Chapter 24
Jessica soon comes back around to the hospital an hour later to pick us up. She brings Christina and Gunner with her as they tag along in the back seat of the truck. The bitter cold of the wind is gone but leaves a slight breeze in the air that whips a strand of hair into my face.
“So, is it a boy or a girl Tris?” Asks Christina first before Jessica can even speak. But Christina has an odd tone in her voice that makes me wonder.
“It’s a boy.” I say nodding. “We decided on the name Andrew, after my father.”
“Andrew? Andrew Prior?” Asks Jessica surprised by the name.
“Yes, my father. You knew him?”
“Not really,no. But I have heard of some things about him from some of the Erudite papers that I’ve seen only very few of. He was from Abnegation I believe?”
“Yes. He was one of the leaders there along with his father.” I look a Tobias who sits next to me in the truck, his face blank.
“Oh, so your father worked along side Marcus, right Tris?"
“Uh, yeah.” I don’t want to give anything away for Tobias such as information that is only to be his. But he seems okay with it.
“I was his son.” Says Tobias in a low voice. “Call me Tobias for now on.” Jessica’s expressions slowly fades from a smile to a frown as I think by what she read in the news articles that she knows who Tobias Eaton is and how his life was treated.
“Okay, I will then.” She says.
We travel to the hotel in silence, or at least I thought we were going to the hotel. We seem to be passing it as Jessica keeps driving on.
“Uh, Jessica. I think you missed the hotel.”
Tobias touches my knee. “No Tris, we need to move on. We all discussed it earlier this morning but we didn’t want to worry you.”
“Why now! I thought were supposed to leave in a few more days.”
Christina begins to talk. “We believe that the sooner we leave the better chance we would have getting there before the backup comes later on.” I push Tobias’s hand from my knee and say, “Well thanks for letting me know sooner.” My voice fills with sarcasm as I speak with a mock tone. No one comments after that. Another few miles of silence and I have no idea where we’re at. I look back and see city in the far distance getting smaller and smaller. Nothing surrounds us where we are now and the smooth road turns into a bumpy ride as we begin to drive on the grass. Soon I realize where we are and it’s where we first met Jessica, out in the field of tall, muddy grass. We’re taking the train back into the chaos of Chicago.
I had to realise it at somepoint that we were going to leave. I even suggested that we leave as soon as we possibly can. I just hadn't taken this whole situation into accout with everything being thrown at my face all in one day.
Jessica puts the car in park and says that Chris is to meet us here at this location. It's not much of a location to stop at since really we are surrounded by an empty field. My head has been hurting ever since I left the hospital and I didn't want to bother with telling anyone so I just lay my head against Tobias's shoulder without a word.
Moments later, Chris comes around in a car that has "police" written on it. We all get out of the car and my head pounds in pain but I still don't mention anything to anyone.
"I brought some guns along. Oh yeah, and I found some sort of a serum in the back of the lab back at headquaters. I'm not sure what it does though." Says Chris. Christina takes a vile and looks at it. The serum has a dark green color to it and it makes me wonder what it does.
"Here, it came with this paper attached to it. I haven't read it yet."
I take the paper from Chris and read it. Tobias stands over me to read it too. I skim though the words until something catches my eye.
"It says it's a type of healing serum. Able to heal when put on direct contact."
"Well that should come into good use then in case something happens." Says Tobias.
I continue reading and stop at the bottom of the page. I scowl at the last sentence that says "Made by the Erudite.” Jennine must of had great power, power that was unknown to me if her serums made it this far. When Chris isn’t looking I fold the piece of paper and put it in my pocket along with the gun Chris gave me.
“Everyone take a serum.” Says Christina. Tobias hands me the green serum.
“I already have one.” I say looking down at the serum in his hand.
“No, just take two. You never know.” I don’t look up at him, I just take the serum from his hands and we make it up to the tracks where a train horn sounds in the distance.
Minutes later, the train comes into view and we start running to get on. Christina is the first to get on followed by Jessica and Chris with Christina helping them in. Gunner has no problem getting on and seems to know whats going on as he follows Christina. The train moves too fast for me to jump on. Tobias gets on and then it’s just me, struggling.
