Arcus Vis Vires Chapter 21

Gally lay on the hard metal bench that was outside of the compound's hospital ward as he heard a loud commotion through the double doors that led to the operating room.

It had been two hours since they had arrived back at the compound and even though he had been in the maze for years, he found himself strangely comfortable within the compound's white walls.

As soon as they had arrived, Marcus and a team of doctors rushed Imagine into the back room where Thomas told him that she being treated.

He squeezed his forest green eyes shut and opened them multiple times praying that this was just some nightmare that he was having back in the Glade and he would wake up from it soon.

Gally had fought hard to get back to the room where Imagine lay on that stark white stretcher but Thomas had promised him that he wouldn't let anything happen to her and that he would tell him what was going on as soon as they knew more.

And that was how he found himself lying on the cold hard metal bench staring up at the various grains in the ceiling tiles.

An assistant to the director had come by and given him the key to the Janson home suite telling him that he was going to be staying the night and that he could make his way there as soon as he was ready.

He didn't care though.

He knew that he was going to stay right here outside this Godforsaken hospital until he could have his girlfriend safe back in his arms.

So many emotions flowed through him as they all edged to the surface of his consciousness.

Anger. So much anger.

Anguish. There was so much pain that it felt like he was suffocating.

Helplessness. The fact that there was absolutely nothing he could do to help his little mate had made his heart drop out of his chest and lay in a bloody mess on the cold tile floor.

Just as he felt another round of hot tears prick his eyes, the face of a woman appeared above him as he let out a yelp of surprise.

Sitting up quickly, he found that an older blonde woman dressed in impeccable clothing and a crisp white lab coat was standing next to him.

"Gally, I just heard what happened. I'm so, so sorry for what happened to Imagine. We never saw something like this coming. All of us are utterly heartbroken over this situation and I promise you will we do anything and everything to make sure that the boy that has done this atrocity will be found and be punished severely."

Gally studied the woman for a moment before his eyes lit up with recognition.

He quickly jumped up and threw his arms around the woman as his tears began to fall freely.

"Director Paige! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you. It's been too long. Thank you for coming and getting us so quickly. I can't believe this happened….Everything was going fine until tonight. She's going to be okay right?"

Ava Paige hugged the boy close and ran her fingers through his now long, and wavy dirty blonde hair.

"You never did call me mum when you were here. I'm afraid that you've been taught too many formalities and not had enough time to know me as not just the Director."

She said with a wry smile as Gally let out a sad laugh before pulling away and placing a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"Sorry mum. I guess it's just an old habit. I was told that I'm staying the night tonight, yeah?"

Ava nodded and took in the sight that was now her tall and burly man of a son.

"Oh yes. You and Thomas will be staying with us while Imagine heals. I doubt you would want to return to the Glade now anyways."

Gally's face lit up as he hugged his mum again practically squeezing the life out of her.

"Ugh! Gally dear I'm incredibly happy and relieved to see you too but I'm afraid you've grown a bit since I last saw you."

She wheezed as Gally's eyes widened and he pulled back before checking to see if she was alright.

"Sorry! Geez…yeah it has been quite a while hasn't it? I guess I did grow a little bit since I was down there…"

Ava gave a little cough before running her hands down her outfit trying desperately to rid it of the wrinkles.

"I didn't know that we were feeding you that well. When I saw you on the monitors I never would've guess you've gotten this big. I swear you look exactly like your father. If he were still alive he would've been quite proud of how handsome you've become."

Gally felt a hot blush spread over his features as he looked down at the ground in embarrassment.

"Thanks mum. So why didn't I remember you immediately when I first saw you? I thought I didn't have as much of a swipe as the rest of the Gladers…Even in my memories that I had seen when I was stung didn't have you or dad in them."

Ava's smile faltered as she brushed a piece of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"I erased your memories of us because I didn't want you to be distracted while you were fighting for your life. It wouldn't have done any good for you to remember us and be upset when you knew you couldn't see us."

Gally stared into his mother's green eyes that he knew all too well as her words sunk in.

Finally he nodded before raking a hand through his messy hair.

