I drag my tired eyes open, sleep desperately trying to pull me back under. A yawn unwillingly escapes my lips, and I roll toward Tobias whose still sound asleep. I study his slumbering face for any signs of discomfort before I look over his shoulder and see we've been sleeping for more than 12 hours straight. I roll over and snuggle back into him, loving the feel of his arms wrapped around me and the heat of his body radiating into mine. I'm just about to doze back off when I feel his arms tighten around me and his lips in my hair.
"Good morning, Tobias," I say rolling in his arms once again, sliding up a bit, bringing us face to face.
"Good morning, Tris," he says, a smile crossing his lips. He gives me a tender good morning kiss. "I should go down to the infirmary and see if I can get the prisoner to talk to me so we can have the rest of the day to ourselves. It is Sunday after all." I can't disagree with him since long, lazy Sunday afternoons in bed was my idea, and it sounds so good. I don't know if I have the strength in me to tell him no again today.
"How are you feeling this morning?" I say, gently moving his head to look at the bruise on his jaw. It's still very black but starting to turn a dark purple around the edges. I kiss it softly before I look down at his naked torso. The various shades of black, green, and purple twist my heart painfully. The largest bruise, which sits atop his broken rib, has a dark green tint around its edges.
"I'm really not feeling too bad this morning. I can take deep breaths without much pain," he says demonstrating for me. I scrutinize his face and body when he breathes deeply in and out, watching for the wince that's been following inspiration for the past couple days but don't see any signs of discomfort.
"And your head," I prompt, running my hand through his curls, touching the goose egg, which doesn't seem as prominent. He pauses for a moment, assessing his pain I guess.
"A light headache, which should go away as soon as I take the medicine Dr. Parrish prescribed me. Are you satisfied I'm not in any pain?" he asks, rolling us so I am lying on top of him. I look at his face again, seeing how he takes my weight on his bruised and battered upper body but he just gazes into my eyes with a grin on his face.
"Yes, I am," I say, dodging his mouth. "You know the quicker we get to the infirmary and take care of business the sooner we can come back here and spend some quality time together, alone … in bed … naked." I lower my mouth to his and give him a quick kiss. I pull back and he lets me roll off of him. "Why don't you use the bathroom first, and I'll go down and fix us something to eat. Do you have any requests?" He stretches then gets off the bed. He walks toward the bathroom then turns back to me.
"Blueberry pancakes and bacon. I'm pretty sure we have all the ingredients." Then he disappears into the bathroom. I roll over onto his side of the bed and feel his lingering body heat soak into me. I lay my head on his pillow and inhale his scent. I lie here thinking of how much I love him for a few minutes before dragging myself out of bed and heading downstairs.
I gather the ingredients for the pancakes and start making our breakfast. By the time he comes downstairs, fully dressed and ready to go, I have a plate full of crispy, thick cut bacon and golden brown blueberry pancakes waiting for him along with a tall glass of milk. I even took the time to warm the maple syrup. He takes a pain pill then sits at his normal seat at the island and has breakfast. I eat faster than I should but each bite is better than the last then I head upstairs to get ready for the day. I shower quickly, wanting to get our business out of the way. I throw my hair into a low ponytail at the nape of my neck, put on my normal makeup, and dress in black boot cut jeans, a black V-neck sweater, and black fur-lined ankle boots. Before going back downstairs I remember to grab my crutches since we'll be taking a long walk. I meet him at the door, and we start toward the infirmary.
We take our time along the maze-like stone path that snakes its way down to the Pit. It takes us longer than normal to get to the infirmary but we don't mind, we're together. We decide to get an update from Dr. Parrish on John Doe's condition before we try to talk to the man who attacked Tobias. He asks the intake nurse, who doesn't look happy to see us, to page the doctor. She seems to be on duty every time we need to speak with him. He must not be busy because he comes to the desk to greet us almost immediately.
"Four, Tris. Good morning. I take it you're here to see our patient," he says. "Or have either or you had a setback in your conditions?"
"We're both fine, thanks for asking," Tobias says politely. "Can we go somewhere private and talk before Tris and I go in to see the prisoner?"
"Of course," Dr. Parrish says, then turns his attention to the intake nurse who I catch scowling at Tobias and me. "Erin, will you please hold all calls for me unless there's an emergency?"
"Yes, doctor," she says. She has a harsh, nasally voice, which grates my ears, and I flinch away from it unintentionally. Tobias puts his hand on the small of my back, and we follow Dr. Parrish through the double doors and down a network of hallways until we reach a small unmarked door that leads to a very comfortable-looking office. It's a larger room than I'm expecting. The far wall is lined with heavy built-in shelves that have been painted a glossy bright white to match the walls. They are filled with the most books I've ever seen in one place outside of the school library. In front of the shelves is a large dark cherry desk and matching desk chair, which is piled high with paperwork and additional books opened to various pages depicting medical procedures and conditions. In front of the desk are two very expensive looking black leather wingback chairs, and on the left wall is a matching black leather couch. Dr. Parrish motions to the chairs, indicating that we should sit down.
