A Different Beginning ~ Part 41 ~ Updated: 1/26/15 Mid-Afternoon
**POV Sang**
My breathing was ragged as I tried to catch my breath and the scent of warm vanilla overwhelmed me a little as my legs gave out under me. The soft touch of Luke’s hands caught me drawing me into him and sitting back to the couch. Tears slipped down my cheeks and I was brought onto his lap as he rubbed my sides slowly trying to ease the pain. They had started to do the one thing I hadn’t wanted to happen. Fight. My body shook and I hid my face in Luke’s chest who placed a hand behind my head and quickly started to stand moving out of the room.
“NO!” North barked and I suddenly felt Luke jerk to a stop. The pain increased and I wheezed shaking. “Please please let me hold her.” His voice wavered as he tried to gain control of his temper but Luke did not release me.
“Mr. Taylor I had warned you I would move her to another room if you started to yell.” Mr. Blackbourne’s voice boomed over the boys who were now all silent from my yell. I shook in Luke’s arms and he tightened around me. A hand touched my back lightly.
“Pookie.” Dr. Green! My heart lunged and tears slipped down my cheeks as I turned to meet his eyes. My chest hurt so bad but all I wanted to do was help the others. His hands rushed to my cheeks lightly brushing the tears away. “Luke take her to Victor’s room. Gabriel go with him.” He ordered and I tried to fight but the pain overwhelmed me and all I could do was whimper. “Pookie you need to rest.”
Luke started to move again and I heard the light foot steps of Gabriel following behind him. Shifting down the hall and into the dark bed room, Luke moved me to the bright white bed that sat in the room. His hands were delicate as he laid me straight out on the bed and he lightly caressed my cheek rubbing my back slowly trying to ease the pain. “Trouble?” Gabriel’s hand squeezed mine. I squeezed back and he relaxed. “We are going to get your temperature and have you take something for the pain.” I nodded slowly shaking hard and Luke’s fingers moved to my side lightly shifting me to the side of the bed. He cradled my head and settled me down on a pillow. I coughed softly and pain radiated again sending tears down my face.
“Gabe! Grab water!” Luke’s brown eyes searched my face and he lightly pushed my tears away rubbing my sides very carefully trying to find the right spot. “It’s okay Sang… It’s okay… I gotcha… just breath.” His voice was calm as he talked me through the pain.
There was movement and Luke’s hands slipped under my back guiding me to a cold glass of water. I gulped down quickly but Luke pulled me back. “Trouble slow down.” Gabriel whispered and I nodded taking a few more gulps before being laid back down letting out soft puffs of air. “I have the thermometer.” He whispered to me and I nodded slowly turning my head to the side.
Luke cupped my face as Gabriel held the thermometer still. Luke’s other hand found my side once more and continued to rub trying to make the pain disappear. There was a soft beep and Gabriel removed the thermometer and I was given some medicine for the pain and more water. I trembled and tears slipped down my cheeks as a cool cloth was placed on my forehead. Luke’s fingers never let up. “Gabe go get Victor.” He whispered.
There air stilled and I shivered harder. Luke shifted a few blankets over me and kissed my forehead softly. “I got you baby girl.” He whispered holding me still. “I got you.” I nodded trying hard to relax and sleep when the air stilled again.
Victor appeared in sight and his hand captured mine squeezing. “Luke?”
“Can you play?” He whispered his voice shaken.
I saw Victor’s eyes widened and I looked confused. “Of course.” He disappeared from my side and the soft melody of a piano started to fill the air. I closed my eyes listening and soon found myself drifting off. I squeezed Luke’s hand once more before I fell asleep happy that the darkness could take me away from the pain.
**POV Luke**
She had just gotten to sleep. Her face was drawn and her color was very pale as I lightly caressed her cheek listening to Victor’s music in the darkness of the room. I watched her breathing and made sure it evened out before I let go of her hand. She had been in so much pain and yet she had managed such a loud yell. Sang. My little bird laid in Victor’s bed exhausted and it was our fault.
Taking a breath I signaled to Victor who ended the song and came over. I could see the pain in his eyes as well. “Let’s get back to the meeting.” I whispered and guided the other out of the room closing the door to let the little princess sleep as long as possible.
Moving back into the meeting room the guys were all sitting at the table now all of them looking serious. I carefully shifted into the room taking my seat next to Nathan and Gabriel. The scrapes on Gabe’s face had me worried but it was Nathan who had my attention I could tell from his posture that sitting was a chore. Carefully, I lightly touched his shoulder and he flinched. Surprised I looked to him and he sighed. “They kicked pretty hard.”
