The Brothers by Katie French

Author:Katie French [French, Katie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Teen & Young Adult, Romance, Science Fiction & Dystopian, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Science Fiction, Dystopian
Amazon: B013COTMAO
Publisher: Katie French Books
Published: 2015-08-02T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWELVE

Janine

I sit holding Bell’s hand for hours. The floor puts my legs to sleep and sets my tailbone complaining, but it doesn’t matter. I watch her shallow breathing, the rise and fall, rise and fall. I’m not sure how many breaths she has left, and I want to be there for every single one.

Gabe lights candles and tries to distract me with tattered copies of Shakespeare, colorful picture books with the pages still intact, but I barely glance at them. Any other time I would’ve jumped at the chance. We didn’t have books at the hospital. Bell told me the doctors wanted to control what we knew about the outside, history, everything.

Bell. Oh, God. She cannot die. I’ve lost Sabrina. I can’t lose Bell, too.

Footsteps in the hall startle me out of my thoughts. Gabe’s eyes flick to the door. “I hope it’s Tommy.”

I stiffen. “Who else would it be?”

But he leaves the room and comes back with a sword. I raise an eyebrow, and he shrugs at me.

We zero in on the door and the approaching footsteps. “Is it locked?” I whisper.

Gabe eyes the lock. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” I’m nearly hysterical. “Then lock it.”

But the footsteps are too close. Gabe raises the sword.

The door creaks open. Tommy walks in the door, looking road weary and dusty. An old man follows close behind.

Gabe lowers his sword. “You got Harpy?”

Harpy limps in. “Dragged me outta my bed and ever’thing. Better be worth my time if you catch my meanin’.”

Tommy grabs a rag from a kitchen drawer and begins mopping his face. “We’ll get you your payment, just hurry.” He points to Bell.

Harpy—a stoop-shouldered old man with about ten hairs clinging to his head, a veiny nose, and leathery cheeks—shuffles over to Bell. A giant leather bag clanks at his side.

I lean protectively over her. “What’s he going to do?”

Harpy inspects the knife handle embedded in Bell’s side. “That looks nasty.” He touches the hilt carefully. “But you did right not removin’ it. Hopefully, it missed all her major pumpers, but she’s lost a lot of juice.” He looks up at Tommy. “You did this?”

Tommy blushes. “It was an accident.”

I raise an eyebrow. Now it’s an accident.

But I clam up as Harpy opens his bag and draws out his equipment. Seeing the scalpels, clamps, and gauze brings back too many memories. I start to feel faint.

“You okay?” Tommy says.

“I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine,” he says, stepping forward. He eyes me intently.

I wipe a hand over my suddenly sweaty forehead. “Maybe I need a glass of water.”

“She needs some fresh air,” Harpy says, drawing more tools out of his kit. “‘Sides, it’d be better if she weren’t here while I work.”

“No,” I say, grabbing for Bell’s hand.

Tommy touches my shoulder. “It’s safer if you give Harp some space.” His eyes are kind, but I don’t want this kindness.

“I need to be here,” I say, hunching down.

Harpy stops digging in his bag and looks at me. “Darlin’, I’m ‘bout to operate.

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