"What can I do for you?" he says, settling in behind his desk.
"Have you learned anything new about our guests?" Tobias asks.
"I'm afraid that I haven't. Everything I know about either of them is in the files I gave you yesterday morning."
"Dr. Parrish, I have a question about DNA. Please don't be technical in your answer, or I'll never be able to understand but can relatives have the same DNA?"
"Every person has their own individual DNA. The only exception to this rule is identical multiple births: twins, triplets, etc. Each person gets half their DNA from their mother and the other half from their father. That being said, relatives can have similar DNA depending on how close of relation they are. Why are you asking about DNA, Tris?"
"What we're about to tell you cannot leave this room, Doc," Tobias says. Dr. Parrish nods. "We've found a suspect in the assaults. He's not an active Dauntless member. He's an Erudite member. He left us when he was 16."
"Okay. So you have a relative who still lives here in Dauntless whose DNA you want checked to see if it matches our known sample to see if this suspect is our attacker. Is that correct?"
"Yes, it is. How long will the test results take to come back?" Tobias says.
"It will take longer than the basic DNA test. It's more complicated. If I had a sample right now, I could have the result to you by tomorrow night at the latest," he says. "Do you have a sample?"
"I want you to test me," I say. He looks stunned by this.
"But you're a transfer, Tris? How would you have relatives here?"
"I found out a short time ago that my mom was born here, and I have an uncle, aunt, and cousin who still live here. As a matter of fact my uncle is the one who pulled me up to safety the night of my accident."
"Wow! That is quite a story. You don't hear about transfers finding family members in their new faction. That is truly amazing."
"Maybe you know him. You two seem to be about the same age. His name is Nathan Wright," I say, readying myself for his reaction. His head pops up and his mouth hangs open for a moment before he collects himself. He studies me for a long moment.
"Are you Natalie's daughter?" he asks. This surprises me. I guess I didn't think about him remembering my mother. "Yes, I can see it now."
"Yeah, my mom is Natalie," I say, unable to hide my surprise. "So how do you know my family?"
"Nathan, Asher, my brother, and I were best friends for quite a lot of years. I really don't know how it happened but over the past 10 years or so Nathan and I have grown apart. Even though we are both Dauntless members, we lead very different lives. If I'm not here at the infirmary, I'm with my wife and children, and I've lost touch with him. Wait a minute. Is Cameron your suspect?"
"I would really like to keep that information private at this time," Tobias says.
"Of course, I understand," he says. He picks up a phone and hits a few buttons then asks someone on the other end to bring a DNA kit to his office. A few minutes later Isobel comes into the room. She must be filling in again.
"Well, I keep running into you, Tris," she says. "Dr. Parrish, who needs the swab?"
"Tris," he says. She opens a sealed package and tells me to open my mouth. I do and she runs the swab all around my cheeks and then puts the swab in a long tube and shuts it. She writes my name on a little sticker and seals the tube with it.
"It was nice to see you again, Tris, Four," Isobel says. She takes the swab and leaves the room with it.
"I'll call you when I have the results, Four. Is there anything else I can help you with?"
"If you could show us where the prisoner is, I would appreciate it," Tobias says. Dr. Parrish leads us back the way we came, making so many turns I'm sure I could easily get lost down here and never be seen again. I never thought of the infirmary as being a large place but after maneuvering this labyrinth not once but twice today I think it must actually be enormous. He finally shows us to a room that has a Dauntless security officer standing guard. Tobias tells the guard to take a 15 minute break and thanks Dr. Parrish for everything, then we go into the stranger's room.
Lying in a narrow hospital bed in the middle of the cold, sterile room is a blonde-haired badly battered young man handcuffed to the bed railing, who doesn't look any older than Tobias. He has a hard look in his dark gray eyes, and when he sees us enter the room, they turn steely black, filled with hate. I don't need to ask what's going through his mind right now, it is clearly written on his face. I look up at Tobias and see his look mirrors that of the prisoner.
"Tell me your name and what faction you belong to," Tobias says in his hard, demanding Four voice. The man just looks at the floor and says nothing. "You do realize you attacked a leader of Dauntless. That is a charge we don't take lightly around here. Also since your accomplice was killed during the commission of this crime you are going to be charged with his murder." The blond-haired man's composure slips for a moment, indicating to me that the dead man is someone close to him.
"Who was he to you?" I ask, more gently than I thought possible. This monster's intent the night of the attack was to kill. I have no compassion for him, but we need answers, so if feigning empathy gets us what we're looking for, this is the part I will play. "Did he mean something to you? Was he your best friend, mentor, brother perhaps?" With that a tear slides down his face.
