It was the next day. Next day lying in bed and worrying about John's condition. She did not receive any messages except "he's okay". Empty words. What if they only say that just to do not worry her. What if he is in a terrible state. What if he is one step away from death.
Angelina had enough of these thoughts, but they did not give her peace. And they were not going to leave. For now. Her body ached, however, less than yesterday. These pills helped her. She dreamed that there were pills that moved her away from constant worry.
Holding on to the bandage on her stomach, she rose to sit on the edge of the bed. The weakness she had inside and outside was unbearable. Jacob told her to lie down all the time, but how it was supposed to help her in regaining her strength. She took the crutch, and stood up, using all energy in her body.
The girl smiled to herself as she noticed that she was successful. One step, the second step. Opening the door, she leaned against the wall. When they opened, she left and slowly moved towards the stairs. Then she thought she had no chance of coming down. Broken wrist and leg. When she falls she will break down completely. Maybe they'll take her to John then?
Despite everything, she gave her a chance, and to her surprise, after a while, she was downstairs. Whole, without any new breaks.
"Wow" the man, standing in the kitchen, gasped.
"Not difficult for one who wants it, Jacob" Angelina replied, as she approached the eldest Seed brother. The table was full of food, what made her frown at this sight. "I hope you didn't cook" she added, with a smirk, before she sat down.
"The fact that I didn't succeed once with pasta, doesn't mean anything" he stated, as he sat down too. "It wasn't so bad in spite of everything"
"It wasn't so bad? This pasta was hard as a stone, and it tasted like meat. I have no idea, how it was possible" at that, he smirked.
It was truth. When she was 17, she and Joseph decided to visit his brother for a dinner. Her intuition knew it was bad idea, but she did not say anything. The meal in itself looked disgusting. Joseph realized that too. But they just ate it, and left. It was the first and last time, Jacob cooked for them.
"Any news about John?" Angelina inquired, with painted worry on her face. He put down the cutlery, and stared at her eyes. "Stop, you make me feel even more scared than I already am"
"Tomorrow, he will be at home. I told Joseph to drove him here, firstly. That's what he was supposed to do because John couldn't have imagine it otherwise"
"He is conscious? Oh, thank God..." Angelina gave a sigh of relief, and truly smiled. Her hands covered her face in disbelief.
"Yeah, though Joseph wish he wasn't. At least as he slept, he didn't ask about your condition constantly. Doctors wanted him to stay at least a week more, but it was impossible. The little brother made a row in the whole hospital. You both are totally same" he informed her, after what he shook his head. Her mouth curved into even bigger smile, than before. Her heart was pounding so fast.
"Stay here and eat. I will prepare a bath for you. I am more than sure that you need it" he admitted, and stood on his feet. Angelina immediately, but with carefulness, rose herself too.
"I told you to-" the ginger-haired man started, but he was stopped by her tight hug. His eyebrows rose, as the little smile appeared on his face. He patted her gently on the back, and went after a while.
Everyone knew him as a cold man without emotion, but he was like that only to people whom he did not trust. So everyone from outside his family. Of course, showing emotions was not his best side, however, Angelina was able to evoke this warm side and care in him.
As the girl swallowed the last piece of the bread, she got up, and approached the stairs. Her attitude changed after she heard messages from Jacob. She suddenly felt that this story had a happy ending.
After opening the bathroom door, she noticed that he stood by the bathtub. The room was big, just like John's. In addition to the fact that everything here was made of wood.
"When you're done, go downstairs. I'll put on you new bandages" he spoke, at what she thanked him, and gave a nod. As Jacob left, she walked towards the huge mirror.
Tears wanted to fall by themselves. She looked exhausted, even if she was not. Huge purple circles under the eyes, bruises on the face that are slowly disappearing. Hair like hay, in dry blood. The girl cleared her throat, and took off her clothes with bandages. Her body was in poor condition. A lot of wounds that will remain on her body as scars. She wiped her tears immediately, and forced a smile, repeating in her mind that it is nothing.
Slowly, she entered the bathtub filled with warm water. The feeling that overwhelmed her body was a blessing. She felt relaxed and calm as before all these events. Lying like that, she closed her eyes and dipped under the water. Dirt and blood began to leave her skin. After a while she emerged to catch the air with a full breath.
Washing her body and hair, she lay there for a moment. When she left, she dressed herself in one of Jacob's t-shirts and shorts, which she had left here one day. She combed her hair, and looked in the mirror again. In the reflection she saw the same girl as before, only in a better condition. Cleaner. Though every her movement was slow, and on her face you could see pain.
