A/N: Now that I've started classes, I won't be updating as often, due to lots and lots of homework. I will try to update as often as possible, though, I promise! Thanks to everyone who is reading this story, and if you review as well . . . I'll love ya forever!
Chapter 7: In The Hospital
The hospital was clean and neat and cheerful looking, as it was painted in a bright color of yellow. Daisies and roses were placed in vases around the entrance hall, making the room smell fresh. The only person inside the room was a young man with long blonde dreadlocks behind a counter in the middle of the room. The moment he saw Iris, he knelt in the typical Genesis Island method of greeting their Queen. "I presume you are here to see the one who was brought yesterday," the man asked. Iris nodded. "Yes, Andre, we are. The young woman's name is Ruby."
"Just a moment and I will have someone take you to Jacinta and Will . . . they're the ones caring for her," Andre said. "It may take several minutes, we've got a couple of your men here, Malik." Malik looked annoyed. "What happened?" Andre grinned. "It seems that they got into an argument over who won a race." Malik rolled his eyes. "Where are they?" Andre checked a clipboard. "Second floor. Room one hundred and two." "Highness . . ." Malik began. "Go ahead, Malik. I think I know who they're talking about," Iris said with a laugh. "And if it is who I think it is, tell him he's not to get into any more trouble when his wife is about to give birth."
Malik nodded. "I'll tell him." He turned to the others. "Please excuse me." Iris shook her head, chuckling. "That Ved is a handful," she said with amusement. She was shocked when Jay grabbed her arm in a painful grip. "What? What did you say?" he cried. Iris looked at him, confused. "Jay, you're hurting me!" "What did you say?" he asked again. "I said that Ved is a handful!" Iris cried. "Now let go!" She wrenched her arm out of his grip. "What's the matter, Jay?" Jay was staring down at her with a strange, longing expression.
"I have a brother named Ved," he explained in a hoarse voice. "He . . . he was supposed to have been deleted." Iris looked at him with sympathy. "I'm so sorry." "What do you know about this Ved?" Jay asked. "He was one of the people we bought from the slavers," Iris told him. "He insisted that he couldn't leave without a girl . . . he caused a big scene so we bought her too. I remember when he met me, he thought he was to be a slave. He was so grateful that we had bought him to set him free. He married the girl . . . she doesn't say much and keeps to herself a lot . . . and now she's having their baby. Ved joined the Troops, turned out to be an excellent soldier, and makes Malik and I very happy . . . except he does have a tendency to get into trouble."
"How does he look?" Jay asked excitedly. Iris thought for a moment. "Now that I think about it," she said, "he does resemble you, Jay, in your facial features and your height. But his hair is black." "Oh," Jay said, looking saddened. "What was the girl's name?" Salene ventured to ask. "I am positive her name is Cloe," said Iris. Salene's face turned pale. "Oh my God, it is them!" she cried. "What room did Andre say Ved was in?" Jay asked, placing his hands on Iris' shoulders. "Second floor, room one hundred and two," Iris answered. "But . . ." She didn't get to finish her sentence as Jay raced away.
Iris watched him go with a small smile. "I hope Ved is his brother, it seems like it would make Jay very happy," she said, turning to the others. To her surprise, not everyone seemed happy about what was happening . . . especially Amber and Ram. Amber merely looked annoyed, but Ram looked angry and fearful. "Is . . . there something I should know?" Iris asked, looking from one to the other. No one said anything for several minutes. "Well?" Iris insisted. "It's just that . . . if this is Ved . . . well . . ." Salene began, looking as if she didn't know where to start. "Ved wasn't a very nice person when we knew him," Trudy finished. "Say it like it is," Lex put in, "the kid was a little bastard." Trudy ignored him and continued. "He wasn't nice at all. And Cloe . . . well . . . she is a Mallrat."
"Ved, not a nice person?" Iris asked incredulously. "He's one of the nicest people I know! And he is so wonderful to Cloe!" "How is Cloe?" Salene asked quietly. "I believe something horrible happened to her, something only Ved knows about," Iris said sadly. "She won't open up to anyone else. She's sweet and everything, always willing to help out when something needs to be done, but I don't think she has any friends other than Ved. Cloe doesn't talk much, either, and I have never seen her smile." Salene looked as if she were about to cry. That moment, two of the healers approached the group.
"Highness, may we speak to you?" the female asked after she had made her greeting. Iris nodded. "Excuse me," she told the others. Iris and the healers stepped away from the group who began whispering about what they had just learned. In a few minutes, Iris came back and took a deep breath. "Amber, you said you were the leader of the group. May I speak to you alone?" she asked. "It's about Ruby." "Ruby isn't a Mallrat," Slade said, looking worried. "And I want to know what's going on with her." Iris nodded. "I understand that, but I don't think . . ." She broke off with a significant glance at Lottie.
"I understand what you mean," Amber said quickly, and drew Iris and Slade aside. Ram and Ebony also joined the little group. Iris looked at each of them before speaking. "I am sorry to tell you that Ruby has been coughing up blood for the past few hours," she said sadly. "When she was brought in, the healers diagnosed her as having several broken ribs. They patched her up as best they could. However, last night she gave birth to a very premature baby. It was too young to survive . . . they doubt it would have survived if born before the virus. Her contractions must have caused one of the ribs to pierce an artery or one of her organs. I am sorry, but there isn't much chance she is going to survive. Our healers are good, but not skilled in surgery."
The four around her looked devastated. "Is there . . . is there time to say goodbye?" Slade asked, his voice cracking with emotion. "She was unconscious when the healers left her," Iris told him. "But I see no reason why you can't go up there. I just think it would be best if it were only a few people at a time." "I'm going," Slade said decisively. "I'll go with you," Ebony said immediately. "No, this is something I have to do myself," Slade told her. "Where is she?" "She's on the second floor as well," Iris said. "Room one hundred and twenty three. The healers are waiting to take whoever wants to go up."
"We should tell the others, but we'll break it to Lottie gently," Amber said. Ebony said nothing, her face looking like stone. "I'll tell Lottie myself," Amber continued and went to take Lottie aside. Ebony stalked over to tell the others. Iris noticed that Ram had gone off by himself to look out of a window. She walked over to him hesitantly and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about your friend," she said quietly. He glanced at her, his eyes filled with unshed tears. "Me too," he said curtly. "She didn't deserve this." "If you don't mind me asking," Iris asked, "how did she come by the injuries?"
"She got hit by a truck," Ram said. "But I think she got hit purposely." "What do you mean?" Iris asked, confused. Ram snorted and turned to face her. "She was with Ebony when it happened," he told her. "Ebony hated Ruby. The baby . . . it was Slade's." Iris' eyes widened. "You don't mean . . ." Ram nodded. "That's exactly what I mean, Iris. You don't know because you don't know Ebony," he spat. "Something terrible always happens to the people she hates. Always." Iris looked appalled. "My God!" she said under her breath. "I just . . . can't believe someone would . . ." "Believe it," Ram said. "Because it's true. Ask any of the Mallrats, they'll tell you all about Ebony."
Just then, Jay came hurriedly into the room. "It is Ved!" he said excitedly. "And his wife is Cloe! She's up there with him if you . . ." He broke off as he saw everyone's sad faces. "What happened?" he asked. "It's Ruby, Jay," Amber said while consoling a sobbing Lottie. "She's not going to make it."