Her Savior (Book Two Of The Brave Series)

21-Revealed

      "Thank goodness." She sighed. Just then the door opened once more, and a Spanish woman walked in with a nurse in tow. When she looked at Aria she smiled gently, and Aria's friends moved to the side.

      "Ms. Nightingale, I'm glad to see you're awake, my name is Dr. Garcia and I have been assigned to your case. I wanted to discuss some things with you." She looked to her friends. "May I speak with her in private for a moment please?" They nodded and reluctantly left the room. Xepher hesitated at the door and looked to Aria.

      "I'll be right outside." Aria nodded as the door closed with a soft click. She then turned to the doctor whose face turned grim.

      "Ms. Nightingale, how much do you remember?" She asked.

     "Almost everything." She said flatly. The doctor nodded. Aria looked down, gripping the blankets in her fists tightly and asked the question that she needed to know the most.

      "Did he..." she trailed off and the doctor shook her head. Aria let out a soft, breathy chuckle.

      "Thank goodness."

     "You have some minor bruising and a mild concussion, but the worse is your back." Her voice trailed off as she spoke and Aria nodded, remembering the feeling of the cold metal blade in her back.

      "What did he do?" Aria asked, looking back at the doctor whose eyes were saddened.

     "H-he carved his name, into your back." She said. Aria felt fury inside her as the doctor spoke. That monster!

     "However, once it is healed, we can provide a procedure that will allow us to rid his name, though you will have extensive scar tissue." She said, knowingly. Aria nodded.

      "If you saw my back and arms, then you know that more scars aren't an issue. I just want his name erased."

     "Of course." She said as she proceeded to do a few tests then situated her so that she could sit up without too much pressure on her back. Before her and the nurse left Dr. Garcia rested a hand gently on her shoulder. She looked her in the eyes.

     "I want you to know, that you are very brave for the things you've done and gone through. I pray, they catch him and put him away for everything he's done to you."

     "Thank you." Aria replied and then they were gone. Seconds later, everyone flooded back into the room. Kenzy and Grace ran over to her bedside as everyone else rounded the bed, Xepher to her left, grasping her hand in his, soothing her.

      "How are you feeling sweetie?" Raven asked.

      "Well, these painkillers are really doing a great job." She said with a chuckle, feeling better now that she knew Daniel hadn't gotten what he'd been trying to take after all. A few moments of silence passed by when Aria took in a deep breath.

      "I'm sorry guys." She said and everyone's eyes widened.

      "For what?" Jax asked, surprised.

      "I know listening to all of that must have been difficult. It was just, it was the only thing that I could come up with. I'm sorry." She muttered, looking down.

       "Are you kidding me?" Everyone looked up at the angry voice. Marco's eyes looked furious and Aria couldn't understand why. It seemed no one else could either.

      "You're really going to apologize for that? Aria, what you went through, what you had to deal with, and how hard you fought in silence for so long and you're apologizing for us to have to have heard a fraction of what you've gone through?! It was the least we could do as your friends. I would do it again, I have no regrets. I'm sorry that we couldn't catch the bastard. I'm sorry that we couldn't have done more. I'm sorry that you're in so much pain. I don't want to hear a single utterance of apologies coming from you. Do you understand?" Everyone was shocked into silence. Marco was not a talker. Not by a long shot, and this outburst was so out of character that Aria felt laughter bubble inside her, then it escaped. It was her turn to be stared at like she had two heads.