Futuristic Beyond the Dome

[FaithWynters]

Her mind latched onto everything. She felt as his hands tightened around her wrists. She tried to do what he told her. Deep breaths. At first, they were fast. One breath in at a time and one breath out. Sometimes, they would hitch in her throat, causing little hiccups the airflow. He said he wasn’t going to die, but how could she believe that? If he were on the brink of death, which choice would he decide would make it better for her? At the thought, her breathing picked up again. Eli’s words brought her back from the what-ifs and she tried to focus on his features and not on the blood that was basically everywhere at this point.

“I was awake that morning you were reading.” The words came out as jerky breaths before she could stop herself. “You were doing well.” She was trying to ground herself in something. She smiled, hoping that would make it easier, but it didn’t. “We need to work on the ea’s again.” She hadn’t heard their footsteps, but as Carly heard the door open, she stopped talking.

“Mr. Lawson,” It was Dr. Valecarez’s voice. Carly recognized it from her six-month checkups her father required. “Just as we discussed.” The words were simple. Dr. Valecarez was a nice lady, but in times of high stress, she was a down to business woman. “Miss. Kemsley, I need to get to him if I’m going to help…” The words came from right behind her and were getting closer. Carly’s eyes were set on the place that she had been pressing.

“Carly…” Before Daniel’s voice registered behind her, he had wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her away from Eli. A nurse and the Doctor quickly took her place, getting to work on helping getting Eli stabilized and onto the gurney to move. They seemed unfazed by the girl screaming Eli’s name behind them.

“Let me go!” The words shrieked from her lips as weak arms pushed against muscle that they had no chance moving. They were on the floor, him behind her. With some effort, he crossed his right leg over her thighs, pressing down just enough where she couldn’t move. Daniel tried to say quiet words to her to get her to calm down, but with what he was doing it didn’t help. They just needed to get her to calm down. Words morphed incoherent sobs as Daniel tightened his grip around her waist and grabbed her left arm, pinning it behind her back. It killed him to do it, but he knew it was for the best. Now, she only ha a single arm free.

“Miss. Kemsley. I’m going to give you something that will help you calm down.” She didn’t see the nurse, Carly could only hear her voice. Daniel’s grip tightened; he had to keep her still or she could hurt herself. He had been successful in pinning her to his body in a way that the nurse could do what she needed to. Daniel could feel her shaking against his chest. The nurse rushed around her. Behind the two, she had drawn a clear liquid into a syringe. “You’ll just feel a little pinch. Try to relax.”

Obviously, the nurse had more experience doing this than Carly had evading, as the nurse grasped the wrist of the arm that was trying to get Daniel off of her. She stilled it easily, pressing the needle into the soft part of her elbow. Pushing the pump, the clear liquid disappeared.

“Everything’s going to be fine, Carly…” It was the last thing she heard as she fought the weight that attacked her body. It only took a few seconds before she finally slipped into darkness and her body went slack in Daniel’s arms. By then, they had loaded the Scavver onto the gurney. Daniel sighed quietly, untangled himself from Carly’s limp body, picked her up, and followed the medical team out of the office.

 

[Gobbo]

It broke Eli's heart to hear Carly screaming his name as she was pulled off of him, and he kept his eyes locked on her even as they fought to get him stabilized and on the gurney. It wasn't until she passed out did his eyes move from her, to stare daggers at Daniel. A thousand threats came to mind, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to risk anything at this point, though he swore that he would make sure Daniel would pay for what he did. Not that he cared much about being stabbed, but for the turmoil he put Carly through because of it.

The jostling of the gurney sent new waves of pain through him, and he quickly closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, trying to push himself past the pain that each new step brought.

---

Daniel had stayed by Carly's side as she slept, her hand firmly in his. He couldn't understand why she would not only defend a Scavver, but fight to save the animal's life. They were scum, worthless, only good as disposable tools to send out into the savage wastes. It was as if she was fighting to stop someone from throwing paper in the trash. He didn't understand it, but he he was certainly going to have a talk with her when she woke up.

That, however, didn't go exactly to plan. When she finally woke, he greeted her with a sweet smile and a gentle squeeze of her hand, only to be met by a screaming Carly. She cursed him, calling him every horrible name she could think of, and sent him out of the room with another full-force slap. Daniel scurried out, angry and hurt at what had happened to her.

A few hours later, after Eli had been stitched up and given a heavy dosage of painkillers, he finally woke up. He wasn't sure what time it was, but he also didn't really care. The painkillers were doing a wonderful job, only making him aware of a dull throbbing in his stomach. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments before taking a look around. He was in a clean, sterile room, laid out comfortably on a warm bed. For a moment he wondered if he'd actually died, until he looked over and saw a familiar face sitting in the chair next to his bed. She was asleep, but she was sitting as close as possible to him. He smiled softly, slowly reaching over to poke her cheek.
"Carly... Time to wake up." he said, his voice hoarse. He tried clearing his throat, but was too groggy and sedated to even do that properly.

 

[FaithWynters]

The drugs had done what they needed to. It was a kind of mental reset for the young woman. When her eyes opened through the fogginess that her mind had been in, it took her a moment to recall why she was in her bed, staring up at the white-grey ceiling. When she felt the squeeze of her hand, Carly’s heart had picked up. For the moment that she took to look over at who was sitting beside the bed, there was this glimmer of hope that it was Eli, and that all the horrible things that her father had said and Daniel had done came out of some sick nightmare she was having.

It was Daniel. No longer did she break into tears. No—the reset was helpful for that. Instead, it was a hot and unfiltered anger. Carly wasn’t proud of the things she said and did in her blind rage to Daniel, but her mind justified it. Eli might have been dead. She didn’t know, yet.

Carly had made her way out of bed and downstairs to the infirmary. She was still woozy and her head floated as she walked alone down the hallway, but after a few stumbles and a few times sliding down the hall wall and waiting for her head to settle again, she had made it to the infirmary. It wasn’t early in the day anymore. The sun cut orange streaks across a darkening sky that came through the windows in the waiting room and soaked into the furniture. It took a little bit to get inside; Dr. Valecarez had given strict orders to security to not let Carly in until she could talk to her.

“He needs time to heal.” The young doctor was going against Abraham even talking to her about Eli—let alone letting her into the infirmary at all. “No drama, no screaming, no getting him out of bed.” She paused a moment. The Doctor had seen everything and it was undeniable there was a connection. Even as they worked on Eli his eyes wouldn’t leave her. She wouldn’t jump to conclusions—especially damning ones like that—but she leaned in slightly, dropping her voice so that the guard nearby couldn’t hear her. “Please try to keep positive? No crying, no getting upset. Your stress stresses him out, Carly.”

She took the words to heart, and when she finally was allowed into the room, she just settled in and watched him. Out the window, there was a beautiful view of Genesis. A few blocks over, the green of the park struck a stark contrast against the grays and blacks of city life. At about seven o’clock, a young man carrying a tray of food walked in. Word must have gotten to her father as to where she was, and somehow, Dr. Valecarez had been able to convince him that there were some positives to come out of not disturbing her. Carly took the food. It was certainly meant for her. Large portions of steak and potatoes and vegetables covered a plate from La Grotte—she could tell by the smell almost instantly—it was where they went for her birthday every year. It had a funny name, but there was nowhere else in the city that you could actually get a meal this wonderful—that was reflected in the price tag of course. It was exactly what she ordered every year. This was an apology.

