Rae let her phone drop into her pocket. Sir Wagner had clearly left and now she was alone in the hospital room. She could hear the quiet but steady beeping of medical machinery but couldn't quite tell where it was coming from. Feeling utterly out of place, Rae retreated back behind the curtain.

Ethan was still sleeping, and her parents had their foreheads close together, whispering with concern. They stopped when they caught sight of Rae.

"Rae! School be okay? I not be getting to talk to you until now." Her father laughed but he looked sad.

"Yes."

Mrs. Casey's forehead was starting to crinkle upward, like Ethan's did when he got worried. "What Sir Wagner say to you honey?"

"You tell me. You heard everything, I'm sure."

Mr and Mrs. Casey raised their eyebrows, taken aback by Rae's attidude. Anne Casey looked like she was going to snap back, but Rae's father spoke up first.

"Well, we not be hearing much. But from what we be telling, Sir Wagner be offering you a job in the investigation."

"Yes." Rae didn't know why she was acting like this. All she knew was that all of the sudden she wanted to run out of the room. She didn't have the energy for this. To pretend to care about this investigation, to care about Sir Wagner when she had lost Asha (and almost Ethan) in one day.

It was just too much.

It was too much to act normal when she wasn't.

"And you be thinking of taking the job?"

"No."

Her parents' raised their eyebrows in unison again.

"And why not?", her mother finally spoke up.

"It's just not my cup of tea."

"Okay, we both know that not be true. This be a great oppertunity Rae! You could learn so much from Sir Wagner, you be working under Liam Wayland—"

"I thought you didn't like him."

"Well." Her cheeks turned pink. "It be looking so good for you in the future and you can be working with your father!"

Mr. Casey nodded enthusiastically.

Rae's vision went red. What was the point of all of this? What was the point of keeping up a good image in front of people if they were just going to leave anyways?

"Have you ever considered the fact I don't want to follow in dad's stupid shadow? It's not like he be doing much good, we still not even having enough to buy for pills, and—"

"Okay, that be ENOUGH." Mrs. Casey had gotten up off her chair and had a murderous glint in her eyes. But Rae wasn't afraid. "Rae, seriously, what be getting into you?"

"Nothing! I just not be wanting the job okay?!"

Mrs. Casey tried to speak up again but Mr. Casey put his hand on hers and seated her back onto her chair.

"Okay Rae. We be having more important things to discuss anyways."

Rae leaned against the curtain pole as her father steered the conversation. Her mother was still staring at her in a mixture of confusion and anger. This was really the first time Rae could remember going at her parent's like that, but she felt no regret nor guilt.

Mr. Casey looked over to make sure Ethan was still asleep and looked back at Rae. "Look, obviously, now we have to think about paying the hospital bills and Ethan be needing specialized pills from now on and—"

"We be selling the house." Mrs. Casey interrupted, obviously still not over their argument.

"What?"

"Lin's house."

"No— no we can't be— we can't—"

"There be no choice Rae! What else you be thinking of then, huh?"

"I don't know—"

"Exactly! You be needing to stop living in your idealized world, it not be helping anyone."

Rae tried to yell out but her father stopped her. "Sir Wagner be offering to buy this house for a very good price and—"

"NO!" Rae was shaking in anger now. He knew. Sir Wagner knew. For someone who looked so pathetic, he actually turned out to be quite clever. And now they were just falling straight into his trap. Didn't her parents understand? "Don't you dare!"

"You be threatening us now?" Anne Casey got out of her seat again, just to be pulled down by her husband.

"I know you be having a lot of emotions right now Rae, but you be needing to understand. Ethan was in critical condition, we be needing to think logically. By selling this house we be getting enough money to be paying for his bills and to take care of him at home. Sir Wagner be paying more than we need, and be giving me a promotion too—"

"And that be all that mattering huh?"

"RAE BE STOP ACTING LIKE A CHILD." Rae's mother was practically steaming at this point. She shrugged off Mr. Casey as he tried to put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't you be getting it? Ethan almost be dying and all you care about be this house? What be mattering more to you? Ethan's life or your stupid wishes?"

Rae seemed taken aback. Ethan stirred in his sleep. Some part of her agreed with her mother, was she really willing to give up her family for her mission? Was it really all worth it in the end?

"What be going on?" Ethan got up, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

"I-I..." Rae looked from her mom and back to Ethan. "I be getting you extra water rations, Ethan..."

She left hurriedly, taking one look back at her family. Her parents had leaned towards Ethan and were talking to him in gentle whsipers. This was how it was going to be. This was how it had always been.

Rae loved her parents and she was sure they loved her, but it was different with Ethan. She wondered if she had done the same as Ethan, would they wait by her bedside? Or just wait for her to get better and back to work as soon as possible?

One thing had always been clear, Ethan and her parents were their own tight knit group, but where did that place Rae?

Rae decided to check her email after all, Asha sounded fairly urgent when she asked her to. She opened up her phone and found the most recent email sent. Her heart stopped as she realized that it was from Darren:

It was sent to the whole school.

Rae dropped back her head and couldn't help it: she screamed.
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A.N: I was pissed off when I was writing this. Can you tell?

Seriously, we're getting a more dark side of Rae now and stuff is going DOWN.

Did anyone notice Darren's profile pic though? 🤔

Make sure to vote and comment feedback if you liked the chapter (only if you liked it though!). Thank you and I'll see you next week (lol who am I kidding?)