Chapter 20

The psych ward was a good call. It acted as the perfect cell for Karen whilst they figured out why she was here. It was simple, yet comfortable, with plenty of locks on the doors and bars on the windows, just in case. The girl had been in and out of consciousness whilst Doctor Glass checked her over, cleaning her wounds and changing her into some clean clothes. It was a transformation. She almost looked like her old self again.

Grace walked into the room, having updated her father on Karen's condition. He was on his way. Doctor Glass was kneeling by Karen's bedside, rifling through her first aid kit; Hal was leaning forwards on a seat beside the bed, rubbing his hands together nervously; whilst Maggie watched from the other side of the room, barely blinking.

"Your brother's hardly moved from that spot since they brought her in," Maggie muttered to Grace, as Grace peered over at Hal's place next to Karen. It was all in his face, his body language. He was worried about her. It had barely been two weeks since he was in exactly the same anxious position, sitting by Maggie's bedside, willing her to recover. It was like dejavu.

Suddenly, Karen sat upright, gasping and glancing around her in a panic. The sudden movement made Grace jump and take a step back, but Doctor Glass was leaning towards Karen, tentatively placing her hands on her arm and speaking to her softly.

"It's okay. It's okay."

"Where am I?" Karen whimpered, cowering in her bed so her back was pressed hard against the wall.

Hal shot to the edge of her mattress, putting a comforting hand on her leg. "You're here with the Second Mass."

Karen's eyes were still wide with shock, her chest rising and falling quickly as she shook her head and screwed up her face like a scared child. A far cry from the emotionless tormenter who locked Grace in a cage to lure her father to the Overlords.

"Look at me," Anne said soothingly. "It's Doctor Glass. Remember me?"

"Don't talk to her."

They all snapped their heads towards the doorway where Ben was standing, keeping his distance.

"I told you we can't trust her."

"Ben," Anne sighed.

"She's not one of us."

"It's alright, Ben," said Tom, overtaking Ben and entering the room with an entourage of guards behind him. "Hello, Karen."

A light seemed to go off in Karen's head when she saw Tom's face; she recognised him. She gasped, a smile stretching across her face. "You're alive," she observed shakily. "Oh, thank God."

"No thanks to you," Grace muttered a little too loudly.

Karen's attention immediately turned to her. "Oh. Grace…I'm so sorry. The things I said to you, the things I did…it wasn't me, I swear." Her eyes began to water as her gaze drifted. "It was the most horrible thing…I've ever experienced." She sniffed. "Watching them torture you." She looked up at Tom, her lower lip wobbling. "Not being able to do anything."

"We're glad you're back, Karen," Hal assured her with a friendly smile. The only smile in the room.

"We do have some questions, though," Tom added, unmoved by Karen's traumatic recollection of their time on the alien ship. "And a few concerns."

Karen nodded understandingly. "Sure."

"The ones you were found with - the dead kids - were they on the ship with you?"

"Maybe, but I... I don't remember."

"What do you remember?"

"Only that I was... on the ship... in my pod. When I woke up, I saw Hal's face." She beamed at the memory, smiling widely at Hal in relief. "That's all." Karen looked between their straight faces. "Look, I understand how crazy this might sound, but…"

"How was your harness removed?" Tom asked her bluntly, asking the question on everyone's minds.

"I'm not sure... but I can only guess that…" she trailed off, her expression darkening.

"What?"

"That I had served my purpose," she finished with a grim frown.

Tom nodded. He told Karen to get some rest and that she would be well looked after while they made sure she was…'healthy'.

"I understand," said Karen. "And I'm really happy to be home. All I ever wanted was to be back to the Second Mass... with you and Hal," she smiled saccharinely, a glint in her blue eyes. She was convincing; Grace almost believed her.

"Get some rest," said Tom before making his exit. "We'll talk more later."

Grace followed him out the door, her brothers and Maggie close behind.

"I want a guard on that door 24/7," Tom ordered the soldiers outside.

"Did you buy any of that?" Grace mumbled to her dad as they hastened down the corridor.

"I'm not taking any chances," replied Tom. He looked like he had a thousand things on his mind, and things just weren't letting up.

"Dad?" Ben's voice called from behind.

The group slowed to a halt.

"I want to stay with her."

Tom shook his head. "I don't think that that's such a –"

"I have a better chance than anybody else of finding something that's not right," Ben interrupted him.

"Alright. Fine," sighed Tom. "I still want a guard on that door."

"I'll take first shift," Grace offered. She noticed the hesitancy in her dad's expression. "Don't worry, I'll do what needs to be done."

Tom nodded, trusting her. He swiftly left the ward, presumably to go and check on their captain who was still fighting for his life.

"Do what needs to be done?" Hal retorted beside Grace. "Don't tell me you believe him?" He shot a cold look at Ben. "What is with all the suspicion? All the crap about the bad feelings, whatever that is."

"All due respect, Hal, the last time I saw her she had me locked in a cage," Grace said through gritted teeth.

"That wasn't her, okay? She was being controlled by them. That's Karen." Hal almost yelled, gesticulating towards Karen's room.

"So you say," mumbled Ben. "I never met her before today, remember?"

"Because we lost her while she was helping trying to rescue you," snapped Hal.

"I'm sure whoever she was before, she was a wonderful person. But that thing in there - that's not Karen," Ben insisted, arms crossed over his chest.

Hal's nostrils flared. "So why are you any different, then, huh?"

"Because he is!" Grace almost shouted, sick of their squabbling. "He's our brother, Hal. We've had him back for ages now. He's nothing like Karen."

"How do you know?" Hal barked. "We all know he's changed now, and it's only getting worse, especially with this so-called skitter resistance crap!"

"Hal-"

"No, he's right, Grace," Ben replied calmly, his eyes narrowed on Hal. "I'm not any different to Karen. Which is exactly why I can handle her." He turned to Hal. "You won't be able to resist her manipulating you."

"Would you listen to yourself, bro?" scoffed Hal. "Look at her. She was half-dead when we found her. She's scared, and she's freaked out. How's she gonna manipulate me?"

"She's already started."

Hal scowled at him. Grace could tell he was furious.

"You're on his side again, huh?" Hal glared at Grace. "After everything he's put us through?"

"I'm not taking sides," replied Grace. "I'm saying he has a point. You loved Karen. I saw that. You were crazy about each other." She shot a quick look at Maggie behind Hal, who was probably having a hard time hearing this. The girl was stoic, but looked as though she was in agreement. "You were prepared to do anything to get her back, and now she's here…you can't see the reality."

Hal rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"If I were you, Grace, I'd keep him as far away from her as possible," warned Ben. "Won't end well."

Hal stormed off, muttering: "God, you can be such a –"

"Freak?" Ben called after him, as if he was so used to hearing the insult by now.

Hal spun around. "I was gonna say 'tool' but if you like 'freak', sure, we'll stick with that." He grimaced at Ben before rushing down the hall again, Maggie quickly following after him.

"I hate it when you two fight," sighed Grace, watching Hal storm off. "I thought you had resolved your issues."

"Our issues are clearly too big to resolve," Ben smiled sadly before turning to watch Karen through the barred windows. Doctor Glass was giving her a glass of water. "He always let his heart control his head when it came to girls."

Grace joined him by the window. "You didn't see them together," she told him softly. "It wasn't like any of his High School girlfriends. He was in love. I think she loved him, too. His first real love. It must be hard to let go of that."

Ben paused for a moment. "I guess I can't really relate to that. A true love. That isn't family, I mean."

Grace smiled softly at him. "Me either."