I know it's shorter than usual, but I just wanted to keep the story moving. Here's chapter 7:
Chuck opened his eyes. There was Ellie, Devon, and Morgan talking. It was weird. Every time he was attacked or kidnapped, it made him appreciate them that much more. He couldn't live without them, even if it was in a bunker.
"Hey guys…" he managed to say softly. His throat was extremely dry.
"Chuck." Ellie's face lit up in a smile. "I'm so glad you're okay."
"Wasn't so long…since you were…" He cleared his throat. "Since you were here. Water…please."
She fed him some the same way Sarah had, and finally his voice was back to normal.
"Hey guys…Morgan, you look like you just saw a ghost."
"I'm glad you're okay, buddy," his best friend replied.
"I'm glad I'm okay, too." He looked around. They all had fearful looks on their faces. "I'm fine, see? Just a little tired…I guess that's the drugs. Why, is something wrong?" He became panicked. "Is Sarah okay? She was fine before, but-"
"Calm down," Ellie said soothingly. "Everything's fine. It's just…we're not used to this. You haven't gotten hurt in a long time. Not to go to the hospital, anyway. We…we didn't know if you were okay or not. What you did was brave, standing up to those guys and helping Sarah. She and John were here before, but they left."
Chuck almost laughed. Him saving Sarah…? What a joke. He didn't even know what they were talking about, but it was obviously some cover story Sarah forgot to mention. Oh God, he thought as he remembered their conversation. Chuck had done it again. Let his guard down; be vulnerable so that she could just rip him to pieces. It was the drugs that had let him be so open, he was sure of that. Well, that plus the fact that he wasn't thinking rationally anyway since the accident.
At least she hadn't been hard on him, interrupting him to say that that was impossible, she felt nothing for him, and all of that stuff she threw at him. Chuck sighed. Okay, he had to admit that she must like him a little bit. You wouldn't kiss a guy when you hated him if you didn't have to. But she honestly didn't need to throw everything in his face when he opened up to her. Wow, before this whole thing even started, if you had asked Chuck what an emotional roller coaster was, he probably wouldn't know. But now it was his life.
"Guys, I think we should go home and rest so Chuck can have some rest time," Captain Awesome said. "He looks a little out of it."
Half of him silently agreed. He was tired as hell, but the other half wanted to be with them at all times, in case something happened to him again.
"I agree," Morgan added. "See you soon, then."
"Wait," Chuck said. "Before you go, what's the damage?"
"Some broken ribs and your nose is broken," Awesome answered. "You'll be fine."
"Yeah, except your nose is kind of-" Morgan started, but was interrupted by Ellie.
"Let's go, Morgan." She turned to Chuck. "I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried…but I'll see you later, okay?"
Chuck nodded and gave her a hug. He watched as they walked out the door, and that was one of his last thought before he drifted back to sleep. He dreamed of a life without the Intersect, without the secrets, but of course he still had Sarah. After all, it was a dream, and in dreams anything can happen.
