A/N: That's right, another chapter! I couldn't leave you all hanging on that cliffhanger for too long. Though I did love the theories some people sent me. Thank you all for the support and love. I really appreciate it and it keeps me invested in this. Thank you all for the reviews and favourites!

If you guys are on Tumblr, feel free to come see me there! It's 'asirensrage'. I'm always up for meeting new people and talking about...everything, including my fics. You can also get a glimpse at the new things I'm coming up with, including a new Eric/OC (not Amelia) fic. The OC is going to be a WOC, so I'm also looking for anyone interested in helping out with ensuring that my own internal biases aren't reflected in it. So far I don't think so but again, hard to see things when it's your own bias reflecting back at you. I'm doing a lot of research for it because I love the character. She's growing to be a new fave. There's a whole post I wrote up talking about it on my Tumblr. Feel free to also shoot me down.

Thanks again and I hope you're all staying safe and healthy!

Chapter Thirty-Eight

I wake slowly as though I must drag myself through mud to alertness. There is a beeping near me. Every bit of me aches. The pain in my throat burns.

"She's waking up," a woman's voice says. There is the sound of a crash and I hear someone snarl out "move". The sound makes my head pound. I feel as though I have had multiple shelves at the library crash down on me.

I open my eyes and immediately shut them as the light is blinding. It takes me a few moments before I feel as though I can actually open them and see where I am. It helps that someone has darkened the room slightly.

Someone is leaning over the bed, staring at me.

"Eric?" my voice cracks. I sound terrible.

"Who did this to you?" he demands.

"What?" I stare back at him, confused. "What happened?"

He pulls back and I am able to glance around. There is an IV attached to my arm and the curtains are closed around the bed to give some privacy, but there is no mistaking my location. I am still in Dauntless.

"You passed out," Eric snaps. "They said you are dangerously dehydrated, malnourished and sleep-deprived. On top of that, you were poisoned!"

"Poisoned?" my voice cracks again. Whatever was done to me has left my throat feeling as if it is raw. "By who?"

"That's exactly what I want to know," he grinds out. "How could you be so fucking stupid, Amelia? How can you not notice that someone is sabotaging you? You're not fucking taking care of yourself!"

I reel back, surprised at the venom in his tone.

"If I can cut in," the woman standing to the side says. Eric glowers over at her but she looks unperturbed. "The lack of sleep and malnutrition saved your life," she says to me. "It allowed the effects of the poison to be noticed much more quickly. Had you been in full health, you would not have known about the poison until it was too late and you were dead," she says bluntly. "You're very lucky."

Lucky? In everything in my life, luck played no part. How could I have been lucky to survive this when the only reason for doing so was because of the stress of my actions. I did not deserve to survive this.

Eric does not say anything and the doctor continues. "Continue drinking fluids and eating properly and you'll be back to normal in no time. I do suggest that you take a couple days of bed rest, preferably somewhere where there are others to watch over you. Perhaps your family if you are still close to them? Your file does state that you are Erudite born and chosen."

I nod, my mind still reeling over who would want to poison me. It could not be Jeanine. If she knew what I was, there would be no poisoning. I would be strapped to the table in her lab. I was generally well admired for my position, though others may be jealous of it. I did not imagine an attack like this.

"Jeanine?" I ask. She will not be pleased about this. Not just about the poisoning but the delay to the work.

"She's been told," Eric says. His tone is still hard. "She expects you to message her when you are able to."

"I have informed her of the results of the examination and your blood work was sent to Erudite to discover the exact poison."

"Can I get up?" I ask.

"Once this is empty," she taps on the bag attached to the IV, "you may leave. I'll be back to check on it." The doctor nods towards us before she leaves, ensuring the curtains are closed tightly as she does so.

I move to sit up. I cannot bear to languish here, exposed with no defence.

"What are you doing?" Eric asks.

I glare over at him. "Is it not obvious?" His mood is contagious. I do not have the emotional capacity to deal with his anger at this. "Pass me my tablet."

"You just woke up."

"Yes," I say. "Now I need to inform Jeanine of my status and figure out how this happened."

"I will deal with this," he said. "You will rest."

"I need to find who poisoned me. And how."

"Fucking hell, Amelia!" Eric snaps. "You were poisoned! You can stop for a day!"

"I cannot!" I snap back before I try to pull my emotions back. My head still hurts and I am beginning to regret trying to move. "I have too much to do."

"The faction can survive without you!"

That wasn't the problem. It was a matter ifI would survive without proving my use. I needed to continue to hide myself, otherwise what was the point of it all? I cannot tell him that though. "Give me my tablet. Please."

