sure if I stay emotionless or if I give her a sad smile back. My brain is just buzzing with thoughts and screaming for answers that I can't give.

That is until a brown puppy with a big black spot on his back and a smaller on one his head comes bolting up at me; jumping up at me that I have to get down at his level so he doesn't knock me over.

I know that I smile for sure now.

"I missed you too bud." I laugh as he licks my face and barks happily, his tail flying back and forth so fast I'm sure it is going to fly off.

I stand and before I completely have my balance standing again my mother has me in her arms. Surprised, I don't hug back at first, but then I wrap my arms around her tightly.

I'm so glad that we've made up; that I'm her son and she's my mother again. Especially for the times like this.

"I'm just so glad that you along with everyone else made it back. I was so worried about everyone; especially you." I hear her tell me in a low voice.

It makes up for the time that she wasn't there.

Eventually we both make it into her apartment. I sit on the couch with Indy basically in my lap and she sits in a chair across from the couch.

"We almost didn't find her. Amar and I were sent back in to clear the building for life and anything else before leaving. He had hidden her in a unnoticeable closet sized room. When we found her, he was there with her, jamming a steak knife into her left leg. The only way we found her was because of her screams." I don't look up, I just continue to look at my hands going back and forth through Indy's fur; separating smaller sections of his thin, fine fur, then mixing them back together.

"It's scary seeing her the way she is. I hate to admit it, but it really is. She's paranoid; terrified of her surroundings; scared of people and anything different or new. I just can't imagine what they did to her in there. She has burned impressions of letters, numbers, one strange symbol on various parts of her legs, arms, hands, and I don't even know. The doctors keep finding more and more of them. Her left leg seems to be more of dead muscle and tissue than leg, and there's so much else that has been scared. I just wish there was more I could do."

"She was starting to better I thought. She was starting to get comfortable around me being in the room. They were going to finally let her parents see her, then her brother, then her sister-in-law and niece. After that, friends and anyone else that knows her somehow and in good terms. Then it just all fell apart, and right in front of me too."

"What happened?" I hear her quietly ask.

"She fell unconscious one night from freaking out. It was the night after they did the scan on her brain and she was more on edge than I had seen her since I carried her from the building. They thought that it might have been caused by her heart not being able to take the stress and just knocked her out somehow, but they never knew for sure. She kind of just, well, went unconscious. Then, earlier this morning I went to visit her before I left. I just couldn't leave without seeing her; conscious or not. So I went, and just as I got there Mr. and Mrs. Prior were leaving from finally getting to see her as well. So I went in and sat with her for a few minutes, just talking to her. When I left, I kissed her on the forehead and told her that I loved her. I left the room and then saw her doctor and nurse panicking because she was slipping into a coma. She couldn't fight it anymore, so she fell in."

I take a deep breath. "I'm trying to keep hope; that she'll make it out of all of this. I really am trying to. But, I just feel like it's turning to false hope. I mean, what are the chances? Now they don't know if she'll be okay if she wakes up. Yeah, if. Even if she does wake up, it's going to be so much harder for her to try and keep up with herself. She could have heart problems from all of the stress, on top of the PTSD that is making her paranoid, and the mental state that she is in that is dragging her down. She's strong, I know that. But I'm just scared that she can't pull herself out if this one."

We sit around for another hour or so talking before I decide to head home.

"You probably don't have any food at your house. You could stay for dinner if you'd like. I can make something up for the two of us." She offers, but I decline, just wanting to finally go home for the first time in what seems like years.

Taking Indiana's things, I clip on his leash and walk down the hall to my apartment.

Unlocking it, I silently go through the motions of putting all of his things back in line; the bed next to the television in the living room, the bowls in the kitchen next to the fridge, and the dry dog food in the cabinet. I leave his toys just in a pile on the floor, knowing that he'll arrange them however or wherever he'd like.

I don't even think about going out to let people know I'm back home.

I just climb in bed and despite it being only five in the evening, I go to bed.

A/N-

Hi humans!

So, updates are once every weekend (meaning Friday night, Saturday or Sunday)

Qotc: Do they mention Christina having a sister in the books? If so, was she younger or older and wasn't her name Rose?

Aotc: I thought they did in Insurgent briefly (or was it Divergent?) and that her name was Rose but I could be wrong. Didn't her sister and Tris meet and not get along or something or did my mind just make this all up? Lol

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