A/N: Not Thoroughly Edited.

Chapter 4 - Hiding in Plain Sight (Faith Ashlynn POV) Pt. 4

"Who would do this Ansel? They wanted Talia to die, that was the only option they wanted - and to h-h-have us w-w-watch it," a voice I remembered but could not place asked, wept, "She just – this wasn't an accident," I swallowed, my throat burned, and her voice, I couldn't seem to make it out but it was too much. The noise, the beeping, I struggled to lift my hand but I winced, blinking and my stomach empty still turned. 

"Ow," I groaned my mouth so dry, a whimper as a sharp shooting pain crept up left hand, "Dmitri..." I mumbled not opening my eyes, he would help me.

"Oh – oh – Ansel get a nurse, call Walsh and Patricia," I blinked, shutting my eyes quickly, then trying again, and I force them to flutter open, blurry as I tried to focus on the voice, "Sh," my lips pursed, the sound off and not at all sounding like the kind one would make to shush someone.

The face, it was – it wasn't – her blue eyes shimmered "you – thank you, thank you," her hand reached for mine holding it tightly while I glanced around the room, I wasn't in the safe place, she wouldn't be here. Kalenah would not be here with me and my bottom lip trembles as my heart grows heavy, Dmitri is gone, I'm not in the safe place. Then where am I? I try to search my surroundings but it seems as though my eyesight and stomach are directly connected. 

My confusion thick, "Do you want some water," she asked pointing next to the bed, my head turned to it heavily, and the headache I felt, my stomach rolled at once my eyes demanded to be closed. I didn't like feeling this way, "shh, you're okay, you have a concussion, you fell backwards, hit your head, we've been waking you up, but-" she continued at a better level, a whisper.

"It's been two days, we called Walsh – he and Patricia are here," but Dmitri wasn't, I frowned. He had been there though, he told me what to do, and he helped me.

"Oh you're awake," a man in light blue walked in, a clipboard in his hands and Walsh and Patricia, followed by Ansel came into the room, "We're so sorry," Patricia cried confusing me. I glanced back to Kalenah, she was crying before, there was a fire - I remembered.

I had been confused, I was inside the safe house, but then I wasn't and Dmitri was there – in my head –  but it was the wrong house. The adviser was wrong, Talia was inside, I had gotten her out in time, I saw blue skies, gray smoke leaving the house above me.

I pulled us out. I did... right? I turned to Kalenah and then back to Ansel, the queasy sensation fills my mouth with spit, I didn't get her out fast enough, is that – that's why they were crying. "Fatim-"

"She likes to be called Faith," Patricia, Walsh and Kalenah corrected the doctor. "I'm Doctor Conrad," was everyone here a Conrad? I looked at his eyes, and sure enough, though his features were a bit different that Ansel, I could see the similarities in their eyes. Blue with grey rim around their pupils.

"You gave us quite the scare," he continued, and thankfully his voice was low - quiet. "You're on pain medications now, for your arm," he pointed and my eyes followed down to my left arm, the numb tingle sensation pain I felt, I winced when I closed my eyes and behind my lids it was actually burning, I was back in that house, my chest squeezed.

"Faith, Faith, relax, you're in the hospital, you're safe, just open your eyes," Dr. Conrad whispered, the beeping raging in-between his rushed words.

"That's it – just open your eyes," I blinked forcing them open, as he said, gasping and the burn worse than ever before, but I couldn't look down, I couldn't meet all their eyes, "I'm sorry," I whispered my voice, rough, dry and it burned to even say them.

It hurt, I didn't know Talia but she was kind to me like Dmitri had been even though he was not always honest with me.

Dr. Conrad's eyes squinted, "It's not your fault," but I shook my head, regretting that when that tumbling rolling stomach, thing happened, "I – I tried to get her out but she was heavy," my throat scratchy, and Kalenah stepped up above me, "Talia is fine – not fine – but she's just next door," she pointed to where a curtain covered the wall and with just one look at Ansel, he walked and tapped against the curtain, pushing it aside someone pushed a curtain on the opposite side revealing all the Conrad children, and Talia in the bed, "See, she's okay, her leg burned a bit – but she's okay – you hit your head, tumbled backwards," Kalenah said. All her children looking at me, when my eyes met with Samson, the images of what happened hitting me again and I pulled my eyes from the room next to mine.