Carly didn’t touch it. After the young man left, she sat it down on the nearby bedside table. She wouldn’t eat until Eli was awake. She just watched the quiet raise and lower of his chest for a little more than an hour as the food got cold. The silence stretched on with the single steady beep of his heart on the monitor—probably only one of three in the whole city.

When the guard shifted slightly in the corner and warned her that she would need to leave soon for guard change, the young woman picked herself up and left. It hurt to leave him—it raked at her heart. What if he woke up and she wasn’t there? No. That wasn’t going to happen. She slipped away into the shadows and waited. It was easy to slip back in at guard change—she knew where the post was, and she just waited for there to be an opening to slip past. No one would bother her the rest of the night. No guard would stand to watch inside the room; there was no need.

By the time that she had felt the light touch, a few more hours had gone by. At some point, she had fallen asleep looking out over the bright night lights of the city. Picking her head up from where it hung limply off to the side, sleep dispersed quickly when she realized who had woken her up. It hadn’t been her father or some interested guard that caught sight of her from outside. It was Eli.

“Hey…” Her voice was weak as sleep disappeared. She straightened up, offering him a big smile. He was awake! She forced herself to contain the excitement, remembering what the doctor told her. She reached up to grab his hand, giving it a light squeeze. She caught the dryness in Eli’s voice. He probably hadn’t anything to drink since that morning when they ate breakfast. She realized that it had been the same for her, but she ignored the own dryness in her throat. That didn’t matter right now; he was awake! “Here.” Turning, Carly let go of Eli’s hand. She plucked the large glass bottle of water off the tray her father had sent. With a quiet pop of the stopper, she poured him a cup, offering it to him with another smile.

“How’s it going, Partner?” It was a stupid question. He was damned to the bed –for at minimum a few days according to the doctor. Still, she just wanted to hear it from him—he was okay. She bit her lip nervously, watching him for any indication of pain. They had great doctors and nurses here. It was said that Dr. Valecarez was the best in Genesis. They had the best equipment. She knew he was in good hands here, but she just needed to hear him say it.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli smiled warmly, seeing such an honest happiness in her eyes at seeing him awake. He gratefully took the glass of water and drank, though he did so too quick and ended up coughing a few times. Once he caught his breath, he squeezed his eyes shut as a sharp point of pain slid past the numbness that had taken over his body.
His eyes opened when she called him 'partner', a small smile on his lips. He could see how nervous she was, and how worried she had been.

"Better than I could hope for. Doc says I'm gonna be stuck here for a few days, just to monitor me. I'll be just fine." he said with a little smile. "C'mon, I've survived raider battles, gunfights, and Saturday Night Fever at Klik's downstairs. Just because some uppity kid gave me a few papercuts doesn't mean I'm gonna leave you all alone." he said, setting the glass down before reaching over to take her hand.
"Thank you, Carly..." he said softly. "That was actually the first time anyone's ever really stood up for me. It really means a lot." He smiled softly, looking down at their hands. The I.V. sticking out of the back of his hand was a little strange, though he knew better than to try and pull it out. The hospital bed had been the most comfortable one he'd ever laid in, he was gonna try and stay here as long as he possibly could.

"You know something? You're not the same person I yanked out from under the backseat. I can't say I dislike it." he admitted with a little laugh, wincing as another jolt of pain made it past the barrier of painkillers. "I also don't know what the Doc has me on, but I'm high as hell right now."

 

[FaithWynters]

Each cough threatened to make her flinch. She could see when the pain slithered past the barrier that the medication made, and she fought to keep the smile from falling. The nerves had come back as she watched him. It was the truth though; Eli was a fighter. It would just be a process to get him to one-hundred percent.

“Better. That’s what we’re looking for” She was grinning. He thought so too. That was a weight off of her shoulders. Carly trusted him to be honest with her. At the mention of Daniel, Carly’s jaw tightened. It would take a lot more time before she could forgive Daniel. Every time she thought about it she wanted to throw something. It was the only thing still weighing on Carly’s mind. There had been no repercussions for him. If he had gone out on the street and stabbed a Genesis civilian, he wouldn’t see the light of day for a long while, but everyone had just brushed this off as if it wasn’t a life he almost took. Eli shifted slightly to set the cup on the table.

“I didn’t look like just a few papercuts to me.” Her voice softened, her eyes drawing patterns in the sheets on the bed. When he grabbed her hand, the smile returned. She didn’t need to dwell on that right now. His touch once again sent a chill up her arm. This was the first calm moment they had been able to enjoy alone in what seemed like forever, and she didn’t want to think about what standing up for him had meant.

“We made a deal. Partners. I was supposed to protect you when we got back to the Dome.” Carly tried to keep her tone matter-of-fact. She hoped that he took it as what she had done instead of what she hadn’t done. It was a slip. It was most certainly a failure on her part. She should have been in that bed—not him. If she had just been paying better attention… She took in a deep breath. Now was not the time to be sad. He was awake. Carly kept reminding herself that. It was the only thing that kept her from diving back to places she shouldn’t be. Another smile crossed her lips. It was natural again just to turn off that part of her mind. It must have been something in the water.

“Hey…” Her face squinted up as he laughed. There was another flash of pain across his face that in his current state, he couldn’t hide fast enough. “No laughing. Dr. Valecarez says that you can’t be moving around a lot for a few days.” She giggled quietly. He was right though—whatever pain medication dripped slowly to the I.V. in his arm was having an effect on him. His eyes sometimes wandered and his face looked almost heavy. She worried he was fighting sleep to talk to her.

“That’s the good stuff then.” Another quiet giggle escaped her. “I would offer you something to eat, but I’m not sure I want you swallowing your tongue.” Obviously, she was teasing. Leaning forward, Carly planted a soft kiss on the back of his hand. She would provide Eli with whatever he asked of her. There was a moment of silence between them as she just watched him. “I’m so happy you’re alright, Eli…” The words slipped past loose lips before she could stop it, but for once, she didn’t regret her moment of weakness. It was the truth. She was happy—still worried but happy. They had made it.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli smiled, trying not to do anything but lay there and talk to her. He wanted to pull her over into his lap, like they had done in the truck, but he knew that the stitches were still fresh and one wrong move could pull them open again. He didn't want her thinking that she was responsible for something like that.
"Damn right we made a deal. You did a wonderful job." he said with a soft smile. There was nothing but honesty in his voice. He saw Abraham as an infinitely bigger threat than Daniel could ever be, and she protected him from her father perfectly. "Thank you. I'm serious. If you hadn't stood up to your father like that I'd be dead now." he said, closing his eyes for a moment.

