Conspiracy
Chapter 10
Raven ran through the back alleyways of New York. Brady wasn't following her, and of course how could he? The man was bleeding and severely wounded. She heard no footsteps; she believed it to be safe and slowed her pace, turning up an alley onto the main street. She stood by the road and called for a cab, hitching a ride to the hospital.
Of course, as luck would have it, her cab driver was the one whom she had seen earlier that night. He didn't recognize her at first, the street too dark for him to see the silver material of her dress, but as soon as she got into the cab he gasped and started screaming insults in some sort mottled Turkish as he waved his hundred-dollar bill in the air. Raven rolled her eyes.
"Shutup and drive!" She yelled, pulling a knife from underneath the sole of her shoe. "I'm not in the mood for this." She held the knife pointed towards the driver, ready to strike if need be. The man was immediately silenced and drove her to the hospital.
When they arrived, Raven slowly stepped out of the car as the cab driver glared at her from his seat, holding out his hand for money. Raven shook her head, which caused the driver to move over into the passenger seat and stick his hand out the window.
"Sitgir sen!" Chloe growled before spitting into the palm of the driver's hand. The driver was appalled, but drove off straight away, throwing his counterfeit hundred-dollar bill out the window.
Raven turned around and headed glumly into the hospital. The halls smelt lemony fresh, an old man wandering the white halls with a mop and bucket greeted her on her way in. Raven gave him a small smile, keeping in character of her fake identity. The old man didn't seem to notice the clothes she was wearing; instead he went for the kind of person she was. That really pulled at Raven's heartstrings, and really until that day she didn't believe she even had a heart. Everything was rearranging inside of her, and it was the scariest feeling she could ever have. How could she go from completely heartless to heartfelt in less than twelve hours? This was all Brady's fault. If she hadn't agreed to go after him for the bounty, they wouldn't be in this horrible situation. Brady was right, she had been a bad girl. Raven had been a bad girl forever and now, for a strange reason, part of her didn't want to be anymore. How could everything change so drastically, so quickly? Raven slowed down as she entered the emergency ward. She spotted Kyra and Matrix standing anxiously by the entrance to a hallway that most definitely led to an emergency operating room. Mya stood off a little, leaning up against the receptionist's desk. She looked up when she heard Raven approaching and gave her a saddened look.
"Where is he?" Raven asked, dreading the answers she would receive.
"He's in the emergency room. They're removing the bullet—You hit him pretty hard Raven. I guess you regret having good aim now huh?" Mya said softly.
"I have no regrets." Raven said simply. "If I hadn't done what I did, Hawk would have killed him."
"So? Isn't that what we came here to do in the first place?" Mya exclaimed, a confused look passing over her eyes. "I don't understand what's going on! You may have had the hots for Brady, but you would sacrifice Hawk's life for him?"
"Hawk hasn't been sacrificed, he's still alive." Raven countered.
"Then what was that little escapade? Was that you having fun?"
Raven shook her head solemnly. "You really know how to run your mouth don't you?" Raven hissed, glowering at Mya. She shook her head and turned, leaving Mya's questions as they should be: unanswered.
Raven walked over to Matrix and Kyra who had been watching her and Mya talking by the desk. Kyra looked up at Raven as she leaned up against Matrix. Kyra wasn't smiling and she wasn't frowning. She just looked at Raven the way that Brady might have looked at her; as if she were a puzzle that they just couldn't put together.
"Can I talk to you for a minute Kyra?" Raven asked.
Kyra looked up at Matrix who shrugged at her. She looked at Raven and nodded her head, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Raven dragged her off into the waiting room that was practically empty except for an elderly couple waiting in the corner. Raven sat down on a plush couch by the window and motioned for Kyra to sit down beside her.
"What is it?" Kyra asked, giving Raven her full attention as she sat sideways on the couch, her legs folded neatly beneath her.
Raven took a deep breath and chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" She asked, her voice taking a serious tone.
"What…" Kyra blurted, even more confused now.
"Do you?" Raven persisted.
Kyra pondered the thought a moment, giving Raven a strange look. "I guess so…"
"You guess so? Is that yes?"
Kyra shrugged her shoulders.
"Is that how it was with you and Matrix?" Raven asked, though she was really beginning to see that she could not hold a serious conversation on this topic for very long.
"No. I think we grew in to it…"
"Oh." Raven said, somewhat discouraged. "Then I guess there is no such thing. I thought for sure if anyone, it would be you guys…" Raven grew silent and turned her head, looking out the window. The dark sky was silhouetted with even darker building, rows of bright lights dotting the dark, towering shapes.
"I can't believe we're having this conversation." Kyra said truthfully.
"Neither can I."
Raven stood up and they walked back into the emergency room where Mya and Matrix were watching the clock.
As soon as Raven stepped foot into the ward, a small woman in a white coat stepped out of the operating room. She pulled off two rubber gloves and tossed them into a small bin as she walked down the forbidden hallway, taking the mask off her nose and mouth and letting it hang limply around her neck.
Mya jumped up and ran towards the woman.
"When can we see him?" She asked anxiously.
The woman looked around, waiting until all four friends were gathered around her.
"I'm afraid never." She said, her voice low and even. "He didn't make it."
