Just When Life Starts Getting Good

Chapter Twenty-One

“Hey…” Eli whispered finding me as the moon was reaching the center of the sky.

“I don’t want to join the army anymore.” I whispered looking up. “I hate him. I hate them both.” I admitted and Eli pulled me into his lap.

“Rose is asking for you.” He whispered softly and I stood up. I walked back to the city with him and then into the hospital wing following the cries of my baby. I found her in Commander Paylor’s arms and immediately took her.

“Don’t you ever touch her again.” I snarled at him, “Neither of you.” I added when I saw Dad walking in. “You’re lucky that I’m not telling Elizabeth why you left us to fend for ourselves.” I turned away from them and Eli wrapped an arm around my waist taking Rose and letting me hide in his side.

“We’ll go back to the apartment.” He promised softly.

“Momma?” Rose demanded and I looked up quickly. She put her hand on my neck then and asked why I was crying.

“It’s nothing baby.” I promised running my fingers through her hair. “It’s nothing.” Eli opened the apartment door for me and I walked in quickly going to the kitchen and getting blood to give to Rose.

“Why don’t you go to bed?” Eli whispered. “I’ll feed her and then we’ll both join you.” He promised but I shook my head.

“Why can’t I hate him as much now?” I whispered looking up at Eli. “I want to hate both of them so much but instead I’m just… hurt.”

“Because now that you have Rose you can understand how impossible of a decision your father was faced with.” He whispered and I just moved into his side playing with Rose’s fingers. When she fell asleep Eli stood up and quickly took her to her room and I just headed to the bedroom. “Come here.” He sighed when he climbed into the bed beside me. I quickly moved up into his chest and he held me close.

“I’m not ready to forgive him.” I whispered up to Eli.

“I would be worried if you were.” He promised tightening his arms. “You will have to take time to forgive him. You will have to let him make it up to you.”

“I don’t want to.” I shook my head. “I’m not going to talk to him. Not ever.”

“Bree…” He sighed but then Rose started crying again.

“I’ll get her.” I told him getting up. “Eli!!!” I screamed when I felt her.

“What’s wrong?” He whispered.

“She’s got a fever.” I whispered my fear clear.

“Come on we’ll take her to the hospital wing.” He promised me softly and he gently urged me forward. I started running soon though and when I ran into the hospital wing Elizabeth shot up from her bed.

“What’s wrong?” She asked quickly but turned to Eli.

“Rose has a fever.” He told her softly as the nurse came in.

“Fix her.” I begged the nurse.

“It’s not that simple.” The nurse snapped at me the next morning when I was still begging her to fix my baby. “Elliot?” She requested and he followed her.

I was trying to eavesdrop but then Rose started to cry and I quickly picked her up rocking her gently.

It was a week later and I was sitting in the hospital wing with Rose. I was alone and it was silent until suddenly her chest stopped moving. “Nurse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” I screamed.

“I’m sorry Brenin.” She whispered a few minutes later gently placing a blanket over Rose’s head. “She’s gone.”

“No!!!!!” I snarled and felt myself collapse and just curl into a ball in the corner of the room.

“Bree?” Eli whispered softly and I just shook my head. “Please.” He requested gently pulling my arms down so that he could see the tears. “Can I help?” He whispered.

“No.” I snapped. “You can’t help. Nobody can help.”

“Bree…” He begged when I pushed against his chest so that he wouldn’t hold me.

“No.” I warned. The next few months were to say the least difficult. I didn’t talk. I refused to talk. After the first month where I didn’t say a word Eli had taken me to the hospital wing but they’d declared that it was all emotional. I wouldn’t talk until I was ready to and so Eli just paid closer attention to me. I refused to go into our apartment and usually ended up sleeping on the couch in Elizabeth’s apartment. Eli would always join me a few minutes later and hold me close.