He wasn't so numb that he could feel the kiss on the back of his hand, his eyes opening again. "I'd rather not swallow my tongue, if that's okay." he admitted with a breathy laugh. The pain couldn't make it through the barrier that time, which he was glad for.
"I am too... I'm glad you're alright after all of that too, you know." He squeezed her hand lightly. "I don't want anything to happen to you... You're the best thing that's ever happened to me." he admitted quietly. The painkillers were making him a little more open with his words.
"When I get out, I wanna tour the city." he said, looking out at the shimmering lights. They almost seemed like starlight, through the haze of painkillers.

"I want you to go with me. I'll sell the chips, and use every last coin to make sure we can. Your dad's gonna fight me on that, so I need your help." he said, turning his eyes back to her. After a moment, he felt the need to share something else.
"You know, I've never seen grass. Or trees. At least, not up close."

 

[FaithWynters]

Carly wasn’t sure if Eli said she had done a wonderful job at protecting him because he was serious about it or because he wanted her to stop fretting. His voice was honest, and she smiled a little bit more. That was one truth. Even if she hadn’t been able to stop Daniel in time, she had been able to get Eli the help that he needed through her father.

“I’m sorry for what he said to you.” The idea that her father had of Eli was wrong and it made her skin crawl thinking about it. Carly wasn’t certain if Abraham had actually thought he would do all of those things or if it was just a trick to get Eli to snap, but the words unwillingly flitted like lightning across her memory. The only one he had broken with the words was her, and now she wasn’t sure if they were on speaking terms or not. “I’ve never seen him like that before…” It wasn’t really an excuse for her father, but an excuse for herself. Never in a million years would Carly have thought that her father would snap like that in front of her.

His words were the only thing that pulled her out of these deep trains of thought that she had. This time, it put a warm flush on her cheeks. She could hardly believe that she could be the best thing, but as she thought over it, she smiled again.

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, too, Eli.” Her thumb began drawing soft patters on the back of his hand. It was true. She could believe his words because she felt the same. Eli had been her escape—her ticket out of hell—and somehow, along the way, he had become more to her than that. She wanted to lean over him and kiss him—to feel their skin touch more than a single connection of hands, but she refrained. She wouldn’t do anything that might hurt for she still worried every time he laughed.

A quiet giggle escaped her lips. Of course, he would want to explore when he could. The city looked beautiful—especially at night when the bars and clubs flooded with people. The look from her bedroom windows was even more beautiful. There was an unobstructed view of everything. It would be hard to get him there, but maybe, one day they could just cuddle in her bed and drink wine as they looked over the bright city lights. She would like that.

“Of course I’ll go with you. Can’t have a dirty Scavver running around Genesis unsupervised, can we?” The others may have used the term as an insult, but for Carly, it had shifted into this term of endearment between the two of them. The only thing that sunk her heart was the fact that he wanted to spend all of his money making it happen. Now wasn’t the time to tell him that she wouldn’t let him do that. That money was supposed to be to get him set up for a comfortable life after…her. It was another thought she didn’t want to have, but it squeezed in through the cracks in her hope. What happened when Eli had to go back out into the wastes without her? No. Not tonight. She wasn’t going to do that to herself.

“Well, then the first stop’s the park.” Raising her hand up and leaning in, she tried to line up his vision and hers as best she could to point out where the park was. “You can kinda see it.” Lights shined a perimeter and a little bit of green was visible, but not much more. “Dad had trees bred and brought in from other Domes to make the fullest park he could.”—It was her mother’s project, one that she had worked on for years during Carly’s childhood. “We’ll walk around the pond and lay in the grass for as long as you want.” The idea was nice and sweet, but Carly knew that it would probably never happen. Taking in a soft breath she’s smiled. Now was as good a time as any.

“I’ve only been out of the building seven times in my life.” Her words were soft as Carly settled back into her seat, her eyes glued on the view. “Well, I guess its eight now.” A quiet, thoughtful laugh escaped from her lips. Maybe that would be enough of a hint to him that it wouldn’t be her that could convince her father to let her walk the streets of Genesis freely. She was twenty-three—the math wasn’t really in her favor… “Each time, I always ask to go to the park; it is quite beautiful.” The area was huge and Abraham always ensured it was the cleanest and most beautiful place in the city. That’s where her mother was buried.

 

[Gobbo]

The words her father had said to him pissed him off, sure... But it wasn't the insults that had nearly sent him over the edge. It was the fact that her own father was accusing him of doing those things to her. In the moment, he was sure that the verbal attack was directed solely at him, but now? He honestly wasn't sure. Abraham had to be mad at her for leaving like she did, and it wouldn't surprise him at all if her father wanted to guilt her into never doing it again by listing off the horrible things that could happen to her. At least now Carly understood how dangerous the wastes were, and though her father's words were horrible, he wasn't exactly wrong. If things had gone worse at the compound, there was a high likelyhood of the raiders having their way with her before hauling her off as a hostage.

He didn't dwell on the thoughts for long. The compound was far away, the threat was gone. They were both somewhere safe, and though Eli wasn't sure what was going to happen to him once he was healed, he would enjoy the time they had together.
The urge to kiss her was a strong one as she spoke. Even after everything that had happened, she still wanted to be by his side. Partners. A thought flitted through his mind, though he quickly quelled it for now. There was no chance that her father would allow something like that. Still, it was fun to think about...

He smiled softly, holding back a quiet laugh at her comment about him. "Oh, of course not. No telling what kind of trouble I'd get up to." he said softly. He soon realized that she was literally the only person that could get away with calling him Scavver without feeling a shred of anger over it. When she said it, it made him happy. There was no way he would ever tell her to stop.

He followed her finger as she pointed out the park. From where he was, he could sort of make out a little bit of green along the edges of the light. "I'm looking forward to it..." he said, wondering what the park would look like in the daylight. At least he would get a few good views of it before being confined back to his garage. He just hoped she would be there over the next few days, so she could point out all the places they would go and see. Even if it never happened, that would be the closest he would come to seeing the city with her.

Her next words surprised him, and his brow furrowed slightly in thought. "What? Only eight?" he asked, frowning. She hadn't been kidding when she said she was a prisoner, then... He didn't think she was, but now he had proof. He didn't like it at all. What kind of a father would keep his daughter from exploring the place they live? If the city was as safe as everyone said, there was no risk at all with letting her wander free... No wonder she snuck out.
"I'm gonna have a talk with your father about that. A calm, rational one, I promise." he said, adding the last bit after a short pause. He felt the need to reassure her that he wasn't going to do anything stupid. "I mean, this is your home, right? It's not fair to you, being stuck in that building your whole life."

 

[FaithWynters]

It was true. It was only for her seventeenth birthday that she had been allowed to select any place in the city to go—it was always the park. Her father would plan the entire evening. Dinner at La Grotte—the whole place was empty and it was only ever the two of them—her mother when she had still been alive—and the security team that made sure nothing would happen. A walk through the park—also blocked off and empty. Frozen ice from Samson’s after—once again, empty. Then back home to bed. Carly looked forward to the night every year. The evening usually would have only been about a month away. Her father had probably started making plans before she ran off. She was sure she wouldn’t be allowed out this year after this little stunt. Her birthday would probably be a quiet one this year, coming and going without much thought.