"I'll be right back," Tobias says in my ear. I watch him leave the room then turn my attention back to the prisoner.
"What's your name?" I ask. He looks at me, tears swimming in his eyes. The look on his face is wavering between hatred and agony. Finally the agony wins out.
"My name is Jason," he says. "That is all I'm going to tell you."
"Why did you attack Four, Jason? Help us to understand. You don't look like a bad guy," I say. Acid churns up in my stomach while telling this lie. He may not look like a bad guy but he is. "You obviously don't belong here. Why get dressed in black and come to Dauntless to hurt people? We're trying to change the image of this faction, and you and your friends are not making it easy by attacking and provoking us for no apparent reason."
"No reason?!" he shouts. "You helped Abnegation, the traitor faction. It should be destroyed. You should be destroyed. We were so close to having our plan go off without a hitch then you and your turncoat brother had to stick your noses in where they don't belong. Damn Divergents." Panic starts to course through my veins. They know I'm Divergent. They know about Caleb's involvement in the takedown of the Erudite and Dauntless leaders. Dad said he was safe, but that obviously isn't true. I take a couple deep breathes trying to calm myself. I can't let my anxiety show right now.
"You're Erudite," I say. It isn't a question, it's a statement. He just made his faction abundantly clear without actually coming straight out and saying it. He glares at me again, realizing his mistake. I imagine I've gotten everything out of him I'm going to but I push on. "Why do you hate Abnegation so much, and what in the world does any of this have to do with Divergents or Dauntless for that fact? I don't understand." I've heard the expression if looks could kill many times in my young life but I honestly believe this is the first time I've ever seen it firsthand. I believe this total stranger would like nothing better than to take my life.
"What's your friend's name, Jason? Don't you think someone is missing him right now, wondering where he is? Would you like for us to contact someone on his behalf? If my son was lying in a morgue in a strange place across the city I would want to know." He lowers his head, and soon I see his shoulders shaking with silent sobs. I think the young man in the morgue is more than just a friend to Jason. "How do I get in touch with your parents? Don't you think they would want to know about your brother?"
"You don't know anything about me," he shrieks, "and don't talk about Jared like you knew him either or what our family would want. They're going to hate you for what you've done to us, taking their children away from them." Tobias comes back into the room just as I lose it.
"I haven't done anything wrong, Jason," I say, trying to remain calm. "I didn't dress myself in another factions colors, slink through their hallways, and assault total strangers ... kill total strangers. I was not manipulated into thinking everything my faction says and does is the absolute gospel truth. You cannot blame others for your actions. You have to take responsibility for yourself and your decisions. I don't know who filled your head with such lies about Abnegation and Dauntless, but they are partially responsible for what you're going through right now. Not Dauntless, not Abnegation, not me, and certainly not Four. Now, would you like to tell me who you are working with so they can be held accountable?" Tobias has a shocked look on his face, not fully understanding my rant. I hold my breath hoping Jason will take the bait. He glares at me for a solid minute before he looks away, and I have his answer. I lost him. "I'm sorry you feel that way, Jason. As soon as you are able, you'll be transferred to a jail cell until your trial. We will figure out who's behind this, and they will be sitting in a cell next to you very soon." I storm out into the hallway and down the corridor, Tobias close on my heels. "Damn it!" A frustrated scream escapes my mouth as I bury my face in my hands when I reach the empty waiting room. I look up into Tobias' concerned eyes. "I lost him. For just a moment I thought he was going to open up and tell me everything he knew but I lost my temper, and I lost him." I flop into a chair and put my head in my hands.
"You obviously got him to talk, which is a hell of a lot more than I could do," he says running his hand up and down my back. "What did you learn?"
"His name is Jason. The dead guy is his brother. His name was Jared. They're from Erudite. This is about what we thought it was about and so much more. I believe it's about Erudite's vendetta against Abnegation. They view Dauntless as the enemy since we stopped their attack. One more thing, Four," I say, looking around the empty room. Then I lower my voice and continue, "they know about my and Caleb's involvement in the takedown of Jeanine Matthews and the Dauntless leaders. I have no idea how, but they know. I have to warn Caleb to be careful. Also, I think I was their target the night before last, not you." He stares at me like he is in awe.
"How did you get him to talk to you?" he asks.
"Apparently, all you have to do is piss him off then he screams at you ... loudly," I say suddenly mentally exhausted. "I'm tired, Four. Can we go home?"
"Of course. I guess I don't need to have Dr. Parrish do the sibling test on them now. That's why I left when you were talking to him. I'm glad I did though, maybe he wouldn't have given up so much information if I'd been there."
"I would let him continue with the test. It would be nice to have DNA confirmation they are in fact brothers." We walk slowly back to our apartment aware of every person who passes us. When we finally reach our apartment I feel like I'm running on empty. I collapse on to the couch and immediately close my eyes. I feel Tobias lift me up into his strong arms as I drift off to sleep.