Morph [EDITING] || Wattys 2017 Winner

~TWENTY SIX~

~amelie~

"Oh, oh, oh my god, where...am I?" My verbal diarrhoea tapers off as I stare at my surroundings. I'm in what looks like a hospital room, but that wasn't where I just was. I was... somewhere white? It's like a block in my memory, and no matter how much I try to remember, I can't.

"Hello?" I ask cautiously. The bright light overhead is shining right into my face, and I raise my hand to shield my eyes. As I move, though, a weird sensation rips through my stomach. It's almost like I should be in pain... but I'm just not. I frown, but before I can do anything, there's a hiss and movement in the corner of my eye. I turn to look at one corner of the room, where a door has just slid open. As I stare, a figure steps through. Brown hair, brown eyes, kind features - it's Amber. The only thing that's out of place is the serious expression on her face. Her fists are clenched, and she's walking towards me with her head bowed.

"Come on," she mutters. I can barely make out the words. "Come on."
"Hi," I say uncertainly.
Amber leaps back, and lets out a shriek. "Amelie?! You're... oh my god, you're okay!"
She flies into me with a hug, and I squeeze her back. Almost immediately, she releases me, and steps back.
"I have to tell the others. Stay here!" She sprints back out of the room and I stare after her.

I decide to try and stand up. Gritting my teeth, I push myself off the bed, and wince at the strange sensation. I wobble uncertainly on my feet as I lever myself up, but, as I tentatively let go of the bed and try to stand on my own, I find I can actually support myself. The feeling in my stomach hasn't faded, but at least it's not painful.

Suddenly, the door swooshes open again, and noise fills the room like a thunderclap. People pile into the room - Amber, Lila, Hunter, Elian, my sister, and everyone I've met in my time with the rebels. Happiness fills me at the thought of all these people caring what actually happens to me. Genevieve and her gang fill the room, and even Iya and Katie are here. The sound dies down as soon as Elian, holding his hand up, clears his throat.

"Everyone, I'm sure you're all relieved to see that Amelie's looking alive and healthy, but we need some space so we can check her over again."
When nobody moves, he shouts, "Get out!"

The room clears quickly, like water running down a drain, and soon everybody but Elian, my sister, and my team remain. Sophia barrels straight up to me, and we collide as we wrap our arms around each other.

"I'm glad you're okay, Ammy," she says, muffled, and it breaks my heart.
I hold her close to me and tell her, "I'm not going anywhere, Soph. Don't worry."

I'm so happy to have her back, to know that my sister is safe, that at first I don't notice the way Elian and the others are looking at me. Their faces are all the same - a confusing mixture of worry, relief and seriousness. When I finally do realise it, I loosen my grip on Sophia.

"Hey, Soph... do you want to go wait outside for just a minute?"
"Why?" she asks, pulling back and blinking up at me.
I bite my lip. "Just... go on."

With one last look at me, she sidles out of the room with another hiss from the door. Even though she's probably right outside the door, I know she won't be able to hear anything we're saying. So when the door slides back again, I turn and face the others.

"Amelie," Elian begins. "I can't tell you how relieving it is to see you... awake again."
I give him a smile, but I can't think of what to say. So I just stay silent.
His face is lined and weary, weighed down by seriousness. "But there's something we have to discuss. Do you remember what happened?"

I open my mouth to say no, but suddenly an image pops into my head. Me, telling the others my plan, and them leaving me and Ryan alone. Then another one - him appearing in the doorway and totally and completely betraying me. My face twists with confusion and pain, and then another image shoots into my brain - Dad with his soldiers - shooting his guards - getting shot himself - and then... my own bullet wound. I gasp, and my hand flies straight to my stomach.

I got shot?

"Amelie?" Elian prompts, and my head snaps around to look at him with wide eyes. "Can you tell us?"
"I... I think we got shot."
"We?"
"Me... and my dad. Where is he?" I say, panicked. For all he's done, and all the conflicting emotions racing through me about him, he's still my father. I don't want to lose him.
Amber says soothingly, "We've got him in custody, but I healed him. He'll be fine. He was... he was nowhere near as bad as you."
Elian asks, "Do you remember why he was there? From what the others told me, he was supposed to arrive - not nearly as protected - an hour later."

I frown. That was the plan, yes. But then when Ryan went to drop Fletcher off, he came back, and...

"Ryan," I say softly.
Elian's brow furrows. "Sorry?"
"Ryan," I repeat, louder. "He... I think he told my dad where I was. What I was. And then... Dad saved me."

Stunned silence fills the room, oppressive like a blanket. I swallow uncomfortably.

"What... it's true?" Elian's voice sounds like it's being barely controlled, full of disbelief and anger.
Amber says quietly. "You know we saw him, Elian. Right outside the Lynx. Her story matches."
He's silent for a full, uncomfortable minute. Suddenly, emotionlessly, he says, "Excuse me."

With tears glistening in his eyes, Elian walks out as fast as he can, while still seeming in control. But as the full, awful memory hits me, I know there's no undoing what Ryan's done. He's betrayed us all.

"Amelie," a voice says.

I look up, and see Hunter right in front of me. Suddenly, I feel something in my gut. It's similar to the sensation I got when Cade died, when Ryan betrayed us. But somehow it's different. Warmer. And as I look at him, a voice says in my head, "Do me a favour, and go talk to Hunter."

I stare at him, and he stares back at me, and then his face breaks out into a smile. "Amelie, you're okay. I thought... I thought you wouldn't wake up."
I throw my arms around him, and he wraps me in his. "You'll never lose me," I say into his shirt, and his only response is to hold me tighter.

"Ahem." A voice interrupts our embrace, and suddenly we break apart and step away. My face burns as I see Elian standing in front of us again. He looks more composed, but I can still see the emotion threatening to burst past his defences. "I'm sorry to... to interrupt, but we need to discuss something important."
"My father, right?" I smile humourlessly. "Where is he?"
"We have him in a secure cell. Protection for both him and us." Elian's eyes are downcast as he says the words

Silence descends over the room, but I can sense there are unspoken words between us. There's something he wants to say... but he's not saying it.

"...What?" I ask, frowning. "What aren't you telling me?"

For a moment, Elian reminds me of Atlas - the Titan with the weight of the sky on his shoulders. Right now, Elian looks like every single soul in the world is weighing down on him. The worst bit is, I can't do anything.

He finally raises his eyes to meet mine. "Your father is... he's the most valuable resource that we have. That we have ever had. We could learn so much from him, and save so many people. There's a strong chance he knows anything and everything we're looking for."
I stay silent, waiting for him to express the catch.
"But I can't interrogate him. Not without your consent. Amelie, he's your family. And you're one of us, and... I would never betray you, or your trust." He's being so cryptic, and apprehension fills me as he pauses. "So, I need to know... do I have your permission to interrogate your father?"

Then it's me who's Atlas, struggling under the responsibility. He's my dad, and whatever he's done, I still love him. So how can I make this decision? How can I condemn my own father to this? Pain fills me as the answer becomes clear, and I tighten my fists as I answer Elian.

"Just... promise you won't hurt him."
"I promise."