The Suitor (A Selection Fanfiction)

America

When I woke up, I was on a cot. I could feel the stings of my many cuts now, but as I picked up my arm to inspect it, the cuts were all clean, and the larger ones were bandaged. I was safe.

I sat up and looked around, and realized I was in a tiny office. I inspected the desk and the diplomas on the wall and discovered it was Dr. Ashlar's. I couldn't stay here. I needed answers.

When I opened the door, I discovered why I'd been tucked away. The hospital wing was packed. Some of the less injured were placed two to a bed, and others were on the floor between them. It was easy to tell that the worst were in beds toward the back of the room. Despite the number of people, the space was remarkably quiet.

I scanned the area, looking for familiar faces. Was it good not to find them here? What did that mean?

Tuesday was in a bed, holding on to Emmica as they cried quietly. I recognized a few of the maids, but only vaguely. They nodded their heads at me as I passed, as if I somehow deserved it.

I started losing hope as the crowd started to thin. Maxon wasn't here. If he was, he'd have a swarm of people around him, jumping to meet his every need. But I'd been placed in a side room. Maybe he had too?

I saw a guard, and his face was scarred from what I couldn't guess. "Is the prince down here somewhere?" I asked quietly.

Solemnly, he shook his head.

"Oh."

A bullet wound and a broken heart would seem like two different injuries. But I could feel myself bleeding out just as surely as Maxon had. No amount of pressure or stitching would ever fix this; nothing would ever stop the ache.

I didn't break into a scream, though it felt as if something similar was happening inside. I just let the tears fall. They didn't wash anything away, but they felt like a promise.

Nothing will ever replace you, Maxon. And I sealed our love away.

"Mer."

I turned and saw a bandaged figure in one of the last beds in the wing. Aspen.

My breathing hitched as I took unsteady steps towards him. His head was bandaged, and there was blood staining its way through. His chest was bare and bruised in several places, but the worst part was his leg. A thick cast was wrapped around the bottom, and several bandages were sloppily placed over gashes on his thigh. Wearing nothing but some shorts and a bit of a sheet over his other leg, it was easy to see how badly he'd been wounded.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"I'd rather not relive the details. I made it for a long time, and I took out maybe six or seven of them before one got my leg. The doctor says I'll probably be able to walk on it, but I'll need a cane. At least I'm alive."

A tear continued silently down my cheek. I was so grateful and scared and hopeless, I couldn't help it.

"You saved my life, Mer."

My eyes flew from his leg to his face.

"The shot you took spooked that rebel and gave me just enough time to fire. If you hadn't done it, he would have shot me in the back, and that would have been it. Thank you."

I wiped my eyes. "It was you who saved my life. You always have. It's about time I started paying you back."

He smiled. "I do have a tendency for heroics, don't I?"

"You always wanted to be someone's knight in shining armor." I shook my head, thinking over everything he'd ever done for anyone he loved.

"Mer, listen to me. When I said that I'd always love you, I meant it. And I think if we stayed in Carolina, we would have gotten married, and we would have been happy. Poor, but happy." He smiled sadly. "But we didn't stay in Carolina. And you've changed. I have, too. You were right when you said that I'd never given anyone else a chance, and why would I ever have ever bothered except for all this happening?

"It's my instinct to fight for you, Mer. It took me a long time to see that you didn't want me to do that anymore. But once I did, I realized I didn't want to fight for you either."

I stared at him, stunned.

"You'll always have a piece of my heart, Mer, but I'm not in love with you anymore. I think sometimes that you still need me or want me, but I don't know if that's right. You deserve better than me being with you because I feel obligated."

I sighed. "And you deserve better than being someone I settle for."

He held out his hand to me and I took it. "I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not. It's good to know you're not mad at me. Even if he is dead, I still love him."

Aspen's forehead creased. "Who's dead?"

"Maxon," I breathed, ready to cry.

Aspen went silent. That was all I needed. I let the tears fall again, the bullet wound in my heart tore open, creating a larger wound. But I needed to know if anyone else survived.

"Did... did the King die?"

Aspen nodded.

"And the Queen?"

Aspen shook his head, and I felt my lungs release a large amount of oxygen I didn't know I was holding. Even though Maxon died, I don't think I would have been able to handle Queen Amberley's death on top of her son's.

"Anyone else?" I managed to ask.

"Just . Shot through the head." Aspen responded.

I could hardly take in all this. I was still putting the pieces together when the opening door disturbed the quiet murmurs in the wing. A worried face surveyed the room, and though her dress was torn and her hair was tumbling down around her face, I recognized her immediately.

Before I could call out to her, Aspen did. "Lucy!" he cried, sitting up. I knew the motion had to hurt him, but there was no sign of pain in his face.

"Aspen!" She gasped and ran across the wing, hopping over people as necessary. She fell into his arms, kissing his face over and over. While he'd grunted in pain when I'd hugged him, it was clear that in that moment, Aspen wasn't feeling anything but pure happiness.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

"Fourth floor. They're only now reaching the rooms up there. I came as fast as I could. What happened?" Though she was usually so panicked after rebel attacks, Lucy seemed focused now, seeing only Aspen.

"I'm fine. What about you? Do you need to see the doctor?" Aspen looked around, trying to find someone to help.

"No, I don't even have a scratch," she promised. "I was just worried about you."

Aspen stared into Lucy's eyes with absolute devastation.

"Now that you're here, everything's right."

She stroked his face, careful not to disturb his bandages. He put a hand behind her neck and gently pulled her to him, kissing her deeply.

No one needed a knight more than Lucy, and no could protect her better than Aspen.

They were so lost in each other, they didn't notice me walk away, heading off to find the one person that needs all the comfort in the world.