"You should go get a Healer" I snapped at him. I wanted him out of my sight.
There was a high- pitched scream. Iris was struggling with Thomas.
"Iris it is me" Thomas put her down carefully. "It is me" Thomas took her face. She wasn't looking at him. Her eyes were wildly staring around her.
"Iris" I made her look at me. "Look at me- look at me" I told her. Thomas was crying and hugging her tightly.
"Look at me" I yelled at her. "Stop screaming" her chest was falling and rising quickly. She stopped yelling. "We're here okay. I wont' let anything bad happen to you- I swear I'm going to kill the son-of-a-bitch that did this to you. I promise you iris. He will pay"
Iris stopped struggling. She merely stared back at us. I leaned forward and kissed her forehead.
"I swear Iris, we'll find him" Thomas whispered.
She wouldn't let anybody near her not even the Healers. Thomas kept his arms around her. She didn't' say a word but kept her eyes closed. I was scared that she wasn't say anything.
"She's in shock" the Healer told us. "She has lost a lot of blood and is deeply malnourished."
"She'll get better right?"
She was laying in the loft staring out the window. Ares was curled up next to her. It worried me that she wouldn't even acknowledge him.
"Yes she will" the Healer answered. "I just don't know how long it will take- she went through quite an ordeal."
She didn't talk to any of us. She barely even looked at us.
She only let me and Thomas near her. It hurt to see her like that.
"Please" I begged her. "Please tell me you are okay" I wiped my face. "We are supposed to be in this together- let us help you. We are supposed to take care of each other Iris"
"Boys go get some sleep" Nurse Gail gave us a small smile. "Don't you worry, I'll take care of her."
"How is she?" Brenda asked me. She put a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"She's okay" I answered. All events had been cancelled, school ended in less than two months. We only had to get through our classes. It felt long and treacherous. I just wanted to get out of the school and go home.
Maybe that would be better for Iris.
"Nobody is allowed to see her, I tried to visit her" Brenda lowered her voice.
"No- nobody is allowed near her" I answered.
"She's so lucky" this guy answered. "She got the Ranks cancelled, she got extensions on all her work. I wish that would have been me"
My blood started to boil. Without thinking, I threw myself over the table.
"You fucking idiot" I punched him. "You don't' know what you are saying? Do you think it is fun to be tortured" I breathed heavily.
"What?" he shook his head. "Ezra dude- she was tortured"
"Yes you fucking idiots" I yelled at the quiet hall. "She was tortured- some sadistic son of a bitch took her and tortured her. do you want that?" I turned to him.
"I'm sorry- we didn't know. I swear we didn't know anything- nobody has told us anything. All we knew was that she had been missing with Michael. We thought"
"You don't fucking know anything" I took a step towards him. He backed away from me."All of you keep your mouth shut" I picked up my books and left.
Thomas was coming down.
"Don't go to the dining hall" I sighed. I had the urge to punch the stone wall but that would be stupid.
Thomas looked over my shoulder, he nodded.
"I'll get food from the kitchen and I'll meet you at the infirmary" Thomas bumped my arm with his fist.
I made my way to the far side of the castle. The snow was melting, it would soon be Spring. A few days had passed by. She wasn't talking to anybody.
I had been hopeful that Iris would have moved by now. She was in the same position as yesterday. Her eyes were glued to the window. There was some sunlight streaming in. I opened the window for her.
I adjusted her slightly, so she would be more comfortable. I fluffed up her pillows and I pulled her tray to her.
"How is she Ares?" I asked him. His head was on her lap. He looked at me with sad eyes. I rubbed his head and he sat up. I picked him up and sat down next to her.
From the looks of it her assignments were complete. At least she was doing something.
"So guess what the Ranks were cancelled, we placed first over all. We only have academics to worry about" I casually talked to her. I brushed her hair back out of her face. She closed her eyes momentarily. "I'm glad you are doing your school work" I told her. Her grandmother had threatened to take her home. Iris had refused to budge but she had started to do her work. I took that as a good sign.
"I know most of the material is boring" I smiled for her. She gazed at me with sad eyes. i grasped her hand tightly. "It sucks" I continued. I cleared my throat. "Dr. Nan is being obnoxious since the Ranks were cancelled. All school trips are cancelled too. Byron is still forcing us to train so you know that's good, I guess. He is worse- I had never seen him so controlling and angry" I scratched Ares head with my free hand. He was singing softly. I wondered if it was supposed to be comforting for her. "Has he come to visit you?"
I looked at Iris, she was crying.
"Iris don't cry. What did I say?" I released her hand. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry." I shifted slightly so Ares could get off my lap. "I miss you- I wish you would get better" I took both her hands. She closed her eyes. She withdrew her hands.
"What did you do?" Thomas asked me angrily. I got up with a shrug.
"I was just talking to her" I tried to explain. Thomas thrusted the plates of food in my hand. Thomas sat down and she let him hug her.
I snapped in irritation. How come he was allowed to touch her and I wasn't.
"Its okay" Thomas whispered. "Its okay" he rocked her gently back and forth. I left two plates and I took one with me.
I left without looking back.
"Fuck me" I rubbed my face in irritation. I would try to go back to see her late. Byron was walking towards me. "Are you going to go see her? Don't go over there- she is having a melt down again" I replied pissed. I know I shouldn't be angry. I couldn't understand what she was going through. I hadn't been there.
I just felt so impotent. I wanted to grab her and shake her. I wanted her to snap out of it.
There had to be something I could do for her.
I went back to see her later that night. She was sleeping soundly. I sat down next to her. Ares took off. I would leave as soon as he got back.
"I'm sorry about earlier" I apologized. "I was trying to just talk to you- make you laugh or something. I miss you" I took her hand. "You- you are my favorite person Iris here. I love Thomas too but you are- I feel like I'm supposed to take care of, like if were are supposed to be caring for you" I gulped trying not to cry. "I feel like if I failed you and I don't know why, Iris." I tried to control my breathing. "I have- I mean I punched Robert in the face for what he did to you. Do you remember when we were kids and that kid used to pick on you, I made him stop. I have always watched out for you, like I'm supposed to. I feel like I'm supposed to be protecting you- and I don't' know what that means. I feel useless especially now and when I saw you Iris. I wish that would have been me" I wiped my face quickly. I felt like an idiot for crying. "Please let me help you, don't push me away." I leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you" I whispered.
I pulled her away, her eyes were wide open. Ares came back in and he settled back on the bed with her.
"Take care of her, Ares" I told him. He chirped in response. He put his head on her chest.
"Eat" Nurse Gail put the plate in front of her. She solemnly stared out the window. She wouldn't talk to us. She barely said a sword. The only sound we heard from her was at night. According to Nurse Gail and the Healer, she would wake up screaming and shouting.
There was nothing we could do. I felt like if she wasn't even listening to us. She was caught up in her own head.
"Iris" I knelt in front of her. "Eat something please" I begged her. Her eyes didn't move from the window.
"Iris- you need to eat" Thomas picked up the bowel. He blocked her view. She merely sighed and lifted her eyes at the ceiling. "Please eat something. Anything- do it please"
Thomas touched her face.
She didn't want to be touched by anybody. I put my hand over hers and she pulled it away. She clutched her arms to her chest.
"I'll put a feeding tube into her stomach" Nurse Gail smiled timidly. "Dear god, I can only imagine what they did to her."