After a moment, the girl was already, standing in the living room, where the man was sitting on the couch. She crawled with the crutch, till she sat next to him.
"It hurts, right?" he asked, when he saw how hard it was, for her to move.
"Like hell" Angelina responded, as she put back the crutch and looked at him. Jacob handed her some painkillers, and started to bandaging her broken wrist.
"What did you argue with John about that night?" his question sounded in the room, as he kept on putting the bandage on.
"Project stuffs. I said too much" she told him, watching, as he holded her hand. He nodded, not giving her a glare. The girl looked away. There were a lot of thoughts in her mind, like how she could avoid that what happened but she tried to ignore this.
"Done" the man muttered, after a while, when he finished bandaging her calf.
"Thanks. Listen, you can go back to your bedroom today. I'll take this couch. You know, I do not really want to climb those stairs over and over again" Angelina admitted, as he got up. At her words, he turned back to her.
"I can take you" he stated, at what the giggle came from her mouth.
"No, really. I will stay here. You've done already too much for me" the girl informed him. Jacob gave her a nod in understanding.
"Good night, then" he spoke his last words, and left, after she replied with "Night, Jake"
The night was quite sleepless by Angelina. Even, if Jacob brought her a ton of blankets. She could not just close her eyes. The pain was showing itself, as well, as the excitement of John's return the next day. Her eyes were directed to the ceiling all night, except those three hours, when she had gone to sleep.
Very early in the morning, she decided to go to the kitchen, and make coffee for herself and for the eldest brother. When she held the cup in her hand, her eyes were focused on the training of his soldiers. In total, it was nothing interesting, just stupid scuffles. However, Angelina found something fascinating about it.
"You're awake" he reported, as he saw her standing in the kitchen. She smiled at the sight of him, and turned back.
"Here's your coffee" the girl handed him a cup, and he widened a little bit his eyes.
"Oh, thanks. As far as I know, we have a moment before the arrival of your beloved, so what do you think about showing you my work in the Project?" the man inquired blonde-haired woman. Angelina agreed to his propose, without any hesitantions. She knew that Jacob will show her even the worst parts, what you could not tell about John. The youngest brother was too much protective of her, and he wanted to keep her as far as he could from this.
An hour after they had breakfast, Jacob went outside with her. A fresh breeze hit her face, at what she smiled, taking a deep breath. With a crutch, she followed Jacob, who was walking slowly. Along the way, they passed people, who were training or guarding the area. There was a smile on their faces, when they saw The Risen, and they were gently bowing. Angelina gave this smile back to them.
"My purpose is to train people in soldiers. Thanks to my actions, I find out who is strong or who is weak. We cull the hurd. Everyone has a purpose, pup. All of this has its purpose" he told her, walking next to the cages, where were people. Most of them were sleeping.
"What's my purpose then?" she asked him, with a smirk, ignoring the people inside. Jacob laughed a bit, and stared at her for a moment, still walking.
"You need to find out this" the man replied, and she rose her eyebrows.
"Interesting" Angelina scoffed, and told what she had in her mind. To be honest, she was really curious about these stuffs.
"And these are-"
"Oh Lord!" the young woman interrupted him, after she saw little wolves playing with each other. As careful as she could, the girl approached them, and gently kneeled to scratch them.
"...my judges" he finished his sentence, with a sigh. At the view of her smile, his mouth curved into the smirk.
After a moment three white wolves jumped on her knees, to which she laughed. They were jumping around, playfully biting her. "They are so cute!" she exclaimed, as she stood on her feet, with a little Jacob's help.
"Stay" he commanded to them, as he saw how they wanted to ran after Angelina. Animals sat down, and watched them leaving.
After a while, they were already in front of the Veterans' Center. To their surprise, Faith suddenly appeared from nowhere, and ran toward Angelina. The girl barely stood on her feet after Seed's sister gave her a huge hug.
"Oh my dear Lord!!! You're alright!!" she shouted, as tears were falling down her cheeks. Although Faith's embrace made the pain worse than ever, Angelina just smiled, and embraced her gently. "How do you feel? I've heard that John is going to come back from the hospital today"
"Speaking of which" suddenly Jacob's voice, sounded in their ears, what made Faith jumped away. Angelina froze, as she saw the car driving towards them. Her body began to shake, and she was speechless. Slowly and uncertainly, she began to walk in the direction where the car stopped. The first door opened and Joseph stepped out. His expression was emotionless.
"Where is John?"