“Tobias!” Both Tobias and Christina hold out their hands to help me. I reach Christina’s hand and then Tobias’. Though they falter a little helping me get on the train, I’m able to make it in.
“God Stiff, aren’t you getting heavy.” Christina says smirking. I roll my eyes at her as I continue to catch my breath.
“With the train moving this fast,” explains Tobias, “we should make it to Chicago by tomorrow night. Which is perfect because the darkness will be our ally and we will waste no time getting to where we need to be.”
“I hope you all have a plan or something for when we arrive there. There’ll be no time then to discuss it later on.” Says Jessica taking a seat on the floor.
“I’ll think of something tonight and we can talk about it in the morning.” Says Tobias. I walk to the corner of the train and sit with my head and back against the wall as they continue discussing the situation. I try to listen but it’s like my ears don’t want to listen because my head is in too much pain.
“You okay Tris?” Asks Jessica from behind.
“Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I’m listening.” I don’t open my eyes up to see her but give a slight nod. They continue talking for most of the day about stuff thats not even related to the situation we’re about to encounter. But everyone takes there own train car for the night and Christina stays with Gunner. It’s like the dog has become attached to her now which I think would be best for her. She needs the company after all. I hear footsteps come towards me and assume it’s Tobias.
“Hey. You don’t look to good. You feeling alright?” He asks me. I open my eyes a little and see him sitting down next to me.
“No not really, but thanks for asking.” I say annoyed.
“No need to be rude Tris, I’m just truing to help.”
“Sorry, I’m just not feeling to well. My heads been bothering me all day and I thought closing my eyes for a little bit would help but apparently not.”
“How’s your side been doing?”
“Oh, the cut? Yeah it’s fine. I don’t notice it as much anymore like I did yesterday. It’s just my head."
“Hold on, let me get something.” Tobias gets up and I hear the train door shut behind him. He comes back moments later with a small towel in his hand.
“Where did you get that?” I ask him.
“Well since Chris brought a pack of things with him I assumed that he had something in there that might help you. Here.”
Tobias sits back down and places the towel ,which is wet, over my forehead.
“Thanks.” I say. I lean off the wall and lay down with my head laying on his lap.
“Sleep.” He says. “You’ll feel better in the morning.” I manage to give him a small smile as he reaches down and gives me a kiss on my cheek. He places his hand over mine which lay on my stomach and I fall asleep.
Plenty of times I wake up in the night with some head throbbing and Tobias gives me a new towel but after sometime, Tobias lay asleep next to me as I believe that he finally thought of an idea and will tell us in the morning. I don’t want to bother him when I wake up in the morning because he’s done enough for me already, instead I get up and feel no pain in my head anymore and walk to the train car next to us. I find Chris, Jessica, and Christina with Gunner all sitting in a circle around some food. I sit down with them and grab a small piece of bread and Jessica hands me a can of corn. I nod a thank you to her and she smiles. Chris grabs a can of peas from his bag and snacks on that for a while. Everyones quite as we all try to eat as there will be no food for us later on. Tobias walks in at least ten minutes later, stretching his arms out and yawning. Still no one talks as he sits across from me and I hand over the corn to him. When everyone is done eating, Tobias is the first to speak up.
"So I think I have a plan." He says.
"And that is?" Asks Christina as she pets Gunner.
"Well I was thinking that since we will arive later tonight then we can kinda make a run for the Erudite headquarters."
"Wait a second Tobias. Didn't Evelyn work with the Factionless? Wouldn't she be overtaking them too?" I say.
"I am still unsure of her plans but we will never know untill we get there."
I look at Tobias and see a nervous way about himself. He doesn't seemed to thrilled to be going on with his plan. I still don't belive that its a good idea for me to be going when I'm expecting soon but at the same time I don't want to let Tobias down. I still must prove that i'm strong and that I can make it. Enough is never enough for me. He continues talking.