Her smile fell slightly at his words. She had seen how the first conversation with her father had gone. Now he wanted to talk to him about something he had no control over? Lips pursed in worry. It wasn’t Eli’s place to argue that for her—and she had certainly tried before.

“This building is my home.” It was sad but true. “Trying to argue that I should get more freedom after I ran away probably isn’t the best way to get on my Dad’s good side—You’re already on thin ice around here.” She feared that there wouldn’t be calm and rational discussions between Eli and her father—ever.

“I’ve got food, water, an education…” Her eyes had trailed back to where she continued drawing lines on his skin. “I had Daniel to talk to…” The thought put a bitter taste in her mouth. “I’ve got everything I should need for a fulfilling life—according to Abraham Kemsley.” She knew this was how her father thought. It was all he needed, and while he left the building quite often for business trips, most parties or events happened somewhere in the huge building. “The most important thing is that you’re safe.” She tried to mimic her father’s stone cold features and voice. “Trust me when I say you don’t want to mingle with those people down there.” The discussion usually happened about once every three months or so, and each time they didn’t speak for a week. It was a touchy subject for both of them. “I get to go out for my birthday, and that should be good enough for me.”

Carly was bringing the mood down. A sly smile spread on her lips; she didn’t want to bring it down anymore. If she could get his mind off of it, then she would. She had just the way too—just a tiny little joke wouldn’t hurt.

“I mean I should count myself lucky, right? That’s once a year for half my life.” It was a lie. She most certainly wasn’t sixteen, but she was almost certain that Eli didn’t know that. How could he know? When they met, she knew more about him that he knew about her. He knew a face and a name, but she didn’t think he’d know something like that. She knew Eli was older than her—by how much, she wasn’t quite sure, but anything her elder would put him at almost a decade of age difference if she was actually sixteen. She smiled a blissfully ignorant smile at him, continuing drawing the patterns as if she hadn’t said anything strange.

 

[Gobbo]

The conversation was beginning to take a turn for the worse, even in his drugged-up state Eli could see that much. She explained her father's thought process, and he soon came to the conclusion that he didn't agree with it at all. Yes, she had food, water, an education, a safe place to sleep... But people needed more than that to survive. They needed friendship, companions, and to occasionally get blackout drunk and get into fights. At least, that was how he was taught. He couldn't imagine how boring a life would be, stuck in a tower your whole life.

"I'm never gonna fault you for hiding under the back seat, you know. I mean, it was a crazy idea... But at least you came out of it alright." And stronger because of it. He had the feeling that she never would have stood up to her father like she had before her little trip outside Genesis.
He felt that with a city out there to explore, it would be doing it a disservice by just staring at it through a window. Especially if she was only allowed out there for her birthday. Once a year. The thought alone would drive him crazy.

Though, that brought up something else. He didn't know when his birthday was, or even how old he was. Numbers like that weren't that important when you were left alone as a child in the desert. He knew that to other wastelanders, age was certainly important. It was almost a high score, a tally of how many years you'd survived. 18 was the magic number, when everything was unlocked and open for you from there on out. He hadn't caught the sly look in her eyes as she spoke, and he frowned slightly. The math there seemed strange...

Several long moments passed of him watching her with a confused look, and it took much longer than it should have on account of the painkillers. Eventually, though, he was able to put two and two together, and the realization about her age made his eyes go wide. The heart rate monitor beeped a little quicker, and it was obvious that somewhere in the back of his mind he was panicking. If the people of Genesis shared the same mindset as the Scavvers they hired... He kissed a 16 year old. Her father was actually gonna kill him. He couldn't find out.
"You know what, I think I feel fine. Maybe I should get going now." he said, a sudden and unexpected rush of adrenaline wiping away the haze of painkillers as he looked nervously at the door.

 

[FaithWynters]

Carly could see everything unfold on his face. At first, the words she said only settled into his mind, but soon, the number stuck. She watched as Eli’s face contorted and his fuzzy mind slowly calculated what he needed to. Wide eyes were the first clue. After listening to the same, slow rhythm for hours on end today, the monitor speeding up caught her attention more than any of the other signs. Oh, he knew. The neurons were firing in his mind. For some reason, Carly thought that the panic that set in wouldn’t be that bad, but she could see him sweating bullets.

A quiet giggle escaped her; Carly couldn’t help it. Although it was clear that stress would be avoided, she knew he was only worried what her father would think—or do—in reaction to such news. He certainly should be worrying about that already, but she decided that it was better to put his mind at ease…sooner rather than later. No longer could she avoid the contact that she longed for, but she made a point to be careful with her movements. Picking herself up, she slid her upper body in the small space between Eli and the guardrail on the bed. She giggled again. Eli watched the door as if someone was going to walk in and shoot him where he lay.

“Twenty-three.” Leaning in close, she whispered the single number in his ear. If she moved any closer, her lips could touch his earlobe. After a slight pause, she continued. “Seven years older than sixteen. Two point eight seven five times more years than the times I’ve been out of the building.” Another giggle broke the silence. “It was a joke, Eli.” She was grinning, ear to ear. Carly let her head rest on the mattress below, waiting for the slow to the heart monitor. “But maybe a Scavver should ask some of those questions before kissing the daughter of a King next time, hm?”

 

[Gobbo]

Eli was beginning to figure out his escape plan, though he was sure that there was someone just outside the door waiting for him. He was gonna die. It wasn't until he heard her giggle did it snap him out of it, enough to watch her scoot onto the bed with him. Her whispered words in his ear made his skin crawl in the best way possible, and he could almost immediately feel the panic slip away and be replaced by the wonderful numbness of painkillers.

"Okay, yes, maybe I should have asked that... But to be honest, I wasn't thinking about it at the time." he said with a small laugh, relaxing enough to turn a little towards her. His arm slid around her, and though it was a bit of an awkward position he felt comfortable.
"You're so mean to me. I'm injured, you know." he pointed out, leaning in to kiss her forehead softly. He was sure they weren't being watched, so maybe a little peck wouldn't hurt anything.

He settled down, the heart monitor resuming its steady beat. He didn't know exactly how old he was, but he had the feeling that they weren't too far apart in age. He could tell she was younger than him, at least by a little. He sighed softly and closed his eyes, his arm resting comfortably around her.
"Near heart attack aside, this is nice."

 

[FaithWynters]

As his arm pulled around her, Carly readjusted so that her head could rest on the crook of his shoulder. She was careful as she moved not to adjust more than she needed to. At all costs, the goal was to avoid moving Eli. Another quiet giggle escaped her. Sure, Eli hadn’t stopped in the middle of her challenging him to ask her such a mundane question. It made her feel good that he hadn’t asked, actually. Out of all the people she had ever met, the only one that didn’t treat her like a child was Eli. She very much enjoyed that and didn’t mind that he hadn’t asked. Besides, it had given her the opportunity to give him a hard time now.

