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CHAPTER 8
Jade's POV
Beep…beep…beep…
I felt a rush of cold air against my body. Then something icy and hard pressed against the side of my belly.
"Are you kidding? I don't see a single bullet wound anywhere! Is this a joke?" a dark voice came.
"Check her right knee too. Apparently that's what the gentleman said."
Fingers prodded at my kneecap, massaging the bone around uncomfortably.
"Nope. Nothing. And her face is fine too. So where did all the blood come from? Unless it's not hers…"
My eyes snapped open. There were three doctors in green scrubs standing above me. I sat up, ignoring the hands trying to push me back down. I realized that my jacket was gone and shirt had been completely cut open; my right pant leg up to the middle of my thigh gone too.
"What happened?" I said, trying to get off the little table I was on and remember the past events.
"Miss, please lie back down," they tried to tell me.
"Where's Tori? How did I get here?" I shoved past them and stood on my feet, almost falling over but quickly regaining my balance. I felt perfectly fine, something opposite of earlier…whenever that was.
I tottered over to the door, my clothes practically falling off, they were so shredded.
"Miss, stop!"
I grabbed the handle, trying to open it. Just then, I felt something sharp stick itself in my left shoulder. Growling, I reached over and ripped out the object. It was a small syringe, probably filled with a sedative or something. But my healing power kept me awake and I opened up the door as another one hit me in the back of my neck.
It's going to take a lot more than two, I thought wistfully.
Someone dove on the floor, wrapping their arms around my legs and I fell right through the door, landing on my stomach. More people landed on top of me, and I felt a huge needle shoved between my shoulder blades. The doctor shot enough tranquilizer into my system to put down an angry grizzly bear, and I finally passed out.
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When I woke up for the second time, I was alone in the same room, but this time without my clothes and instead one of those hideous hospital gowns that barely covered anything. I tried to get up, suddenly noticing the straps holding me to the bed.
Wow...this is pathetic.
I bunched my muscles and tore out of the restraints like they were made of paper, rolling over the edge and landing on my face. Struggling up on my arms, my legs were weak and wobbly as I stood slowly.
It took me a while to gain my balance, testing my weight on my knee and flexing my back. My head felt whole again, and I poked my nose and ran a finger over my teeth. Everything seemed to be in place and working well. I had never been damaged that much in my entire life and didn't want it to happen again.
But first I needed to get some decent clothes and find Tori. Then I could explain what was going on in my mind, and tell her that this quest was obviously too much for her, even me, and she should just accept the fact that her sister was never coming back. Cruel, I know, but that's the way life worked.
I went up to the door, looking out the foot long, six-inch-wide window. The hall was completely empty, so I crouched down slightly, waiting for a woman to walk by so I could steal her clothes.
A guest came around the corner, and I swung the door open, hitting them full in the face and they were immediately knocked unconscious. I dragged the body inside and swapped our attire and putting her on the bed.
The clothes were uncomfortably tight on me, and I fought the urge to continuously pull my pants down. Spotting the front desk, I walked right up and tried to remain as calm as possible.
"I'm here to see Tori Vega," I told the receptionist.
"What is your relation to her?" she asked, tapping on the computer.
"Yes. I am her worrying mom whose been looking for her for a while now. I should sue you for not calling me any sooner," I said, trying to make myself look threatening.
"Oh, all right. She's in room T-487. Fill out these forms, ma'am, and you can go." The receptionist handed me a thick stack of papers clipped to a board. I did not accept them, starting to walk in the direction of the rooms. "Excuse me! You need to fill these out!"
"Later, I want to see my daughter."
Roaming around like a lost puppy, I dodged behind doors and water fountains when doctors or nurses came by. Finally I found Room T-487, and gave a hurried knock.
"Tori? Tori, it's Jade."
Without waiting for a response, I pushed the door open. Tori was sitting upright in the white bed, her face half-bandaged and a similar gown I had worn earlier.
"Jade!" Her face lit up.
"Hey, kid," I said, shutting the door firmly and walking to her side. "How are you doing?"
"Okay, I guess. Doc just came in to give me some more painkillers."
"Uh-huh."
"I mean, it still feels like I got trampled by a bull or something, but…you know. It must be nice for you, knowing that you can heal from any physical defect and would hardly look any older." She frowned slightly and I opened my mouth to say something but she interrupted with, "So how did you manage to get us out of there? Someone said that you were shot twice yet you still carried me away…"
"Yes, you're very welcome." I pointed at my stomach and leg. "I'm seriously surprised we didn't die. Had a very, very close call, mind you. If it weren't for the boy who was trying to kill me, I'm sure we would be dead."
"Who?"
"The guy who was pounding my face to shreds made eye contact with me, and then he stopped, which gave me time to rescue you. Unfortunately I got shot twice while running away, but he said, 'Run Jade' and bought me some time."
"Do you know him?"
"As far as I could tell, nope."
"Hmm, I didn't think it was going to be that dangerous."
"I warned you." My voice suddenly got cold, something I hadn't intended to happen. "I told you something like that was going to happen, and it did. In all honesty, I hate to say it, kid, but I think you should just give up. This is obviously too much for you, and me, even."
