Compliance

Then

I felt strong hands grab my shoulders, shaking me back into consciousness and life. I moaned slightly and attempted to sit up, but it was no use. As soon as I leaned forward, excruciating pain shot out through my stomach, releasing a scream unlike any other, causing pain to others who heard it, and rattling windows and doors. I opened my eyes to see a familiar face, but I couldn't place it. Then it hit me: the long tan build, the set jaw, the crooked nose and green eyes. This man was my father.

My eyes widened in surprise, and then narrowed dangerously in anger and frustration.

"Get out." I said. There was no way he could be here, not after what he did to me. He sat still, not moving and emotionless.

"GET OUT! YOU GOD DAMN BASTARD! GET THE FUCK OUT!" I screeched. I started breathing heavily, each sigh weighed down with pure hatred and abandonment.

He stared in shock, tears brimming his eyes. He got up slowly and headed for the door, glancing back only once before leaving me to my lonesome. As soon as he left, I buried my head in my hands, tears slowly falling between my fingers onto my bed sheets. I heard the door creak open and shot up. Everything was blurry, but I could still tell who it was.

"Hey," he whispered, "How are you doing?" I looked up to Alak, his pale blue eyes full of genuine concern. My heart melted in secret, but it was beating so fast I was sure he could hear it.

"Fine. I'm doing just fine," I replied, faking a smile. I hate lying, I really do, but he just can't know. He cannot know until the time is right. He looked at me in disbelief, and I looked away, hoping he wouldn't notice the guilt in my eyes.

"Yeah. Anyway, you've been out for a few days. I just came by to, you know, see how you are." I turned back to him to see if he was serious. Do his eyes seriously show concern? His voice said plain old concern, but his eyes, they said something else, something deeper. But what? I started to blush and turned away.

"Listen. I really did come to check on you. They said they'd release you when you woke up, so I've been coming here every day to take you home when you woke. So, I can take you home now." He stood up and pushed his hair back slightly, holding out his other hand for me to take. I grabbed it reluctantly as he pulled me from the bed slowly. We strode in silence, weaving down white hallways and passing multiple nurses to reach the front lobby.

"Has anything happened recently? Anything interesting, I mean. Have they found Luke's killer?" I asked as we walked out the door and stepped out onto the street arm in arm.

"Yeah. Um, Nolan tracked the killer down. It was Ben, but-"

"Wait, you mean to tell me it was Ben? The Indogene who couldn't even swat at a fly in the office?" I cut him off. My eyebrows lifted and my eyes widened in surprise. It was strange, how casually I talked about his death like this, like it was an everyday thing, like I was talking to my best friend about a new pair of shoes I had gotten.

"Yeah. But he's dead now, so.......anyway, Madam Mayor is giving a speech. Something important. But I'm not sure what about."

"Can we go there first? I don't want to go home when there's an important speech going on," I asked. He agreed, and we walked down the street, following the sounds of chattering residents.

When we got there, everything was in chaos. I followed Alak through the crowd, passing many shouting people. We stood next to his parents, earning looks from both of them and from Rafe from across the crowd. Everyone was shouting, protesting to whatever Amanda had said earlier. All of a sudden, microphone feedback shrieks throughout the street. I clamped my hands over my ears in attempt to protect my eardrums.

"We're all gonna die." Everyone silenced themselves and turned their attention to the podium, shocked at the honesty and truth that no one wanted to believe.