“I thought they were just papercuts, Eli?” Another giggle escaped her lips as she watched him. The kiss on her forehead sent tingles down her arms and a heat through her cheeks. She turned a little more, knowing that she shouldn’t have been in the bed at all. She was still on her side, but now she could bury her face into the warmth of Eli’s shoulder a little better. She closed her eyes, just taking in the moment. It was probably early in the morning now, and while they still had a few hours left, she knew that Eli should probably be sleeping.

She gave a quiet little purr in agreement to what he said. The amount of time it took her to relax here with him would have certainly surprised her father. When she was with him, she felt so much safer. For that reason, it was nice to be in arms reach of him again—and alone. Even though it was quite different than the truck, Carly could still enjoy it. They would have to be more careful, but even in this infirmary, Eli would get the luxury of her day-to-day life; she would make sure of it. She was starting to settle down, while she couldn’t curl into his lap or sleep on his chest as she had for the last three nights, she could get used to this.

“I’ve got you dinner if you want it.” The words hung sleepily off her own lips, her eyes closed for a moment before she opened them slightly and looked up at him. “It’s cold, but it’s some of the best food you can get in the city.”

 

[Gobbo]

Eli smiled softly at her teasing. "Hey, papercuts can injure a guy if they're bad enough, you know." he said with a little laugh. This was... Nice. Curled up with her by his side, he could feel the heaviness of sleep starting to drift over him. The little purr she made pulled his lips into a smile as he rested his head against hers for a moment. He knew what would happen if they were caught... But in the moment, he didn't really care. If he died in her arms, he'd die happy.

The mention of food caused him to pull his head away enough to look at her. It sounded good, and he knew he should eat, but he was too tired and too drugged to really have an appetite.
"Hm... It sounds good, but I'm not hungry right now." he said, watching her for a moment. He just wanted to sleep. Before he said anything else he leaned in, pressing his lips softly to hers.
The kiss was slow and gentle, though he cut it short when he thought he heard something outside the room.

"I think we both need some sleep... You look tired." he pointed out. "Will you be here when I wake up?"

 

[FaithWynters]

It worried her that the medicine that they had him on might not make him want to eat. Before the worry could spread too far, she was surprised with his lips on hers. Carly’s eyes fell closed, a quiet hum resonating deep within her chest. She wanted to stay with Eli like this forever. It was in moments like these that Carly could truly let all of her worries melt away and it could just be her and Eli.

Eyes followed his line of sight when he pulled away. Carly knew there would be no way to clear Eli’s skittishness. The thought of her father catching them would always be a quiet little warning in the back of his mind. It should have been one for her too, but she knew the guard rotation times enough that they should be safe. Carly let her head come to rest back on his shoulder once he spoke. Another purr escaped her as she nuzzled her face in his warmth. Her mind was already half asleep as she responded.

“I’ve got to leave around 6:10 to slip out on guard change.” Carly didn’t want to get out of this bed with him, but she knew better than to push her luck any more than that. “They’ll put a guard in the room then, and I’ll come back after.” She hated how sneaky they had to be together, it killed her that she couldn’t just be honest with her father about this. “I’ll try not to wake you when I go. You need your rest.” The longer she lay there the more the words slowed as they fell from her lips. The last glance at the clock told her that it was only three now, so she had a few hours before she needed to pull herself away. She could relax.

If Eli had said anything else to her, she didn’t hear it for sleep overtook her silently.

. . .​

It was the slight shifting of Eli that woke Carly up—and just in time too. When she opened her heavy eyes to check the clock, it was a quarter until six. She didn’t move for a moment. Instead, her eyes scanned Eli while he slept. His face seemed peaceful and it brought a small smile to Carly’s lips. Sometime in the night, she had settled her hand on his chest and his hand had wrapped around hers. It would be a little bit of a problem as the time came for her to pull herself out of the bed. Slowly she untwined fingers until she could lightly pull his hand up and rest it back down. Carly knew that whatever the doctor gave him had certainly done their trick at keeping him asleep. She knew there was no way she would have gotten away with it had Eli been fully in his element. It was good though—that meant he was getting the restful sleep that he deserved.

Carly stopped a moment to give a good stretch once she had successfully maneuvered back off of the bed. Her left hip was incredibly stiff from laying in the same position for multiple hours, but as she took a few quick steps around the room, it slowly loosened up.

She waited patiently at the door, looking through the small glass window for the guard to meander his way back to the guard post. There was a two-minute window during each guard change where no one was at their posts. Throughout the building, this time was different, but Carly had memorized them all. After a few minutes, he turned and left.

Quick silent feet made their way out of the room and down the hall. It was easy once you got the hang of sneaking around like some sort of vandal at night. It didn’t take her long to get back upstairs. In the distance, she could see her bedroom with a single guard standing in front of it. The men who guarded this post had direct contact with her father if they suspected anything out of the ordinary, so Carly had to be even more careful here. It was another twenty minutes that Carly waited. She was crouched next to a wall, her head leaned lazily against it, her eyes half-lidded as she fought sleep. The guard finally shifted and made his way down the hallway. Carly stuck to the shadows, and the guard walked only a few feet away from where she was pressed against the wall. When he was gone, she was home free.

As much as her body told her to go to bed, she knew she couldn’t. If she wanted to be back before Eli woke up, she couldn’t pass out in her bed—she wasn’t sure when she would wake up if she settled into the plush sheets. Besides, she was still disgusting. Since being back, she hadn’t even taken the time to get cleaned up. While someone—probably Daniel—had been kind enough to clean Eli’s blood from her hands, they hadn’t done much else. Dark blood ringed around the edges and underneath all of her fingernails. Her hair was still a knotted mess of a bun. She was dirty and honestly, grimy—she could do with a shower and a fresh change of clothes. She wouldn’t have been able to ruin the sheets of her bed—which she only now noticed had been swapped out since she had, in fact, slept there earlier in the day and probably ruined the sheets then too.

It was interesting being back here. As the door opened to an incredibly large space with charcoal grey hexagonal tiles covering the walls, she smiled. Countertops were black and covered with all of the things she used day to day. As she took in one good look in the mirror, the young woman wondered what Eli saw in this mess that she was that he liked. It wasn’t a long pause, for the confident part of herself kicked the ideas to the curb quickly. She found it odd at first that every bottle and can and container was all new again. Hair ties were still contained by a single paper ring. Shampoos and conditioners still had the tiny adhesive seal on them. Her hairbrush was a new one—the same color and style as the last. The same went for her toothbrush that was still wrapped in plastic. It was certainly not how she left the place. Her mind rolled over why it could be as she stripped the last bit of clothing from her body. She had made sure to hang up the leather jacket safely in her closet already so no nosy maid would have the opportunity to check its pockets and find something they weren’t supposed to.

By the time she realized why everything was new again, she had made her way to the back portion of the bathroom. There, two large glass doors opened up to a shower that seemed much too large for one person—especially a young lady as small as Carly. There were only two reasons why everything could have been new. Either her father had instructed the maids already to clean out the bathroom because he had, without a doubt, thought she was dead, or he had taken some of her personal belonging to help in the search. Carly was almost certain it was both, and she was glad that the steamy hot water fought off the chills that came with thinking of the aftermath she had left here. There was no doubt in her mind that Abraham had turned the city upside down looking for her, and her hairbrush would have been good for the search dogs.

