Helena's screams rang all throughout the night. After Booshwater tried to grab her I unthinkingly pushed him back, him falling on the floor, resulting in me spending overnight in a cell. My cell opened early this morning, I think, when the guard came to fetch me. "You have five minutes to get that piece of trash out of the torture chamber or she can do another night in there." the guard spat at me. Scrambling up I ran straight into the chamber easily, as if a muscle memory. Laying on the floor, clothes in tatters lay Helena. She cheeks stained with cheeks, clothes in shreds, hair all knotty and blood everywhere. Scooping her up as gently as possible I pulled her close to me. She yelped quietly but continued to sleep.

Just as I headed out of the underground area I immediately bumped into a panic stricken Ashley. I placed Helena into the chair next to the door as I enveloped Ashley into a hug. She immediately burst into tears as she nuzzled her face into my chest. I stroked her red frizzy hair "I'm ok Ash, I really am. Don't worry. Help me take Helena to the infirmary though?" I whispered to her. She looked up nodding as she wiped her nose with her sleeve. Turning around I picked up the battered girl, taking her to the infirmary.

The guards stationed in front of the directors quarters glared at us as we jogged to the infirmary. The nurse stood out front, her piercing gaze wavering as she looked at the broken girl in my arms. As we reached her she opened the door into the infirmary, guiding us to a bed. "Was it just a whipping?" she asked quietly, trailing her fingers along Helena's back. My shoulders sagged, "I don't know, all I heard was screaming and crying all night, they didn't let me in until this morning.". She nodded, "Now if you guys would please leave the area, at least Mr Sanderson so I can do a full body report, I have a feeling there was more than whipping involved." her voice was tense. I nodded as I took a step back, prompting her to shut the curtain.

I went and walked over to Ryan's bed, the boy had his eyes shut. I looked up at his steady heart monitor. Last night after he was revived he wasn't doing well. He shook and trembled, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. It broke my heart to see him like that. He was like a son and it hurt me to see him hurt. It only became worse as we all heard the screams and shouts coming from down the corridor. Dr Thender had to sedate him before I left to go check on the situation and that was the last of him I saw.

"Ryan, please wake up!" I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. The heart monitor spiked, as if he had heard me. "Ryan..." I trailed off "Please wake up soon, I'm so worried, you're so important to me, it would kill me if you're not ok." I tried again, a tear slipping from my eye. The heart monitor raced up, drawing attention from Dr Thender. She ran to the other side of the bed, checking his vitals. "Keep talking," she murmured. "Ryan, Ryan, please wake up!" I pleaded, grabbing his hands. That's when I felt his hand twitch. "Ryan!" I gasped. I looked at his face, green eyes staring back at me. "Jer'' he croaked out trying to reach for me, a tear falling down his face.

"I'm here buddy" I whispered back, hugging him, my tears burning my eyes. "I... I was so scared" he sobbed. "Me too bud, me too. But you're here and ok now!" I soothed. He nodded as Dr Thender gave him a glass of water. "I'm surprised that you were able to wake up this early, let alone react to his voice like that. Normally that happens with family, someone you have built a strong bond with. Not even Aiden could wake you up!" she speculated. I looked at her, a small smile on my lips, "Ryan's like a son, a brother, I've known him since he was five, so 12 years.". Her mouth opened and closed. "That's amazing, you knew each other on the outside?" she asked, amazed and shocked. I shook my head. Luckily, Ryan had drifted off in my arms sometime during that speech.

"No, I was moved out of one camp and being moved, I had already been there for maybe 3 years, and we had to pick up Ryan on the way to the new one. I took him under my wing, and since then I have been protecting him as much as I can. He already had to watch his parents being shot in front of him, and the look on his face just broke my heart, I couldn't just let him suffer!" I whispered, holding him close to me. Tears fell on the ground next to me. I stroked his hair as I looked up at the teary eyed doctor.

"God, I'm, I'm so sorry. That must've been horrible. I can't imagine it" she whispered solemnly, rubbing her stomach. I nodded, "Everyday, it haunts me. I take whatever I can for him but there have been times where... I just couldn't save him. You know that urge, to just protect your child, so that they are never hurt, that horrible, destroyed feeling you get every time you see their heart break, every time a tear slips down their cheek. It's so painful and overwhelming, I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing by shielding him. I see the way he looks at Aiden, at Helena, at everyone! He would do anything to protect them, to protect me, and I... I can't deal with the fact that... that little boy I hugged 12 years ago is all grown up, and I can't do anything about it, I can't protect him."

I was sobbing now. I couldn't help it. Every single feeling I had bottled up over the years just smashed, flooding me with sadness, frustration, desperation and heartbreak. She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder before removing Ryan from me. In the corner of my eye I saw the curtains open and shut. "Jer" Ash's soft voice resonated around me. I tensed, not liking the fact she would see me like this. As if she sensed my thoughts she sat down gingerly beside me and pulled me into a hug. I let her. And I wept.

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Thanks guys for all your support. It's holidays now and I should be writing and updating more. Stick with me please.

21/09/2022