The Lesser of 2 Evils

KRISTINA, THE GREAT? ESCAPE

Time after time I push my bare torso against bars, the burning a smorgasbord for the senses. In the process I get my arms repeatedly, but my hands take the brunt of it when I do my legs. I take the pants off, relying solely on the oversized T-shirt for discretion and apply my bare legs against the bars. I can’t reach all the way with my cuffed ankle but in the end, I sufficiently damage a significant portion of my body.

By the time I finish, I’m crumpled on the floor, no longer able to support myself. The pain is overwhelming, it is all I know – nothing else matters. I would guess the burns are second-degree but the fact that so much of my body is covered… I know I’m going into shock. Bella is being kept down by the silver cuff around my ankle so I don’t have her help for healing – but I also don’t have her help with the pain.

When morning comes, I’ve blacked out numerous times since falling to the floor. I only know it is morning because the warrior is back, as promised. His gasp of horror at seeing me in the condition I’m in is precisely the response I was going for, so I know I was successful and all of my misery is worthwhile. All I can hope for now is that they show me mercy and let me go to their medical ward where they’ll have to let me have Bella back to heal and once I have her, if I can, I’m making a break for it.

I have to try.

I can’t go back.

The warrior said he’d be right back and ran away after seeing me, leaving me in my agony and despair. My guess is he can’t make the decision to take me anywhere and has gone to speak to someone more senior – at least, that’s my hope. It is also possible I’ve been left here to die, but considering the kindnesses they’ve shown me so far, I’m doubting it. I’m counting on their decency to not let me suffer any longer than necessary and hopefully soon I’ll be reunited with my bestfriend Bella.

What seems like hours later but is likely only minutes but what do I know as I’m fairly sure I black out at least one more time, the warrior returns only he isn’t alone. He is accompanied by what appear to be two more warriors and a man I’m confident is a doctor. They let themselves into my cell and the doctor approaches me slowly, as if worried I may attack or turn violent.

“You’re okay doc, she’s shown no signs of violence,” the head warrior says before I have a chance to say anything in my own defence. Stunned, I remain silent and watchful as the doctor appears reassured and again approaches me.

“I’m going to look at your wounds, alright?” He asks me before touching me, shocking me yet again. Who are these people? Anything I’ve ever heard about outside packs has been awful, nothing like the unusually kind treatment I’ve been shown. Even if they did put wolfsbane in my food, they still fed me after keeping me alive when they didn’t have to. I’m a rogue who trespassed on their territory – at home, I’d be dead on the spot they found me on. Now they brought in a doctor to look at me and as expected, he wants me transferred to the medical ward.

I almost feel like a mastermind.

Part of me feels guilty for using their own kindness against them but since my very survival is at stake, I’m over it quickly. They uncuff my ankle and the relief is immediate. Just having that burning weight removed from my skin brings tears of joy to my eyes. My hands are tied together with rope which is then tied to a loop around my neck so even if I tried to shift, I wouldn’t be able to go far. Weakened from my injuries or so they believe – they have no idea I haven’t eaten or had anything to drink in days, the two extra warriors form a cradle seat to carry me in. It offers the least amount of contact for my wounds and ensures they maintain complete control over me at all times.

It isn’t a far distance to the medical facility where I’m laid on a bed, the loop removed from my neck and tied to the bed instead, reminding me I’m still a prisoner. The two warriors take up position outside my door in the hallway and the head warrior disappears while the doctor and two nurses tend to my injuries.

“K-Kris…” I hear a faint voice, like a distant echo in my mind. I block out the noise in the room and focus inwardly while the medical staff continue to tend to my needs.

“Kris?” A little stronger this time but still nowhere near where she normally is or where I’m going to need her to be for us to get out of here. Hearing Bella’s voice in my head is like reconnecting with a long-lost relative, or that special friend you didn’t realize you needed until they were gone. I’ll never take Bella for granted again – going these past few days without her has been terrible. I never want to live alone again.

“We’re still in trouble, Bella but I have a plan – I hope,” I tell her, sharing my vision. Bella has doubts but promises to do her best, not wanting to return to our old pack and a life as Lincoln’s bitch either.

By the time the medical staff leave me alone, I have an IV feeding me vitamins, sugar water and who knows what else but it is working and making me physically stronger by the minute. Bella is doing her part by healing my wounds, the one on my ankle requiring the most time and energy. The doctor figures I’ll need two days to recover from my burns which means tomorrow night I have to make a run for it.

No matter what, I have to try.