Separately Together

Chapter Twenty-Eight: 2/2

"You did what you had to do." I hear Ben say to her as he looks at the man laying head beside me.

It's getting harder and harder to breathe. "Remember what you promised me ..." I knew I was gone the only thing I could be thankful for was that Vickers would never lay a hand on anyone else again.

He had fallen first even if it wasn't my hands but my hers. They would be alright I tell myself over and over again as their faces and Maddie's cries go muffled and blurred.

Live, don't just survive.

~.~.~.~.~

The game was played in the background, and Finnic and I sat around watching the television. His mother was back to her usual self and she was going on a girl's night out on the town. Leaving me and Finnic the house, well, and sweets.

She was so quiet, I forgot she was here most of the time, it wasn't until she came out of her room to get a snack or drink that I remembered she was here.

"Hey, Maddie. Do you care if we have a few friends over? You know without mom knowing?" Sweets continued to fill up her drinks as she shrugs her shoulders. I've noticed that she has quit talking as much, she use to talk way more than she does now.

I wonder what was going on with her. I knew she use to get bullied because I've stuck up for her multiple times and Finnic has too.

I don't understand how anyone could find it appealing to pick on such a frail girl. That would be like someone picking on Dixon.

Not appealing at all, not like any form of bullying is appealing.

"You can invite some over if you want," I tell her.

Finnic nudges my arm. I glance at him and he shakes his head quickly. Letting me know to drop it.

She walks back to her room and I turn my attention back to Finnic. "What's up with her?" I ask because she had made herself unusually invisible lately.

"She got diagnosed with social anxiety. Explains a lot." He says still not pulling his focus away from the screen. "She doesn't have friends at school."

My eyebrows pulled together in confusion, part of me wanted to help somehow but how exactly was ai going to do that? I wasn't a doctor and I could force her to make friends.

She was foreseen now, she was old enough to take care of herself and if she didn't want friends then she didn't have to have them.

Even with that thought in mind, I still slipped down the hall when everyone had got here and they got to be loud. She must be lonely, it has to suck hearing all of these people laugh and have fun. Maybe even want to join but your mind mentally not letting you.

I knock briefly on the door. "Come in." She whispers.

I try to open the door but it's locked. "Oh hold on just a second."

I hear shuffling before she pulls the door open and I see her dressed in her pajamas. Maybe I pegged her wrong, maybe she just enjoying being alone and I was ruining her alone time.

"Harley?" She asks as she steps aside and lets me into the room. "What's wrong?" She ask assuming that something had to be off since I was actively making an effort to see her. I normally stick to myself over here or stay beside Finnic.

"Nothing. I came to check on you. Everyone's being so loud. Are they bothering you?" I ask peaking at her as she sits back down on her.

She holds up her headphones and shakes them letting me know she had it covered. "I'm fine. You don't have to check on me, I know you would rather be out there with them." She says, motioning to the eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds hollering over the football game.

"Nah. I spend all week playing and practicing football the last thing I want to do on the weekend is watch the game." I tell her honestly causing her to giggle.

"Then why do it?" She lays down and covers herself back up as I sit down on the edge of her bed.

"Because it makes your brother happy," I say and then glance at her. "He seems to be enjoying himself just fine with his friends but you not so much," I tell her.

I guess that was why I was here, in her room. I wanted to see her happy.

She deserved to be happy just like everyone else.

"You should try to make some friends, Sweets." She smiles slightly, it's a sad smile and I feel like I might be making things worse. I wince and decide that I was going to figure out a way to make her happy before I left this room.

"You know your brother, is in there talking to Liz," I tell her and her interest is peaked I can tell because his eyes start to sparkle.

I go on to tell her who and all was here and what and all was going on, it seemed that just me relaying what was going on out there was enough to satisfy her curiosity and even bring a genuine smile to her face.

She had one of the most mesmerizing smiles I've ever seen. It's a shame she doesn't use it much.

~.~.~.~.~

The beeping was the first thing I noticed. Then the soreness of my limbs. I feel like I fell off of a cliff and then everyone just left me laying there.

"She wasn't wearing any underwear. She was practically asking for it."

I sit straight up in the uncomfortable bed and start yanking all of the wires hooked to me off. Was she okay?

Did she still have that look of emptiness in her eyes?

Where was she?

Where was I?

How long have I been out?

Questions zoom through my mind but once I have the wires and cords off of me I attempt to stand up. My legs feel like jelly as I fall to the floor, trying to push myself back up as quickly as possible. I need to see her. I need to see her.

The sentence goes through my head over and over again until I force my shaking legs up. My whole body was weak, I must have been out a lot longer than I thought.

Flowers were on the bedside table along with a basket full of notes.

It wasn't long after I got stead on my feet that a group of six nurses came running into the room.

All of them carry different equipment. When they saw me standing up and looking at them all of their jaws dropped to the floor in shock. How long that I been here? Why was he shocked that I was awake and up?

All of those questions could wait I only had one that was important right now.

"Where is she?" I ask calmly but when none of them make a move to answer the question I grow irritated, seeming still drowsy from being down for so long but I had to know before I passed out again. I had to know.

"Where is she!?" I yell right before I drop to the floor.

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