I swallowed dryly and Patricia came forward, filling a glass of water for me, letting me drink, and that burned more than I expected it too, pulling my lips away I shrunk back. "Swallowing – that's going to hurt for a while," Dr. Conrad said noting my reaction, as Ansel pulled the curtain back in place.

Closing my eyes a bit, tired and I hadn't even done anything, I forced my eyes open again, "I'm giving you something for the pain, and nausea, you'll be in here for maybe a week or so, we want to have your burns healed a bit more - prevent infection-" he continued speaking and stopped when a knock came on the door. Turning everyone waited and when two men, dressed identically, in black and blue, thick belts, radio walk-talkies on their chest, both clear skinned.

"We were told that Miss Ashlynn was awake, we need to take her statement," the one on the left said when no one in the room said anything. I looked on wondering what kind of statement he wanted me to make, I mean there were people there that saw.

"You aren't in trouble Faith," Patricia told me, smiling down kindly, "She's right, you aren't in trouble but we just wanted to know what happened? What you could tell us happened?"

I blinked, "You weren't in class I believe..." the left one said, looking down at a little pad, I shook my head, "the nurse said I didn't have to go, so I was walking back to the d-dooormms," and oddly my voice seemed to disappear, it was like I wasn't working. With wide eyes I turned to Dr. Conrad, lifting my good hand to my throat, with one palm out he whispered, "Relax, you have light vocal cord damage, and your throat is sore from inhalation," he turned to the police officers, "She really isn't supposed to be speaking at all, could she maybe write this for you?" he asked them, but with a hint of authority he reached over getting a dry easer type board, the size of a piece of paper, and handed me a pen before the officers gave the 'okay.'

Writing, I started over.

Walked home saw fire, resident adviser was calling for help. I stopped showing it to them, before continuing.

At first I wasn't sure if I was telling on Talia, but at this point, they already knew she was inside the dorms when was supposed to be in class. So without looking at Kalenah or Ansel I wrote, Talia said she was having cramps, went to dorms to sleep.

"Then what happened?" Officer on the left asked.

I remembered and was in the – I stopped writing and glanced Walsh. Before looking back at the board not sure what to write, or how to explain. All I could remember at that moment was feeling like I was back in the safe house, and alone and dying and I ran inside, but in my mind I wasn't running inside, I was running, struggling to get out from the safe house.

"Miss Ashlynn-"

"Give her some time!" Walsh snapped.

With shaky hands I wiped the part that said I was in – and continued differently.

Resident adviser didn't know Talia was inside, said no one was in there so I went pushed her away and went in there. Kalenah gasped and then looked down at her feet, while Ansel took her hand. Looking down I started again.

Went to third floor. Talia was sleeping. Wouldn't wake up. Dragged her out.

I turned the board outwards for them to read, Patricia helping me, and the police nodded, "You were wet-"

I nodded, ready to write again, wet so clothes wouldn't burn, me and then sprayed Talia and then left our common area.

"The sprinklers above didn't come on, at any time?" I shook my head.

No sprinklers! I wet us.

"Did anything look out of place to you?" refusing to close my eyes to concentrate back on the fire, I just shook my head. Even if something had looked out of place, I didn't notice it.

"Thank you Miss Ashlynn, we have what we need," they said glancing at Ansel before leaving. When I rested back and made eye contact with Patricia she pulled her eyes from Walsh, it was like they were all having some sort of private conversation, but sleepily I just sighed and closed my eyes.

"She needs to rest and-" that was all I heard before falling into a deep slumber.

As like the first time, I woke hearing a conversation taking place while my eyes were closed, "We understand that you guys have work, that dorm is not livable, we wanted to offer a room in our house to Faith, it would be an honor if you guys would let her come, really," Kalenah said.

"Maybe we left too soon though," Patricia told Walsh, "We can't take more time off without-" he stopped abruptly. "I already have to go back," he whispered and no one said anything for a while.

When someone did speak, "You already have so many-" Kalenah cut her off, "She ran inside a burning building for our Talia, she'll need someone to help change her burn dressings, we learned for Talia as well, it won't be a problem, we want to do this, Talia and our other children – Ansel and I – we are just so grateful, having Faith stay with us, won't be a hardship at all..." the pain that had pushed me to consciousness was irking me slowly, and I couldn't hold back the whimper alerting the adults to my awareness.

_______________

© 2016 roxann_season All Rights Reserved