By the time Carly walked out of her bedroom, it had been about an hour. Wet hair hung lazily down around both sides of her face. She was wearing a pair of low-waisted dark-wash blue jeans and a light pink crop-top hoodie. This type of thing was certainly her normal dress—Carly had even gone out into the wastes in a sweater that hung off one shoulder. It had unfortunately been quickly ripped apart to use as bandages, but she decided it was a loss for a good cause. She certainly wouldn’t admit that she had picked out something comfortable that accentuated her figure rather than hide it.

Her next stop was the kitchens on the floor below. After a quick conversation with the chef—who seemed overly excited to see her still alive and well—she had breakfast on the way. Of course, he would only cook a portion large enough for just her. Apparently, he had been given specific instructions to not provide her with two servings of food. Whether the order came from her father or from Daniel, she hadn’t been able to determine.

By the time it was eight, Carly was nearing the infirmary with a tiny cart. On it, there were a few plates covered by a large metal cloche, a small serving of juice, and another glass bottle of cold water. It was a little much, and she wondered if the puppy-dog eyes she had given the chef had actually worked after all. When she made it to the infirmary door, the guard standing inside the door unhappily opened it for her. He said nothing but eyed her curiously as she wheeled in the cart. The food from the night before was gone, and it looked like someone had come through and tidied up a little bit already. When her eyes landed on Eli, she grinned. She had made it—he was still asleep.

 

[Gobbo]

Thanks to the cocktail of drugs they had him on, Eli hadn't noticed when she stealthily slipped out of bed. He hadn't noticed much of anything, his dreams filled with strange and contradicting images. Despite that, it was the most restful sleep of his life.

---

Daniel had tried to sleep. He really had. His mind kept going back to the odd way Carly was acting, and his anger towards the damned Scavver that had kidnapped her. He didn't care if she thought she ran away willingly, he was sure she was suffering from Stockholm Syndrome. The Carly he knew would never willingly run off to certain death out in the desert. He laid awake the whole night, and the few times he'd gone to her room to talk to her he was stopped by the guard. It confused and angered him, and he stewed in his emotions until the light of the next day began to stream through his windows.

Why would she willingly try to save someone like him? Why did she stop him from killing the Scavver? None of this made any sense to him, and he knew that he was going to get some answers, one way or another.

---

Eli showed no signs of waking, but as she came in with the cart he stirred slightly. Someone at some point during the early morning had tuned back the drip on the IV, so he felt a small twinge of pain as he shifted that pulled him fully out of sleep. His eyes opened slowly, taking several long moments to focus and realize that she was back. The moment he saw her he smiled softly, noticing that she had cleaned up and changed.
"'Morning." he groaned quietly, shifting and sitting up a little more. "What's that?" he asked, motioning to the cart as he settled. He could smell food, and his appetite was slowly beginning to return.
"Did you sleep well?" he asked her with a little smile.

 

[FaithWynters]

Carly was certain that getting over the doorframe had been the thing that woke him. She was chipper as she stopped the cart and walked back around Eli’s bed to sit. If he wanted to fall back asleep, she wouldn’t cause any more disruptions for him to do so. His eyes slowly opened, taking in his surrounding slowly. She hadn’t been sitting there long when he saw her and smiled. She returned his groggy smile with a grin of her own. It looked like he wasn’t going to go back to sleep.

“Good Morning.” She returned his groan with a bright greeting of her own. The security guard eyed her curiously for a moment, but when she caught him staring, his prying eyes turned away. Picking herself up from the seat, she walked quietly back around to the other side of the bed.

“I went ahead and had the chef make you some things for breakfast.” With a quiet grunt, Carly pushed the overbed table over to him—it was pretty heavy and it was obvious that it hadn’t been moved in a while. “I figured that you’d be hungry; it’s been a long time since you’ve eaten anything.” Pulling the cloche off and placing it on the bottom tier of the cart, she looked at what the chef had prepared: pastries, juice and water for two, but only a single serving of sliced meat, a single scrambled bird egg, grilled asparagus, and grilled potato rounds. In a tiny glass jar, there was some sort of sauce for the potatoes. Maurice had certainly followed orders but had somehow been able to skirt the order on a technicality. She would at least get a pastry, which her stomach grumbled happily at.

“I slept really well.” She couldn’t help the smirk. “My bed is really warm.” There was a soft rosiness to her cheeks as she thought back to the night before. Even if Carly had noticed the dark circles around her eyes getting heavier when she looked in the mirror, it was worth it for her. “I hope that the infirmary has been to your liking so far?” Picking up the first warm plate, she walked it over and sat it down in front of him. Certainly, a grown man could eat more, but Maurice had gotten cooking portions for Carly down to an exact science, so that’s what she had to give.

“Now I know it’s not much, but this is one of my favorite breakfasts. Here.” She placed a fork down for him before pouring him a glass of dark red juice, setting it down next to the plate. It looked a lot like blood when it settled, but the taste was tart and satisfying to her. Finally, she slid one of the pastries on a napkin before setting the small saucer down next to him too. “Go ahead and eat up; we can’t have you wasting away in this bed.” Quietly, the young woman turned again and began pouring herself a glass of juice.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli smiled warmly as she spoke. It was good to see her so relaxed and calm, and he was sure he could see a new lightness in her step. After the stress of the day before, it was nice to have a few quiet days with her, even if he still had to look over his shoulder. He never felt too comfortable when he was in this building, that much was for sure.
"Carly, you didn't have to do that..." he said with a little smile, watching as she uncovered the food. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of it, he wasn't expecting her to bring him something so lavish.

Her question pulled him out of the daze he found himself in. This was too nice for him. He smiled softly, though there was something in his smile that showed that he was a little off.
"It's way too nice in here. This is the most comfortable bed I've ever slept on." he said with a little laugh. The hospital beds were nothing special, metal with a thick layer of foam, but it was so different from sleeping on the ground or in his hammock that he wasn't sure what to do. He knew it would be hard for him to go back to his hammock after this, that was for sure.

He watched her for a moment as she got breakfast set up for him. "Thank you... This is way too nice." he said, not wasting any time before digging in. He had never had the chance to eat something this good, and he made a content purr under his breath that he didn't realize until it was too late. His face flushed slightly, and he swallowed his mouthful before speaking.
"This is really good." he said, though it was an understatement. It was honestly the best food he'd ever had.

 

[FaithWynters]

Before turning back, she took a slow sip of the juice. It was the first drink of anything she’d had since the morning previous, and she was glad to have the cotton out of her mouth. Eli had already begun to dig into the meal in front of him. She smiled, watching as he ate. Even though he called the place nice, Carly knew that it wasn’t the most luxurious place in the building. Her smile spread as she thought about how he would react if he ever saw her father’s bedroom or the company’s event dining room. This was nothing compared to that. She wanted to point out that it wasn’t too nice for him, but she didn’t. Knowing there was another person listening would be enough to keep her a little tighter-lipped.

