Relentless (Book 3)

Chapter 40: Bethany

"Shhh, we aren't supposed to be here, and they aren't supposed to be together, so we have to be very quiet, okay?" I felt Benjamin begin to stir next to me at the sound of the voice in our room, but I still wasn't quite conscious. 

"Okay." another voice spoke, it sounded small and scared. 

"We don't want to scare them, okay? Let's make sure we are being very quiet and calm. And we have to wait until they wake up to give them their hugs. We can't surprise them with a hug while they are still asleep."

"Okay." The small voice said again, and this time I could hear the tears caught in their throat. I still wasn't fully awake and I wasn't sure whether or not the voices were real or I was dreaming them. Was there someone in my room? Or did the voices only exist in my head? 

"They are very hurt." the small voice sobbed. "They got hurt real bad." 

"Hey, hey it's okay. They're home safe. They will get better." The bigger voice said. 

"They don't even look like themselves." The small voice said, their voice completely breaking. "They look bad. They look like they are broken. They are still hurt. Are you sure they are okay? Are you sure?" 

"I promise they are getting better. But maybe it was too soon to bring you here. I'm sorry. Do you want to leave? We can leave, and I can take you back to visit when they are better."

"No! No, I want to be here for them. I don't want them to be alone." 

"Okay, then I need you to know that they are so super strong. They made it back here. They might look a little broken, but they will only get better from here. And they will never look like this ever again. Every time you see them they are going to look better and better until they look like the same old Bethany and Benjamin. Okay, Sophie? I promise." 

Sophie? 

"Sophie?" I whispered. My eyes fluttered open at the sound of her name. She was really there, standing at the foot of my hospital bed. She look afraid and sad, but behind that, was a look of excitement to see us. I felt excited to see her, but I also felt sad, and for some reason, ashamed. But while I didn't want her to see us like this, I was also so happy to see her healthy and whole and here. "Sophie." I said again, a bit louder this time.

"Bethany." She responded. She was wringing her hands and her teeth were worrying at her lips. I hated seeing her look so anxious. She should never have to that way, especially at such a young age. She looked terrified. Terrified of me. I could only imagine what I looked like, my head nearly bald, save for a few patches here and there, bruises, lash marks, cuts. My stomach sank. I didn't want to scare her. I didn't want her to be afraid of me. But I was so happy to see her. I felt tears prickle in my own eyes. God I had missed her. 

"Sophie, you can come here if you want to."

She stood there, frozen. I looked at the other person in the room, the one who had brought her here. "Go on, Sophie." Meredith encouraged, nudging her toward the bed. "Go welcome them home." 

I felt Benjamin move beside me again and I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. His eyes opened slowly and he blinked a few times, his vision coming into focus. "Sophie." He exclaimed, his voice raspy. I turned to look at him and saw him as Sophie was seeing him. His neck was bruised and swollen. His face was black and blue from fighting the guards. His arm and leg were both in casts. She was right, he did look broken. And I knew I didn't look any better. But he was also smiling, he was happy to see Sophie. "We missed you." He pressed a button on the bed and it moved us into a seated position. I tried to hide the grimace on my face as the movement pulled at my skin.