Chapter 10
Raven ran through the back alleyways of New York. Brady wasn't following her, and of course how could he? The man was bleeding and severely wounded. She heard no footsteps; she believed it to be safe and slowed her pace, turning up an alley onto the main street. She stood by the road and called for a cab, hitching a ride to the hospital.
Of course, as luck would have it, her cab driver was the one whom she had seen earlier that night. He didn't recognize her at first, the street too dark for him to see the silver material of her dress, but as soon as she got into the cab he gasped and started screaming insults in some sort mottled Turkish as he waved his hundred-dollar bill in the air. Raven rolled her eyes.
"Shutup and drive!" She yelled, pulling a knife from underneath the sole of her shoe. "I'm not in the mood for this." She held the knife pointed towards the driver, ready to strike if need be. The man was immediately silenced and drove her to the hospital.
When they arrived, Raven slowly stepped out of the car as the cab driver glared at her from his seat, holding out his hand for money. Raven shook her head, which caused the driver to move over into the passenger seat and stick his hand out the window.
"Sitgir sen!" Chloe growled before spitting into the palm of the driver's hand. The driver was appalled, but drove off straight away, throwing his counterfeit hundred-dollar bill out the window.
Raven turned around and headed glumly into the hospital. The halls smelt lemony fresh, an old man wandering the white halls with a mop and bucket greeted her on her way in. Raven gave him a small smile, keeping in character of her fake identity. The old man didn't seem to notice the clothes she was wearing; instead he went for the kind of person she was. That really pulled at Raven's heartstrings, and really until that day she didn't believe she even had a heart. Everything was rearranging inside of her, and it was the scariest feeling she could ever have. How could she go from completely heartless to heartfelt in less than twelve hours? This was all Brady's fault. If she hadn't agreed to go after him for the bounty, they wouldn't be in this horrible situation. Brady was right, she had been a bad girl. Raven had been a bad girl forever and now, for a strange reason, part of her didn't want to be anymore. How could everything change so drastically, so quickly? Raven slowed down as she entered the emergency ward. She spotted Kyra and Matrix standing anxiously by the entrance to a hallway that most definitely led to an emergency operating room. Mya stood off a little, leaning up against the receptionist's desk. She looked up when she heard Raven approaching and gave her a saddened look.
"Where is he?" Raven asked, dreading the answers she would receive.
"He's in the emergency room. They're removing the bullet—You hit him pretty hard Raven. I guess you regret having good aim now huh?" Mya said softly.
"I have no regrets." Raven said simply. "If I hadn't done what I did, Hawk would have killed him."
"So? Isn't that what we came here to do in the first place?" Mya exclaimed, a confused look passing over her eyes. "I don't understand what's going on! You may have had the hots for Brady, but you would sacrifice Hawk's life for him?"
"Hawk hasn't been sacrificed, he's still alive." Raven countered.
"Then what was that little escapade? Was that you having fun?"
Raven shook her head solemnly. "You really know how to run your mouth don't you?" Raven hissed, glowering at Mya. She shook her head and turned, leaving Mya's questions as they should be: unanswered.
Raven walked over to Matrix and Kyra who had been watching her and Mya talking by the desk. Kyra looked up at Raven as she leaned up against Matrix. Kyra wasn't smiling and she wasn't frowning. She just looked at Raven the way that Brady might have looked at her; as if she were a puzzle that they just couldn't put together.
"Can I talk to you for a minute Kyra?" Raven asked.
Kyra looked up at Matrix who shrugged at her. She looked at Raven and nodded her head, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. Raven dragged her off into the waiting room that was practically empty except for an elderly couple waiting in the corner. Raven sat down on a plush couch by the window and motioned for Kyra to sit down beside her.
"What is it?" Kyra asked, giving Raven her full attention as she sat sideways on the couch, her legs folded neatly beneath her.
Raven took a deep breath and chewed her lip thoughtfully.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" She asked, her voice taking a serious tone.
"What…" Kyra blurted, even more confused now.
"Do you?" Raven persisted.
Kyra pondered the thought a moment, giving Raven a strange look. "I guess so…"
"You guess so? Is that yes?"
Kyra shrugged her shoulders.
"Is that how it was with you and Matrix?" Raven asked, though she was really beginning to see that she could not hold a serious conversation on this topic for very long.
"No. I think we grew in to it…"
"Oh." Raven said, somewhat discouraged. "Then I guess there is no such thing. I thought for sure if anyone, it would be you guys…" Raven grew silent and turned her head, looking out the window. The dark sky was silhouetted with even darker building, rows of bright lights dotting the dark, towering shapes.
"I can't believe we're having this conversation." Kyra said truthfully.
"Neither can I."
Raven stood up and they walked back into the emergency room where Mya and Matrix were watching the clock.
As soon as Raven stepped foot into the ward, a small woman in a white coat stepped out of the operating room. She pulled off two rubber gloves and tossed them into a small bin as she walked down the forbidden hallway, taking the mask off her nose and mouth and letting it hang limply around her neck.
Mya jumped up and ran towards the woman.
"When can we see him?" She asked anxiously.
The woman looked around, waiting until all four friends were gathered around her.
"I'm afraid never." She said, her voice low and even. "He didn't make it."