"I understand but you know it sometimes really sucks being the Director's kid you know? I wish I could've remembered you like Thomas remembered his dad."

His mother nodded grimly as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder in comfort.

"I'm sorry Gally. But you know that as my son you had to be a good example for the others. Thomas only remembered that much because his sister was in the Glade. I also didn't want you to remember too much because you were paired with Imagine and it would've made it too complicated when she was growing up, seeing as how she was just a little girl in a Glade full of grown men."

Gally nodded in understand before glancing over at the double doors leading into the Hospital.

The commotion had stopped and a worried expression had come over his features.

Just then his mother's pager beep as she took it and read the message aloud for him to hear.

"Marcus says that Imagine has been treated for her injuries and is now resting in one of the Hospital bedrooms. He says that Thomas will be coming out momentarily to brief us."

A haunted look appeared in Gally's eyes as his mother reached out and took his hand while they waited for Thomas to arrive.

Seconds later Thomas burst through the doors wearing blue scrubs and a lab coat of his own.

His eyes held a deep sadness in them as he made his way over to them.

"She's stable. We've cleaned her wounds and she's been given some heavy sleep and pain meds so she can rest

peacefully.

We did a rape kit and sent the samples off to the lab so we can find out who this fucking monster is."

Ava nodded as Gally met Thomas's eyes with a serious look.

"She wasn't on any type of birth control on the Glade was she? Doesn't that mean that she could be pregnant with this bastard's child?"

Ava and Thomas exchanged a look before Thomas shook his head firmly.

"It was too soon for her to be on birth control.

But now that this has happened she will be given birth control injections every day until you two are married.

We gave her a pill that will make sure that there will be no lasting consequences such as pregnancy or disease.

The only thing we'll have to worry about is what her mental and emotional state is going to be when she wakes up. I think it's going to be a really long and hard road from her on out for her."

Gally dropped down onto the metal bench and placed his head in his hands as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"This fucker is going to die as soon as we know who he is. I refuse to have a fucking rapist wandering about the Glade."

Thomas nodded as Ava stepped forward and stroked her son's blonde locks as she spoke in a soothing tone.

"You do not need to worry Gally. Rest assured when the bastard who has done this has been identified, he will be removed and executed immediately. Imagine will be safe for as long as she lives with you and the others in the Glade. There will never be an incident such as this ever again, I promise."

Gally let out a shudder breathe as he came to terms with his mother's words.

"I want to kill him myself. He fucking raped her. She wasn't supposed to lose her innocence this way. It's my fault for not being with her. I could've fucking protected her."

Ava and Thomas shook their heads as Gally let out a sob of grief.

"No Captain. This isn't your fault. I mean I feel guilty too but how could we have known? She never said anything if he had been bothering her before this and if we didn't know then how could we stop it? All we can do now is pick up the pieces."

Ava crouched down in front of her sobbing son and gently pulled his head up so he could look her in the eyes.

"Galileo, I know you and I know you would never take a life. Taking a life has long term consequences and I refuse to have you haunted by something I could've stopped. Let us take care of him. I promise you he will die for his crimes."

Gally shook his head and collapsed into his mother's arms while she rubbed his back in soothing circles as Thomas looked on with a heartbroken expression.

When Gally's sobs had turned into whimpers and hiccups, Ava pulled back and got to her feet.

"Thomas I think it's time that you take Gally back to your suite. I think he's had all he can handle for today. It's not just Imagine that needs to heal. We all do. We need to be there for one another as we deal with the reality of what has happened."

Thomas nodded solemnly and placed a gentle hand on Gally's shoulder making the broken boy look up at him.

"Come on, Captain. It's time to get some rest. There's nothing more we can do tonight."

Getting to his feet, Gally gave his mother a tight hug and a kiss on the cheek before he numbly followed Thomas back to his apartment as he silently promised his mate that he would come back tomorrow.

When her son and Thomas had disappeared down the hallway, Ava Paige turned and walked into the control room and sat down at the monitors and watched as the Glade that they had so carefully created mourned for the little girl who was a sister to them all.