His lip curls. He moves and I have to push myself up slightly to see what he is doing. He grabs my tablet from its position on a small table and opens it.

"Excuse me!"

He ignores me, clicking on it quickly and typing something fast. Finally, after what feels like hours, he lowers it and looks at me. "Jeanine is warned. The doctor will notify her as to your bed rest."

"You cannot do that!"

He moves quickly, leaning above me. "I will do whatever is necessary. Especially since you won't."

I try not to sneer. As if he knows the things I have done and the reasons behind them. "You do not understand and I do not expect you to," I finally say. "I have a responsibility, as I have-" my argument is cut short as I start coughing.

I hear Eric call for someone. My throat feels as if it is on fire by the time I stop.

"What the fuck are you doing to her? You're supposed to be helping her get better!"

"Eric, if you speak to me like that again, I'm kicking you out!" The doctor snaps. "I don't care if you're a leader! She wouldn't be coughing if you weren't stressing her out and arguing with her!" She hands me a cup. "Drink."

I do so without delay. The water is cool and better than anything I have had in a long time. How long has it been since I drank something that wasn't soda? I handed it back once it was done.

"Okay, good. The fluids are done. I'll send over a report to your doctors in Erudite, I'm sure they'll want to look you over. Let me unhook you and you're free to leave."

"Thank you," I say.

"Sure, just remember the whole bed rest thing. Your body needs it, otherwise, it will shut itself down again, got it?"

I nod. Despite Eric's glowering and opinion, I am capable of taking care of myself. I will simply work from home if I have to.

She works quickly, pulling out the IV and unhooking me from the monitors that are set up. She gives me another smile and nod before she leaves me to get dressed.

I move slowly before trying to stand. The world sways slightly but stops. It isn't quite as powerful as it was the last time. I look around for my clothes only to see Eric holding them.

"My clothes, please." I reach for them. Eric hands it over, eyes glancing down. "I hold them tightly against my chest. My clothing helps define who I am. "Leave please."

"Nothing I haven't seen before," he says. "Or touched."

"Regardless, I am asking you now. I need the space."

"Just get dressed."

I stare back at him, mentally calculating my chance in winning the argument without drawing more attention to ourselves. It is slim. I turn away from him and shed the black gown I am wearing. I can feel his eyes on me as I quickly get dressed. It is not as simple as I expected it to be. I am still unsteady.

"Who did this to you?" Eric asks again.

"Do you not think I would tell you if I knew?"

"No," he says. "I think you'd try to deal with it yourself."

"And how is that an issue?" I button up my shirt slowly. "I am not incompetent enough to need another to deal with the problems that arise."

He moves close. "You don't fucking understand. Someone tried to kill you."

"I am aware, Eric." I turn to look at him. His jaw is clenched and he looks furious. "I will take the actions required once the test results are in and I obtain information on how it was administered. Now, I would like to go home."

He holds back whatever response he wants to say. It is a surprising move considering his general lack of control in his reactions. "There's a car outside for you."

"Thank you," I nod. I put on the jacket. "Shall we?"

Eric leads me back outside of Dauntless. I have no idea what time it is since the faction is quiet and I cannot check. Eric holds my tablet. He ushers me forwards, a hand on the small of my back that is almost holding my side. It is as if he expects me to collapse again.

We finally get outside without much interaction and it is a small mercy. Until he shoves me over and joins me in the car.

"What are you doing?" I ask, slightly alarmed. Eric has never done this before. I was to be free of him when I left.

"Ensuring you do what the doctor ordered," Eric says. He leans forward and says something to the driver that I do not catch. The man in the front looks distinctly uncomfortable but does not question it. I am left in the back seat of the car with Eric. His leg is pressed against mine.

"I do not need you to oversee me," I say, holding back the desire to hit him.

"It is on my way," Eric says nonchalantly. "I have to meet Jeanine."

The blood freezes in my veins. "About?" I ask, trying to keep my voice still. "You are not in her schedule."

"How would you know?" Eric asks. "You've been unconscious for two days."

I pause. Had it been that long? How was my presence explained? To the doctor or any Dauntless that saw us there.

The loss of time alarms me. How much have I actually missed and what was done in my absence. I need to know what Jeanine has in her plans and her days in order to be able to prepare for it. This meeting with Eric disturbs me. I do not know the reason for it and fear builds like acid in my stomach at the thought that it could be about me. There are moments before I collapsed where I do not recall who I spoke to nor what we said. I could have given myself away without meaning to.

