Tobias'/Four's POV
I was there to see her lifeless body surrounded by a pool of blood. Cara and Christina heard me yell after I put my fingers to her neck and felt a slow, barely there pulse. We carted her off to the Bureau's hospital wing, not far from where Uriah lay there dying and I could not help but think she might meet the same fate. They whisked her to surgery right away to help stop the bleeding and any further damage to her body. She looked white as a ghost, so pale that it was so hard to imagine and remember she was still alive.
She was shot, not only in the side near her ribs, but also in the back as she tried to flee David. They aren't sure if she has been paralyzed but her other injuries are extensive: a concussion, broken ribs, fractured wrist. They sedated her to help her body heal so she doesn't know what's happened yet. The doctors just started to wean her off, she should wake up soon. I'm dreading and anticipating her reaction, how she'll deal with all of this.
I sit near her bed when I feel a squeeze of her hand that I've been holding. Her eyes begin to flutter and I try to prepare myself for the moment of truth. "Tobias?" she whispers to me softly. "Tris, you're awake." I grin slightly. "Mmm…" she begins to stir with a pained expression on her face.
I press the button for the nurse and wait as I watch her in agony. "David?" she asks and all I can do is nod. I'm not ready for the whole story yet and I sign a breath of relief as she calms and closes her eyes again from the painkillers.
Christina enters the room as I settle back in the chair and catch my breath. "Dos she know yet?" Christina whispers in my direction and I shake my head no. How do I tell her she will probably never be the same again? What do we do now? I don't know."You have to tell her, Four. Soon. She's gonna know something's up." she replies and then my own words come to haunt me: Be brave.
A few hours later, Tris reawakens quietly. "Hey." she says calmly before a look at terror invades her face. She knows it, she knows now. "Tobias? I can't feel my legs." she notes in a panicked tone that makes my heart race and eyes widen. I knew this was a definite possibility and I try to hide my reaction, knowing hers must be ten times worse now.
"I can't feel my legs!" she screams as tears roll down her cheeks. "Why can't I feel my legs?" she chokes out as I wipe away her tears and kiss her forehead. Deep breath now, I tell myself.
"When you were in the lab, do you remember that David shot you?" I start and she nods. "He shot you in the side and your arms. You set off the memory serum and tried to leave. As you did, he shot you…" I tremble while trying to keep my voice steady "in the back. When I came back from Chicago, we found you alone in a pool of blood. They rushed you to surgery and did everything they could but the doctors think you are going to be paralyzed from the waist down for life." I finish and watch as more tears roll down her face.
I climb up on her bed and envelope her in my arms, kissing her hair as she sobs. "What are we gonna do now?" she says in a low voice. "I don't know but I'm not going anywhere." I whisper and hold her close until we both fall asleep.
The next morning we awake to a doctor entering the room. "Hello Tris." the blonde doctor with glasses greets us "It's good to see you awake now, Tris. I'm Dr. Stevens. Has Four told you about what happened?" and we both nod.
"When can we go home?" Tris asks in a small, childlike voice. "Soon, just a couple more days here. We need to treat some of your other injuries like the concussion and broken ribs first. And you, of course, Four should make sure your home is ready too." Dr. Stevens answers with a curt nod.
We still have to discuss where exactly "home" is now. Abnegation only has our two story homes and the bedrooms are on the top floor. We could go back to Dauntless and my apartment but I need to find out about how the elevators work there. Closed spaces obviously aren't my favorite but I realize we'll have to make sacrifices now together.
After much discussion and three more days in the hospital, we're set to return home. I've been getting help from Zeke as he has Shauna going through a similar situation. He tells me all about the easiest ways for Tris to get around Dauntless, how to help her and what to say. However difficult the circumstances, I'm glad to have a friend who understands. Tris is adjusting and learning to use her wheelchair though I can tell she hasn't fully gotten used to it.
She decides that she wants to try training later on that week. Her wrist is healed and her other injuries are healing nicely so we decide to try knife throwing. I can see how hard she's trying but the lower height and inability to take the right stance inhibit her. The last knife bounces back from the wall and I turn to see her red and in tears.
"I just can't do this anymore!" she sobs. "I'm not strong, I'm not brave! I'm not Dauntless anymore." I gather her in arms for a hug as her head lays on my shoulder. I gently place her back down and her blue gray eyes stare wide at me. "You are the bravest person I know. Nothing is going to change that. You are Dauntless and you will be forever." I finish before her lips find mine.