My eyes widened with fury and concern as I looked up to Kota who was standing at the end of the table. “Sang is in a ton of pain and we can’t seem to keep it together for more than five minutes!” His voice was harsh and I shivered glancing at North who had seemed to have calmed down. His eyes met mine. “How is she doing?”
Everyone’s eyes met mine and I sighed softly. “She just fell asleep after taking something for the medicine. Her breathing is even however her complexion is pale and her fever is rising once more. The shifting of her ribs definitely took all of her strength.”
Dr. Green shifted from the room moving to the bedroom to double check her and I looked to Mr. Blackbourne who stood at the front of the room. He was silent and that had me worried. “May I continue?” He asked looking to the rest of the males and they all nodded silently. “Nathan and Gabriel were coming out of gym when they were jumped in the hallway. Nathan had come out first taking most of the brunt and then Gabriel. Both are okay however, Nathan will be very sore for a few days having taken a number of blows to his chest and stomach area. The students who did this have been named and we will be wiring them as soon as possible.” A sheet of names were passed to Victor who nodded putting the sheet of paper safely away. “Sang brought up an interesting theory and I would like you all to listen to it with open minds. We do not know if this is true so please do not go screaming.” His eyes scanned the room and he took a breath. “Sang thought that maybe Hendricks and McCoy are working with the students and planning these different attacks at school.”
The room was dead silent and Kota was the first to speak. “Why do you think that Sang would suggest this?”
I glanced to Mr. Blackbourne who shifted into his seat for the first time his hands raking through his hair. “Sang put together that Mr. Hendricks had sent Mr. McCoy after her to determine what she was to us and with the reactions that we gave him…” He stopped and I could see North’s hands starting to close tight. “We gave him a weakness.” He met Kota’s eyes as he spoke and then looked at everyone individually. “Sang is our weakness.” My heart dropped and I thought of Sang laying in Victor’s room shaking and crying from pain. She was our most precious person and we had shown our hand.
The information set in and North swore loudly. “We have to do something. Not only can we not loose her but we have to protect her. She is smart, loving, and kind and she doesn’t deserve to be treated like this.” He slammed his hands down on the table annoyed.
“She is our weakness but we need to think of her as well.” Kota looked to us. “She has been abused most of her life and we have now thrown her into a situation in which she will only be caused more pain. Sang is strong willed and amazing but she is influenced by us very easily. We need to spell this out for her and make sure she really wants to continue hanging out with us. We can’t tell her much about the Academy and we have to hide what we are doing from her. Sang needs to know what is going to happen in the future.”
Silas shifted in his chair his eyes soft. “She says that she has been through worse though.” Mr. Blackbourne tensed and looked to Silas and Gabriel nodded in agreement. She had been through worse? How was that possible?! I swallowed hard.
“She said the same fucking thing to me.” Gabriel touched the scratches on his face looking angry. “She has been hurt worse by her mother. Her back is completely filled with deep scars.” North stood.
“How the fuck would you know!?” North’s anger grew instantly and I shifted to my brother holding his shoulder lightly.
“North.” I warned and Gabriel looked pissed.
“She couldn’t fucking change this morning!” He yelled at North whose eyes widened in pain. “I had to help her with her clothes.” Gabriel’s eyes were gleaming with pain as he remembered. “Her back is filled with them and they are deep not some little cut.”
“Did you ask her about them Mr. Coleman?”
“Fucking yeah I did but she nearly passed out on me.” He whispered his voice shaking lightly. “She told me about the time her mother pushed her into a table which caused one of them on her back.” Gabriel’s hand went to his mouth as he recalled the image.
“I carried her to your room right after.” Silas explained. “She was really shaken up but she was holding together.”
Victor’s eyes widened and he looked to Mr. Blackbourne shooting up. “When she woke from the nurse’s office after the run in with Mr. McCoy she was really scared. It had looked like she had a nightmare.”
I took a few breaths and shifted in my chair as Mr. Blackbounre shifted as well. Everyone looked tense. “Mr. B we can’t send her back there.” Silas’s voice was strong and focused as he spoke.
“There is a problem with that however.” Mr. Blackbourne rubbed his face and slipped his hand into his hair. “Before we can intervene any more than we already have we need to know about what she thinks and what she wants to do. Does she want to stay with us even though we will be putting her in danger?”
My heart wrenched thinking of what happened in the hallway with Mr. McCoy and at lunch when Sang could barely move an inch because he had been watching us. She wasn’t used to this life but at the same time she was accustomed to the pain that had been brought upon her. I gritted my teeth and Gabriel swore. Glancing up at my brothers I could tell they were all were thinking the same thing. But what would she decide was the biggest mystery of all. If we did ask her what would she say?