CHAPTER 37

TRIS POV~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Why didn't you tell me! I could have helped you! You didn't tell me and you could have died!" Tobias practically screams at me.

"I'm sorry." I whisper.

"Tris. Look. When stuff like this happens, you have to tell me. I can help you. You don't have to be afraid. I know everything about you. Okay? You have to tell me these things." Tobias kneels down to me and strokes my hair out of my face.

"I didn't want to worry you. I thought that you would be mad because practically every two seconds this happens." I say.

"Tris." Tobias uses his exasperated voice. "I will never be tired of helping you."

I smile at him and begin to sit up.

Big mistake.

The world quickly spins around me and I can hear myself start to whimper as Tori quickly runs out of the room.

"Tris, shhhhhh. Tori's getting the pain medication. The pain will be over soon, okay?" Tobias asks rubbing my back gently.

I quickly put my hand to the bump and I can feel that it has a heartbeat, too.

"It has a heartbeat." I cry.

"Okay, but it won't soon. We'll make the throbbing stop. I promise." Tobias says soothingly.

Tears run down my cheeks and I can only imagine what I must look like.

"Here quickly take this." Tori runs back into the room handing me a pill and a glass of water.

I quickly down the water and lean on Tobias's shoulder.

"What time is it?" I mutter and quickly wipe away the tears.

"2:15." I skipped 8th block because we had a sub." Tobias says and glances at Tori, as if making sure that was okay.

"If you are making sure that it is okay with me, then I don't care. I won't tell anyone." Tori says with a knowing smile.

"Does your head feel any better?" Tobias asks.

"A little bit." I say and begin to get up.

"What do you think you're doing?" Tori asks.

"Going to Marcus's house. I have to do stuff." I say.

"Oh, no you don't. You are going to stay in bed. At least until 2:45 when school officially ends." Tori says carefully pushing me back down.

"Fine." I say and lay down.

Tori tells me that she will be right back with some crackers and Tobias lays down next to me.

"Promise me the next time anything happens like this..... you tell me immediately." Tobias whispers in my ear.

"I promise." I whisper back and he pecks my lips.

Tori comes back with the crackers and I silently nibble on them.

"Tris, mom, dad, and me we are going out to dinner tonight. We had it planned since August. We are going to a nice place outside of Chicago. You could come if you want." Tobias says.

"I can't, but that's okay. Go have fun." I say.

"Are you sure you will be okay?" Tobias asks.

"I will be fine." I reassure him.

It eventually becomes 2:45 and I quickly thank Tori for everything and run across the street to Marcus's house.

Normally, he wouldn't be home until at least 4, but with my luck, he is home right now.

"Hello father." I say politely.

"Where were you all day?" He asks angrily.

"School." I answer quickly.

"Is that so? Because your principle called. She told me that she say you in the morning, but you never showed up for any classes!" He yells.

"Father--" I begin, but he cuts me off.

"NO! I WILL DEAL WITH YOU LATER! AND EXPECT PAIN!" He hisses at me.

This is bad. This is bad. This is so bad.

I quickly make dinner for Marcus. Pork chop with spinach and some sort of pasta.

He eats it down and tells me that I will not be going to my job at the diner because we have business to attend to.

Nervousness and fear are beginning to come harder than ever. If Marcus is canceling work, then this is going to be truly painful.

"Go sit in the living room and wait." He growls at me.

I do as I am told and fiddle with my hands nervously.

I watch him in the kitchen downing beer after beer. He will defiantly be drunk for this one.

He stumbles into the room and gives me a dirty glare.

"Take your shirt off. Now!"

I quickly do as I am told and lean against the wall for support.

I hear the belt come out of the pant loops and the whizzing in the air and then CRACK!

I bite my lip trying not to scream out in pain.

He does this again and again and again as I eventually sink to the floor, silent tears making their way down my face.

Marcus continues to whip my back and I keep screaming, hoping that Tobias will hear me and help with the cleaning up on this one.

I am beginning to loose consciousness when I remember something truly horrifying.

Tobias is out at dinner with mom and dad. Nobody is going to be able to help me, but hey, guess what? I am used to it.

That is the last thought before I black out.

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I wake up with a pounding headache and a severe pain in my back. I look around and see that I am laying in a pool of my own blood and that Marcus is close, passed out cold once again.

I carefully crawl over to the bathroom and gingerly stand up as everything spins.

I look at my back in the mirror and I know that I won't be able to clean this one up myself. Some of my scars have opened back up and there is still blood pouring out of the wounds.

Tobias is out till 11 and it is only 9. I was unconscious for two hours.

I quickly grab a big shirt that is laying in the living room and stumble out the door.

Before I know what I am doing, my feet bring me to Tori's house. I fall to my knees and quickly knock softly on the door.

After a moment, I still don't hear any movement going on inside the house, so I knock again, louder this time.

"1 minute!" I hear Tori yell.

"Please." I yell sobbing. It just hurts so bad.

I hear running and I see Tori appear looking surprised and then scared.

She gently pulls me inside and helps me into the kitchen.

"Tori...... Help me!" I continue to cry and I see that Tori has tears in her eyes.

"Tris, you have to tell me what happened!" Tori says quickly.

"My back. Just help my back." I say in a daze.

"Tris! Marcus did this to you, didn't he! Oh my gosh. Okay let's go to the bathroom!" Tori hurriedly pulls me into the bathroom and I collapse on to the floor from the blood loss.

I don't have any energy left. I don't have anything left.

"TRIS!" Tori screams and pulls up the big shirt and I hear gasping.

I begin to feel pressure and my eyes shut and they don't open again.

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I hear myself moaning before I can even register what is happening.

"Tris.... Wake up. Please wake up. I know it hurts. I gave you every safe medication known to man." I think Tori says.

Tori? What?

My eyes open and I see that I am in the bed that I was in this morning.

"Tris." Tori says and takes a deep breath.

"Tori..." I say my voice hoarse.

"You poor baby. I contacted Four and your parents. They are almost here." Tori tells me.

I nod and take Tori's hand in mine.

"Thank you so much. I owe you my life. You saved me. You are the best." I say with a stray tear running down my cheek.

"Your so welcome. Your brother, Colby and I bandaged you up and gave you all sorts of safe medicine. You will be fine." Tori says.

"No, I won't. Because tomorrow it will be the same and again after that and again and again." I just close my eyes and refuse to cry more.

"Actually, no. I called the police. Marcus is in jail. For a sentence of 50 years for child abuse. They told me that you were going to be okay from now on. That they and everyone else will protect you." Tori says squeezing my hand.

"Marcus is in jail?" I say slowly.

"Yes. He will never do anything to you again." Tori tells me.

"I hope so......" I say beginning to trail off.

"Go to sleep. You need it. No harm will come to you, I promise." Tori tells me.

I smile and close my eyes refusing to even think any negative thoughts.

For the first time in years, I sleep peacefully.

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