[ xxxiv. it will catch up to you ]
july 2nd, 2012
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WHEN ASTRID LANCASTER AWOKE again in her hospital room, a heavy sense of silence washed over her. Yet, she was not alone in this stillness. Fortunately, the hideaway guest that now shared her space was a welcomed one. As Astrid allowed her eyes to adjust to the light overhead, she took a shallow breath to clear her throat and offered a faint smile to the figure before her.
"Beth," She croaked.
The eighteen-year-old sat at the end of the Lancaster woman's bed and was clad in worn blue scrubs. Her hands lay still in her lap, and as she turned to face Astrid, she unveiled the left side of her face, revealing an alarming sight. In place of the two deep gashes on her once-pretty, pale complexion, there now resided a third gnarly gash, a sickening purplish-blue bruise dominating the area just above her jaw.
"Hi, Astrid," Beth softly greeted.
Astrid's heart sank, and she beckoned the young girl closer. Her hand reached out, taking hold of Beth's small one. It was only then that she realized that her brittle arm was cast in plaster. "What happened?" She demanded. Her thoughts raced back to the memory of Dawn and the chase that led Beth out of her room.
Beth exhaled heavily. "I could only get so far. There are too many locked doors," She conceded. "By the time Dawn caught up to me, there was no point in hiding. I just let her do it."
"I'm so sorry," Astrid mourned regretfully. "I never should have said anything. I knew you were here. I should have looked for you instead of making it known that we were friends. Now, because of me, you're . . ." She could not finish.
Beth mustered a small smile and nonchalantly shrugged her shoulders, "Don't worry about it," She insisted. "It looks a lot worse than it feels. It doesn't hurt, I swear."
Astrid remained unconvinced, noticing the subtle flinches of pain that Beth tried to hide as her facial expressions shifted. It was evident that the girl who loved to smile so adamantly, but now could not, was in discomfort.
With a gentle squeeze of her young friend's hand, Astrid asked, "How long have you been here?"
Beth's gaze flitted away for a moment, and she replied, "A week."
Astrid turned her attention towards the window, too, where a monumental frame allowed a glimpse of the city of Atlanta. Even from the clouds, it still lay in ruins, a ghost town slowly attempting to revive itself from the ashes. But Astrid could not help feeling that this place was beyond saving, better off staying dead.
"What have they done to you here?" The Lancaster woman asked as she finally turned her attention back to the teenager beside her.
"Well, just like in an actual hospital, we're required to look after the patients," Beth explained. "There's only one doctor—Edwards. You met him. Dawn and the other police officers are here to keep the attendants like us in line. A girl tried to escape a few days ago, but she didn't get very far before they brought her back. She was bitten, though, so she didn't make it long after, anyway. I also tried to escape, but I gave myself up to protect Noah."
Astrid nodded, a knowing look in her eyes at the mention of a familiar name. "Daryl and I ran into him on our way here," She admitted. "Kid mentioned that he was planning to return to the hospital for you after he found some weapons. Daryl and I were going to help him. But then, after they took me, Noah and Daryl were the only ones left. I believe they are still together. At least, I hope they are."
Relief seemed washed over Beth as she inquired, "Daryl's okay?" Astrid's next nod was all the confirmation she appeared to have needed, and she continued, a soft smile slowly curving her lips. "Good," She added. "He was in such a dark place after the prison. He needs you, Astrid."
The Lancaster woman only huffed. "It doesn't seem that way anymore," She said. "We've been going through a rough patch lately."
"You'll get through it," Beth encouraged. "Back at the prison, Zach and I would go through similar phases, but those arguments only made our relationship stronger. You can't give up on someone you can't imagine going a day without."
Astrid's lips pressed into a tight line. "I miss him," She murmured.
"I miss Maggie," Beth relayed, after a quiet moment. "Is she okay? And Glenn?"
"We were all holed up in this church together," Astrid answered. "They're both fine. Maggie is going to be so relieved to see you again when we get out of here."
"If," The teen corrected disheateningly. "If we get out of here."
"Is it really that complicated?"
"Yes. There are guards all over, and even if you manage to escape into the city, they'll come after you, and they won't stop looking until they find you."
Astrid's face fell at the thought of escaping only to be forcibly dragged back into captivity. Staying at Grady Memorial Hospital was not an option. She was willing to do whatever it took, even if it meant facing the risk of death.
Suddenly, the door swung open behind them, and Beth rose to her feet, positioning herself as a protective shield in front of Astrid. Meanwhile, the Lancaster woman's body tensed, and her gaze sharpened as she recognized the figure entering the room.
Officer Dawn Lerner's demeanor did not betray any surprise at finding Beth in Astrid's room. Her voice was laced with a calculating certainty when she spoke, "Figured I'd find you here. Found a set of keys to these doors, did you?"
When Beth chose to remain silent, the room seemed to grow heavier with unspoken words. Dawn exhaled audibly and stepped closer to the two women. She deposited a stack of clothes at the foot of Astrid's bed.
Then, the policewoman announced, "I have news. This afternoon, we received word that your group is coming for both of you. They also happen to have two of our officers held hostage." A flicker of smugness briefly danced across Astrid's lips. "We're going to facilitate an exchange to prevent further conflict," She informed. "These were your clothes when you arrived. As you are leaving, they're yours once more. They've been washed."
Beth sifted through the clothing first and collected her light blue jeans, short-sleeved yellow shirt, gray sweater, and boots. Her words were still tinged with gratitude, with kindness, despite the pain inflicted across her expression. "Thank you," She said.