"Learn from your mistakes," Tori shot back.
"Keep this up and you won't live very long to make any more." I didn't want to argue, especially when she was all laid up in bed, but I needed to make this point. I came into this, hoping that she would have even a vague idea of how to get Trina back and I would just be like her guardian angel, but it was clear now that she expected a lot more than I could give.
Neither of us were ready for the adventure waiting. I stood up, getting ready to break the news to her. Once she was clear of the hospital, I'd bring her back down to California myself and make sure her parents knew exactly what she'd been trying to do.
"Jade?" Tori asked in a small voice.
"What?"
"I'm sorry you got hurt. And I'm sorry for dragging you into this," she started to apologize. "I…I should've known that this wasn't going to work out. No one wants to follow through like I do." I narrowed my eyes, more out of confusion than anger, though. "So can I give you this before you leave, because you're the only person so far who's even helped me actually make a first move?"
"Uh, okay."
Tori's hands went up to her neck, her fingers pulling apart the chain to her silver dog tag necklace. I felt a force grab my arm, forcing it palm up in front of me. Perplexed, I watched as the necklace gently floated over, hovering above my pale skin.
"Are you doing that?" I asked.
She nodded, letting it fall.
As soon as the cold metal touched me, I collapsed, a huge migraine spreading in my head. Color flashed in front of my eyes even though there was nothing colorful in the room. I started shaking violently, my facing banging against the floor.
Then everything went black.
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Tori's POV
I always wore the chain-necklace; it was like some sort of good luck charm to me. One of the tags had the engraving of my name, and the other was blank, which I always planned on putting the name of someone special there. But right now, I think this was more important than a boyfriend.
Jade saved my life when she could've been killed herself. It was a risk that I doubt most people would take for me. Just the other day we were treating each other like strangers, but now we slowly started to become friends.
Wanting to impress her a little, I used my Kinecter power and moved her hand up. Looking as baffled as a puppy, Jade remained still, and I dropped the dog tags in front of me, holding them in midair.
I pushed them forward until they hovered over her open palm.
"Are you doing that?"
Nodding, I dropped it gently into her hand. Before she could get a good grip, she fell to the floor, grabbing her head and shaking spastically. It looked like she was possessed by some sort of demon.
"Jade?" I sat straight up, ignoring the stab of pain in my side and looked down at her. She had a full-body seizure now, and I didn't know whether to call a nurse or not, so I just waited for a few moments.
Sure enough, she stopped trembling and got up, blinking furiously and looking stunned almost. Then, scratching her head, she glanced over at me, and my heart beat faster. Her normally blue eyes were dark red and demon-like.
"Uhh…" If I wasn't confined to my bed I would've gotten off and run away in fear. "Are you okay, Jade?" I repeated.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and opened them again, the pupils now returning to their normal icy color.
"I understand now."
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Jade's POV
I found myself swimming in a dark pool of my mind. Flashes and images of my life floated around me. Except it wasn't any of the 'better' memories I've had, only specific ones with two special people.
Beck Oliver.
My boyfriend.
Cat Valentine.
My best friend.
I remembered exactly what happened that night, six years ago. Why I woke up in the forest and had no idea how I had gotten there, remembering being in a beach house by myself that was attacked by Rebellion, and I had managed to escape safely.
No. Beck triggered me and probably put me out there himself, I just didn't remember.
That was why, for so long, I felt lost and confused about the friends I had made in California. Beck and Cat were my only ones, but since my memories about them had been hidden, it felt like there was a part of my life missing and I couldn't recall why.
My chest seized up and I stopped breathing.
Emotions started pouring back into my heart, of loving them and caring for them, something I didn't do for many people. The feelings filled me up like a bottle, and I stopped twitching, finally understanding some things in the least.
Outside the beach house, I now recalled Beck saying that there was going to be a girl who would give me a necklace of some sort. That girl was Tori. Her dog tags were the necklace.
And because of her, I now remembered.
Beck was alive. He was the boy who almost knocked me brain-dead when we tried to find Archelaus. That was probably why I found him so attractive in such a dire situation. Beck must've done something to himself too, because I know that as annoying as I can be, he would never really try and hurt me, especially not that badly. He possibly triggered his own mind, and that was why he didn't really recognize me until we made eye contact, which could've been his 'trigger,' like Tori's necklace was mine.
And Cat.
I didn't see her when we fought the followers. Maybe she was with Archelaus himself, wherever they were. I was worried for her. The very last thing I can remember of her was hearing a scream, and Beck told me that he thought they had already taken her. My heart started throbbing.
But I knew now that I had to help Tori get her sister back, once and for all. I wouldn't remember this important part of my life if it hadn't been for her. Plus, I could also assist in stopping Archelaus himself, which was something I knew she really wanted. I had the perfect reason to do so; my boyfriend was with him.
The tide of emotions settled down, and I was brought back to the present.
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"Are you okay, Jade?"
I suddenly realized I was standing next to Tori's bed, my hand with the dog tags dangling by my side. I glanced at the necklace, then at her.
"I understand now."
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