Taking another slow sip, she refilled her glass before grabbing the soft pastry and walking back to the seat next to him. Maurice was one of the best chefs in the city, and it was obvious by the beautiful pasty that Carly took a huge bite out of. The quiet noise from Eli drew her attention back to him; it was exactly what she was feeling. She smiled with closed lips as she chewed.

“It’s just nice enough.” The words came quietly after she swallowed. Carly was tired of him treating himself as if he was lower than anyone else in the building—he wasn’t even if people wanted to act that way. She saw the eyes of the guard again and she cut daggers at him. Once again, his eyes looked forward. “Maurice is one of the best. You should see him when he cooks for father’s dinner parties.” She took another huge bite. She had been starving and now half of the pastry was already gone. There was another pause as they enjoyed mouthfuls of food. When Carly swallowed, she didn’t wait to start talking again.

“Usually, I have breakfast with Daniel before he’s got to work, but we aren’t quite on speaking terms right now. “She took another bite and shrugged. At some point, they needed to talk about what had happened. Eli didn’t even know who Daniel was or why he had reacted the way he had. Carly felt like the only thing he knew for sure was that everyone was trying to kill him in this place. It was certainly a tough spot to be in, but Carly was trying her best to make it comfortable.

 

[Gobbo]

Eli smiled warmly as she sat back down and spoke. It was going to be difficult to not feel completely inferior in a place like this... He knew that if push came to shove, he could fight better than anyone else in the dome, but there was something about this place that just reminded him of his place in the world. Under everyone else.
"That would be nice, but I doubt I'll ever be able to." he said, looking over at her. He highly doubted he'd be invited to a dinner party.

Her mention of Daniel made him frown slightly. "That's the kid that ambushed me, right?" he asked. "I'm not surprised you're not on speaking terms with him. I mean, I'm sure you know him better than I do, but he's kind of a dick." he pointed out. He had every right to think so, too. The little bastard didn't even pause before started stabbing, and that kind of ruthlessness was something that Eli had rarely seen, even out in the wastes.

He sighed and turned back to his food, finishing it off. There wasn't much there, but it was more than filling enough for the amount of food he was used to eating. "Who is he, anyway? He was dressed like one of your dad's security." It wasn't fun to think about, but now maybe she would have an idea as to why he was always on edge. Security may have been something safe for them, but for Scavvers anyone in a security uniform was a threat.
He sighed softly, staring at the deep red juice in the glass for a moment. He wasn't sure what it was, but reached over and tried a sip anyways. It was tart, and most certainly something he wasn't expecting, so his face scrunched up and he made a startled noise.
"God, what the hell is that?" he asked, blinking quickly. He was used to bland, forgettable food, and had never had anything that sweet in his life. It was weird.

 

[FaithWynters]

It was certainly a long shot. Carly could think of no real reason for Abraham to ever invite Eli to a dinner. Usually, they were had in celebration of different events. Maybe a diplomat from another dome had traveled the wastes for some important business, or there was some important mingling that needed to happen between The Corporation and a small company within Genesis. They weren’t an uncommon occurrence in the past few years. Carly’s mother had been the one to plan charity events for the underprivileged in the city or other causes that were close to her heart. So when she died, there ended up being a quite strange relationship with those parties and Abraham. Still, Carly giggled quietly as she thought of Eli dressed up in a suit, sitting at a table surrounded by the rich and famous of Genesis, listening to all of their drab conversations and enjoying the food.

Carly’s frown matched Eli’s as he spoke. Yes. Daniel was a…complex situation. Carly thought momentarily as she stuffed the last of the pastry in her mouth. Chewing slowly, she tried to give herself some time to think over what she was going say. Carly wouldn’t try to validate Daniel’s actions. There was nothing that he had done besides mess things up since she had been back. Carly thought back to the day before when she had spat so many insults at Daniel it made her nauseous. She had never hit someone like she had struck Daniel—twice now. She had seen the hurt in his eyes. He was just worried about her. No. He hadn’t handled anything right. He had been ruthless towards Eli. That was unforgivable.

Carly was drawn out of her thoughts again by his words. When she looked at Eli, his face was scrunched up at the tartness. Another giggle escaped her lips. It was an interesting juice, but Carly had enjoyed it for breakfast every day that it was in season since it had started being manufactured. She took another sip of her own juice, clearing up the last of the pastry in her mouth.

“I’ve been told its cheriza juice. It’s this fat black fruit they grow here in the city. They’ve got huge pits in the center, and the meat is red. I’ve been told some of the more privileged teens use the extra flesh on the skins when you peel it to tint their lips red before school.” She took another sip, enjoying the flavor. The slight tint could even be seen on hers. “It's my favorite juice; I love the tartness of it. It’s not everyone’s forte.”

“As for your other question,” Carly stood up, walking back around the table, “Daniel’s a little complicated.” Picking up the empty plate from in front of Eli, she turned and put it on the cart. She still hadn’t figured out where she should start on this conversation. “Daniel’s an old friend.” Popping the top off the bottle of water, she poured another glass. “You’ve probably heard of Andrew Lawson? Head of Security?” She turned around, placing the water down for Eli if he preferred that. “Well that’s Daniel Lawson—his son.” Walking back around the bed, Carly too her seat again. “Daniel and I basically grew up together. He was the only friend I had here all these years.” She crossed one leg over the other, finding the smooth glass interesting. “He’s become pretty protective of me over the past few years.” She shrugged. “It doesn’t make anything he did acceptable, though.” That much was obvious.

“I haven’t seen him since yesterday.” A snort escaped her lips as she prepared to play off her next sentence like it didn’t matter to her. “He was really worried about me. I woke up to him sitting next to my bed.” She took another sip; she wouldn’t mention waking up with her hand in his. Her voice had lowered greatly since she started. The whole situation still hurt. “Let’s just say he was ran out of my room with his tail between his legs.” She still cared for Daniel, but everything was difficult now. If he had just kept his head on straight. “I guess it should mean a lot. He was willing to kill the man he thought had killed me with his own hands.” She could feel the gooseflesh raise on her arms at the sentence. The thought still made her cringe. “Even my father wasn’t willing to do that.”

 

[Gobbo]

Eli had never heard of cheriza juice, and it was an assault on his senses. "Huh. I mean, it's good... But yeah." he said with a little laugh, setting the glass to the side. It really wasn't something he could see himself drinking often. He certainly noticed the tint on her lips, and he couldn't help but smile softly. He was sure his were tinted a similar color.

He watched her as she explained Daniel and his whole deal, though when she mentioned Andrew his eyes narrowed. Oh, he was familiar with Andrew. He'd had a few run-ins with him in the past, and none of them were good. "Yeah, I know Lawson. Didn't know his son was psychotic, though." he said, though he quickly caught how bitter that might have sounded.
"I mean... I'm sure he's a great guy, I'm just not happy with him at the moment."

He frowned slightly when she mentioned that he was protective, and that she had woken up with him next to her bed. He felt an odd sting of jealousy, but quickly pushed it away and ignored it. It was nice to know that she sent him running, though.
"Yeah, I guess it does mean a lot. I mean, he was willing to kill for you, that often means a lot." he said, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. He failed.