Inwardly, Astrid often admired Beth's goodness. How she had grown from that child on the farm.
Meanwhile, Dawn nodded and wiped her hands on her black, pressed pants before seemingly making another decision. "I'd like a moment alone with Astrid now, please, Beth."
Briefly, Beth hesitated. Then she complied and began walking back toward the only door, the only escape. As she opened it, she glanced back at Astrid, "When you're ready and dressed, you can come down to my room," She invited. "It's at the end of the hall and to the right. I'll leave the door open."
Astrid responded with a curt acknowledgment, "Thanks."
With that, Beth left the room, closing the door quietly behind her. Astrid now found herself defenseless and alone with Dawn once more. But she was not scared of the woman. The Lancaster woman had faced the barrels of countless guns without flinching, and Dawn's was no exception. Astrid mused that, were she not confined to this hospital bed, Dawn would already be dead on the floor.
The policewoman let out a long, tired sigh and lowered herself onto the edge of Astrid's bed. "I'm sorry about—"
"You didn't have to hurt her."
"What?"
Dawn appeared almost startled by the abrupt interruption. Immediately Astrid sensed that something was off. Something had shifted in the cruel, power-hungry stranger before her now, a transformation as mysterious as it was unsettling. The rage that had fueled her only hours ago seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a chilling calm. Astrid's eyes narrowed further, searching Dawn's pallid face for answers. What had changed?
Astrid eventually looked away, where her attention became fixed on some distant point out the window again as she spoke. "Instead of hurting Beth, you should have just hurt me," She fumed. "I was the one causing all the problems."
"Beth deserved the consequences for trying to run."
Astrid leaned forward. "At least she knows what to do," She shot back. "The only way to save your life in this hell is to run. That's how Beth and I plan to get out of here, just as Noah did a few days ago."
Dawn's brow furrowed at the mention of the boy. "I didn't know you knew Noah."
"There's a lot you don't know about me."
A hollow, bitter laugh sounded between the two women. "Don't set your hopes too high on Noah," Dawn warned. "They always come back. They never get far because they can't. But really . . . they don't want to."
"Noah is going home," Astrid countered. "Once we're all out of here, we're leaving, and you won't see any of us again. This place won't last. With the way it seems you're running things . . . I'm surprised you've lasted this long."
Dawn cracked another mirthless smile. "I believe that you and Beth are among the very few strong enough to leave," She confessed. "It's almost like some twisted miracle that you both ended up here. Maybe that means something. You both could be invaluable assets to this community. You need to grasp that no matter how far you run, you can never outrun everything. You won't make it out there. It will catch up to you. I know you're not naive, Astrid. You stand a far better chance here, and you know it."
Astrid gritted her teeth. "I'm going home," She spat.
"And where is home?" Dawn pressed.
"Anywhere but here."
The policewoman rolled her eyes at such a seemingly naive comment. No matter, Astrid was dead set on leaving, and no amount of persuasion or threats would ever change that. She would burn this place to the ground if she had to. Reluctantly, Dawn rose to her feet and placed a hand on Astrid's covered leg. "I hope you're making the right decision," She whispered.
"I am," The Lancaster woman defiantly declared.
Dawn's expression fell entirely, then. "Your people should be here soon. I suggest you start getting ready," She advised.
With that, she spun on her heel and swiftly exited the room, leaving Astrid to ponder her own imminent choice. As the door clicked shut, now alone, Astrid swung her legs over the edge of the bed and rose shakily to her feet. She tested her weight on each bare foot and grazed her fingers over her healing wounds. A relieved smile tugged at her lips.
Moving over to her clothes, she slowly eased into her jeans and carefully pulled her shirt over her head. No longer were they stained with her own blood. Then she proceeded to tie the laces of her boots, where even the leather appeared to have been cleaned. The entire dressing process was slow, her body just truly beginning to awaken from stiffness and sedation. But she would force herself to limber, to be ready. After a sip of water from the attached bathroom faucet, she combed her hair with her fingers, and mentally attempted to prepare herself for what lay ahead.
She would make it out of this place.
With one last, lingering look at the small, sterile hospital room, Astrid felt liberated. It was a cell she would gladly leave behind.
Stepping into the shadowy hallway, her skin prickled with goosebumps at the eerie silence that suddenly engulfed the long space. Every step, though taken with caution, resonated through the building, transforming her delicate movements into thunderous echoes. Slowly, without consequence, she continued down the corridor, each of her footfalls sounding like booming proclamations.
Upon reaching the end of the hallway, she spotted the designated door left wide open for her. Astrid crossed the threshold and entered the room.
Her eyes widened when she caught sight of Beth attempting to slide a pair of scissors inside the cast on her wrist. "What are you doing?" Astrid questioned.
Startled, Beth whirled around to face her, the blades now dangling guiltily in her hand. However, her slender shoulders suddenly, and confidently, straightened. She would not hide from this, for the Lancaster woman would be proud of her. "I figured I had to be prepared in case things went south," She disclosed.
Astrid pursed her lips, assessing the courageous teenager with her hair still secured in a tight ponytail. She crossed the short distance and then carefully took the scissors from Beth's hold, her own gaze falling upon the sharp blades. With a quick, discreet movement, she concealed the pair of scissors up her own sleeve, making sure they were well hidden.
"If anything goes down, you stay behind me, got it?" Astrid instructed.
Beth Greene swallowed thickly again, her focus alternating between the Lancaster woman's concealed weapon and her intense stare. After a moment, her steely blue eyes settled upon Astrid's stern expression, and she offered a final, steadfast nod of confirmation.
"Got it."
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