I am distracted from my own thoughts by Eric's hand. He lays it on top of my thigh. I glance at him and then at the driver. He has not looked back, his fear of the Dauntless in the car has kept his gaze forward. It is possible that whatever Eric said to him has also influenced it. I grab Eric's hand and try to move it. His grip tightens.

"Don't." His voice is low.

I try to give him a pointed look, an attempt to convey the fact that the driver can see us. He ignores it. I take a deep breath, forcing down the agitation that has risen. I have other more important things to focus on than him. Including finding out what happened.

"Can I at least have my tablet? Please?"

He looks at me for a moment before he hands it over. I spend time going through the messages I have been sent. There are a few from Jeanine, some from Catherine and others. The car stops and I look up. "This is not my building."

"No, it's not," Eric says. He opens the door and offers a hand. "Come on."

I slide out, ignoring the hand offered. "This is my parents' home."

"Yeah," he says. "Let's go." He slams the car door behind us and the driver takes off.

"Wait," I stop. "Why are we here?"

He doesn't respond. Eric grabs my wrist and starts pulling me towards the building.

I try to pull away. It doesn't work and I am left stumbling after him. "Stop manhandling me and answer me!"

He whirls on me. "You were poisoned, Amelia. The doctor said you have to stay with someone and since I can't keep you in my bed for the next two days, this is your next best choice."

His bed? It is suddenly clear to me that I should be grateful that he did not try to keep me in Dauntless. He could have claimed I died and kept me prisoner if he desired. The thought makes me shudder.

He knocks on the door to my parents' apartment. The world sways for a second and I grab the wall to hold myself up. His arm moves to my back again, steadying me. There is a moment before the door opens. My mother is standing there.

"Eric? Amelia? What's going on?" She looks between us, concerned. I can see her gaze dart to where he is touching me.

"Ms. Elswood, I'm sorry to barge in on you but there was an incident with Amelia." I look at him, silently begging him not to tell them the truth. We shouldn't be here. My family did not need to know what I deal with.

"An incident?" she moves forward towards me. He lets go as my mother runs her hands over my arms as if trying to ensure I'm okay. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," I say.

"She was poisoned."

I glare at Eric. He simply stares back, as if he is daring me to contradict him.

"Poisoned?" My mother ushers us both inside. She closes the door before she hugs me tightly. "How?"

"We don't know. Yet." Eric says. "Rest assured, Dauntless will find the culprit and deal with them. I promise." Eric's eyes meet mine. His stare feels like it brands me, holding the same weight as his words.

"Thank you," my mother says. She turns to him and for a second it looks as though she is about to hug him as well. She stops herself and offers her hand. He takes it. Watching them shake hands feels as odd as seeing him sitting at her table was.

"The doctor ordered that she stay in bed for a couple of days," Eric tells her. "She's been working too hard and hasn't been taking care of herself. They said she should be with family, just in case."

"Of course," my mother says. "Thank you and please, let us know if you find who did this."

Eric nods. "Of course." He looks at me and I have to keep myself from reacting snidely. "I'll be in touch." Eric nods again to my mother before leaving.

My mother waits until Eric is gone before she turns to me.

"I'm fine," I say quickly, trying to relieve her fears.

"You were poisoned!" she looks as though she is about to cry. Her arms wrap around me and she pulls me into her. I feel something inside me settle slightly. My mother has always offered and provided comfort. I cannot be fully reassured though. There is too much at hand.

"I know," I said softly, hugging her back.

"Do you know why?" her voice is soft, barely more than a whisper. My chest clenches at the fear in her voice.

"Not yet," I say. "But I'm sure it just has to do with my work, nothing else." I try to reassure her. Despite being in her home, there is still so much we cannot say.

"You're certain?"

"No," I breathe. "But the sooner I can get to work, the sooner I can find out." I lean back and smile at her. I have to relieve her fears somehow. "Everything will be okay."

She swallows before nodding. "Okay, come. You can stay in your old room. Come, lay down. Get some rest."

"I'm fine."

"If the doctor ordered you rest, you rest." She motions for me to move. "I'll make you something to eat." She waits until I have changed into some clothes she lends me and I am tucked into my old bed before she leaves.

I am finally left to my own devices since waking. The fear comes creeping up again and I try to shove it back. My chest tightens. I pull my knees into my chest and try to breathe. Someone tried to kill me. The very thing I feared nearly happened. The only difference was that it was not Jeanine. I cannot stop the tears from building up in my eyes.

I could not stop this. I could not protect myself from this. I do not know how it happened. Once I start crying, I cannot stop. I feel as though I am losing myself, that every bit of control I have gained so far is starting to slip through my fingers. I do not know how much more I can bear.

[tbc]