With a small sigh he looked away, trying not to dwell on the fact that it was obvious that Daniel cared for her. There was no other reason for him to charge a Scavver armed only with a knife. Before he could say anything else, though, he heard some talking at the door, and a moment later the door opened. It was Daniel, right on time. Daniel stared at Eli for a moment, and Eli noticed a flash of anger in his blue eyes before he looked away and turned to Carly.
"Hey, Carly. Could I speak with you for a moment?" he asked, thumbing over his shoulder. He obviously didn't want the Scavver to hear what he wanted to say.

 

[FaithWynters]

Psychotic. The word made Carly flinch. It was an unexpected term to be used, but she didn’t argue with him. Eli was certainly allowed to be upset with him. A knife to the gut wasn’t something that really noted a friendship of any kind. Still, it wasn’t a word that sat well with her when it came to Daniel. He was a good guy. She would have hoped the two got along when they got back. He made a mistake. Their friendship had made things complicated. If it had been any other member of the security personnel, she knew this wouldn’t be a problem. It would have been a problem that she could have taken care of, or would have never happened.

“I don’t expect you to be happy with him.” Still, she didn’t look up at Eli. Instead, she just thought about how much of a mess this whole situation had become. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive him myself.” She took another sip of juice before setting the glass down on the table beside her. It was the truth. Carly cared so much for Eli. Trying to take him away was the worst move he could have made at that moment.

Carly finally pulled her eyes away from Eli when he spoke about Daniel being willing to kill. A soft smile pulled on her lips. Even though she could still catch that his tone wasn’t happy, she knew it was only because he cared. “You did kill for me.” It was a small little way to try and make him feel a little better. She could tell his attitude was getting saltier just thinking about it.

The words had hardly passed her lips when she heard the door open. It was lucky that she still hadn’t been talking, as the person who walked in was the one they had been talking about. He tried to keep the apprehension out of his gait as best he could. She could see it, clear as day, but she wasn’t sure if Eli could. Glancing across at Eli for just a moment only showed her the crease of his brow. Yeah, the two were probably never going to be friends.

Very few times had Carly ever truly been upset with Daniel about things he had done or said. She thought back to the time when they were teens that he had accidentally let it slip that she was hiding liquor under her bed to drink to her dad. It was the same voice; he knew he was in trouble. Still, the young man tried to hide it behind confidence. Carly knew it was so that the Scavver wouldn’t see him down. The young woman was certain it hurt his pride when she treated him the way she had been.

“I guess, Daniel.” Carly had finally cooled down enough to talk to him. Eli was awake. He was talking and eating and holding her when he got the chance. There was no waning frustration, but she would at least hear what he had to say. He was a security officer after all, and he may have information from her father. Carly picked herself up from the seat and made her way to the door. She didn’t look at Eli as she left—she didn’t want to see whatever look he was throwing their way.

When they both had made it out into the hallway and the door was closed, Carly turned on him, folding her arms. They had stopped just in front of the windows looking into the infirmary, and Carly had to keep herself from looking in at Eli. She needed to keep her nerve and him being a distraction could either help or hinder that goal.

“What do you want, Daniel?”

 

[Gobbo]

It was obvious by the look on Eli's face that he wasn't happy about Daniel being there, and even less happy that he wanted to talk to Carly alone. He knew he wasn't in a position to get out of the bed yet, and though she said that they'd been friends for a long time he could still see him turning on her. Of course, that was solely because of his first impression of him. Rushing in and stabbing someone eight times wasn't a great way to make friends.

He leaned back a bit in the bed, watching as the two of them went out into the hall. He could see them, but couldn't hear a word they were saying. He didn't have to hear a thing, though, he could tell by the way that she wasn't in a mood to deal with bullshit. The thought alone made Eli smile, though he watched the pair carefully.

Daniel blinked, hearing the sharp edge to her voice. "Oh, uh... I just wanted to check and make sure you were okay. I mean... You're spending a lot of time in there with that Scavver." he said, glancing over at Eli. They made eye contact, and he quickly turned to look back at her.
"You're just acting weird, is all. What happened out there? What did he do to you?" he asked. It was obvious that he was concerned, it was a look that she'd seen before. Any time she got too drunk, or got too frustrated being confined to her room when her dad would ground her. He cared for her, and it was obvious that he just wanted to make sure she was safe.

"I read about this thing called Stockholm Syndrome. It's when someone's kidnapped, and they end up taking their kidnapper's side via coercion."

 

[FaithWynters]

It really was hard to keep her stern face sometimes. Whatever tone he had taken in front of Eli was gone and now he was back to what she knew of Daniel. Still, he talked about Eli as if he were some alien, and she found her resolve by the end of his first sentence to keep her attitude. She wanted to interject—his name was Eli. It wasn’t Scavv or Scavver or rat or filth. It was Eli. Before she could, he continued, and she waited. This was his chance to speak his piece.

It was so hard. Every word he said made her blood boil, but his tone and the look on his face made her heart hurt. She knew he only had her best intentions in mind, but it frustrated her that it was at the expense of another person. It was when he started talking about Stockholm Syndrome that her hard exterior cracked for a look of utter surprise. He thought she was somehow brainwashed into spending time with Eli? Oh boy. Was her palm tingling… Her face set in frustration, her jaw tightening. It wasn’t his fault, she told herself, he was just ignorant to what had happened.

“Look…” She was sifting through words. No longer was the concerned look enough to soften her heart. “His name is Elias.” Finally, her eyes broke away from one of the buttons on his shirt to meet his gaze. She kept it, and wouldn’t look away. “I’m spending a lot of time with him because he has no one.” She accentuated the last two words through gritted teeth. “You stabbed him eight times, Daniel. He almost died, and you act like the worst person here is him.” She had gotten started, and the quiet little voice telling Carly to go easy on him was nowhere to be found anymore. “Oh, and for your information, he didn’t kidnap me, Daniel.” Why didn’t he believe her? That was what frustrated her the most. “I snuck into his Humvee because I wanted to get out of this…” For a moment her mind reeled on what to call it. “Prison.” That’s what it was. “When he found me, he decided to protect me with his life. He decided to show me the stars and the dessert. The things I’ve been telling you for years I wanted to see.” By this point, her fingers began digging into her arms, trying to tame the frustration. Still, she never raised her voice. She was cold. “He didn’t touch me. He didn’t abuse me. Yeah, I got a little roughed up out there.” She flicked up a finger to point at the still present bruises across her throat and face. “But you know what? The guy that did this?” She pointed at the window and directly at Eli. Her finger struck the glass, making a solid ‘ping’ noise. “He put him six feet under.” Hands grabbed back at her arms so she wouldn’t do anything irrational. That was the only lie she told. She didn’t want Daniel knowing she had put a bullet in someone’s head.

“He protected me, Daniel—just like you and Dad would have wanted him to.” She let out a sigh. The strength in her voice was gone. “Why won’t anyone believe that?”