Chapter 0222


    And so I just curl up against mom at the head of the bed, listening to my dad and my brother fight


    about whether or not I should be at the school, and what the hell Rafe was thinking taking me there,


    and how I’ve survived so far. I can hear Rafe supplying information that Jackson told when they


    were away at the shower, apparently, about the identity of the cadet who shot me with a crossbow


    and whether or not he has a further vendetta against me, but I quickly find myself slipping into sleep


    as I lean against mom.


    “Come on, baby,” I hear mom murmur from my half daze. I blink into consciousness, realizing that


    dad and Rafe are still going at it, and then I look up at mom next to me. “Let’s get you cleaned up,”


    she says, unhooking me from the IV and tugging me away.


    I nod, following her to the second door in the room, yawning as we pass through it and a few more


    doors before we enter a pretty utilitarian private bathing chamber. She helps me strip down and


    then I shower as mom fills me in, quietly and calmingly, on the gossip from home. Markie is fine –


    he doesn’t like school, loves sports, wants a pet squirrel more than anything in the world. Juniper


    hates everything, apparently, and won’t wear anything but ck – dyed her hair ck, too, in a fit of


    rebellion.


    I smirk, thinking fondly of my taciturn little sister, missing her with a sudden intensity that surprises


    me. But I dry off with a scratchy towel and then pull on the supplied one-size-fits-all-Alpha pajamas


    – which, obviously, swim on me. But momughs and helps me pull the drawstring of the pants tight


    before leading me out into the hospital room again and back to the bed.


    Dad and Rafe, I’m interested to see, have fallen silent and aren’t looking at each other.


    “So,” mom says, overly cheerful. “Did we mene to any decisions about Ariel’s fate in the world


    without consulting her?”


    Rafe balks a little bit, staring at my mom, because he has been fighting for me for the past few


    hours. She just winks at him, because the critique was mostly for my dad.


    “Enough, E,” dad murmurs, massaging his temple with his left hand. “We decided to pick it up


    again tomorrow, after we’ve all slept on it. We’re not getting anything done here anyway.”


    “Wow, you’re kidding me, I thought you were making such progress,” mom murmurs with over-


    cheerful sarcasm as she tucks me into bed. Dad just res at her half-heartedly before turning to


    me, leaning down to give me a kiss on the cheek and then run his hand over my hair.


    “I love you, Ariel,” he says, and I look up at him, hoping he can see in my face all the love I have for


    him in my heart – so much that it aches. His face falls a little then, and I smile, because I think he


    sees it. “I just want what’s best for you.”


    “I know, pops,” I murmur, reaching for him, wanting a hug. Dad obliges me, wrapping me up tight for


    a long, long moment. And then he lets mey back down in the bed, standing up. As soon as my


    head hits the pillow, my eyes start to drift shut.


    “We’ll see you for breakfast, baby,” mom whispers, also leaning down to give me a kiss. “You just


    sleep tight for now.”


    I murmur my assent, and then I’m asleep, thest thing I hear three sets of footsteps leaving the


    room, my brother’s whispered goodnight as he switches off the light.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org.