"I don't want to make a big scene with using our guns unless its truly necessary. Using our weapons would result in giving attention to the mind blank who are once again programed to kill. We have to blend in. if you can't follow me and make it to where the Erudite are, then we can all get hurt or worse." Tobias looks directly at me as if he's trying to say something ment only for me. Like he doesn’t want me to give up trying.
“You follow me from there. Everyone got it?” He says in a stern voice as if we’re his initiates and he teaching us. We all nod and then drop conversation.
Hours and hours pass by with some meaningless talk and Tobias walking slowly back and forth around the train car. Night falls upon us and everyone gets ready as we can see the city coming into view. The gun stays at my side and Chris comes armed ready with a slightly bigger gun than everyone else. Jessica and Christina both make sure their guns are loaded and step out onto the edge of the train to see the city. Any second now we will be able to jump off and have to make it straight for the Erudite compound.
“Ready?” Tobias asks me holding on to my hand.
“Ready.” I say firmly.
Christina stays at my side with Tobias too so it will be easy for them to help me jump out. Finally we reach the city and for some reason it looks different from when we last left it. It looks dead. Everything does. Some buildings have been bombed and the streets are filled with even more potholes. The other thing that has changed are the guards, the mindless Dauntless along with more mixed factions, all patrolling the streets up and down with guns laying at their sides.
“I can’t believe it.” I say. “She’s taken other factions with her.” Tobias looks more flabbergasted than anyone on this train. A mix of schlock and terror fill within his eyes and his grip on my hand begins to tighten.
“We’ll make through, it’s fine.” I really don’t want to tell him thats is fine when really it’s not when I don’t even know the danger I could possibly be getting into.
“We have to jump!” Yells Christina over the wind.
And we do. Jessica, Chris, Gunner, and Tobias and Christina pulling me along with them as I land onto the cement roof, scraping my hands as I fall. Tobias and Christina help me up and Tobias checks my hands.
“You’re fine. It’s not too bad.” He says, smiling at me. He plants a kiss on my lips as I say “If anything happens, I love you Tobias.”
“At least it’s coming from you and not your brother this time.” He says trying to lighten the mood. He wraps his arms around me, telling me that he loves me too and hoping that nothing bad will happen to either me or him.
We follow Tobias from roof to roof until we are left with no where to go except for taking the streets down the rest of the way. Luckily this roof isn’t too far from the ground so we make it down safely. Suddenly Gunner begins growling at something in the distance. Something flies past my head and hits Christina in the shoulder and she drops, slumping to the ground. I keep a hand over my mouth to stop myself from screaming her name and go running to see her. A dart is wedged in her shoulder blade and hasn’t gone too far into her skin to make her fall the way she did. With everyone now surrounding her, Tobias pulls it out to look at it.
“It’s a sedative. She passed out but she’s not dead.” Then another dart passes me by and hits Chris and then Jessica. Gunner starts barking uncontrollably and a figure begins to appear.
Then Tobias gets hit with one and I run over to help him but it’s no use.
“Tris,” he says sluggish from the sedative, “you have… to run.”
“No.” Tears pour down my face now. “No I’m not going to leave you, I can’t.”
“Run.” And then he’s out, his head laying in my arms.
Seconds after that I’m hit with one of the darts and I immediately slump to the ground. I slowly hear the loudness of Gunner’s barks and snarls fade from my ears. This is it. This is where I stop. This is where I can not longer prove that I’m strong, that I can actually make something of myself. But through the haze of the drug overtaking my thoughts, I begin to think. I will fight this war. I will fight Evelyn and I will prove myself. The drug takes over and all the lights and sounds are gone, but my hope still stands.
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I'm sorry for not updating sonner:( I was caught up in a lot of school projects and I have one due tomorrow too. Grr! But I hope you liked this chaper and I will try to update as soon as I can:) Thanks for waiting on me!
So who has seen Divergent? Did you like the movie or not?
I thought it was okay but personally I wish they wouldn't have cut out sooooo many scenes out from the book. :( But I can't wait to see it again next week! Let me know what you thought about it!
~Stay brave~ :)