Chapter 21 - Maybe I Can

Third Person

"Four. It's been five days. Why don't you go back to your faction. I can give you a call and have a car already heading for you right when she wakes up." Dr. Scott tells Four. She brought him to her office a few minutes earlier just to tell him that.

Four doesn't answer.

He knows that.

He knows that he should go back to dauntless.

The average person would've already given up hope on her, but this is Tris. Beatrice Prior just doesn't give up like that.

"There's a leader meeting coming upon an investigation for all of this tomorrow. I heard about it in the cafeteria downstairs. It's at Dauntless. I remember you mentioning that you're a leader. You should go to it." She says.

"I know." Four snaps but then changes his tone immediately. "I just can't imagine not being here when she wakes up. Even if I won't be able to see her right then, and I'm sure I won't, I just can't not be here for her."

"Then go for her. Go to the meeting, for her sake. Go and push for them to investigate the building; to figure out what happened to her in there so we can help her heal better. Go to the meeting for her sake."

Four is silent.

"Like I mentioned earlier. I can call you the second she wakes up, and I'm sure I could get a car over to Dauntless to pick you up and bring you here. It wouldn't be too much of a fuss."

"No. When she wakes up, just attend to her. Don't go getting cars for me or calling me. Just worry about her. Once you can though, please do call me if she wakes up. I'd really appreciate it. I'll get a train over, I'll make it here. Just attend to her, then let me know. I don't even care if it's hours after she wakes up. Just let me know eventually." Four says writing his phone number down on a piece of paper.

"Of course. I will do just that."

"Can I just ask you one question?" Four asks.

She nods.

"What are her chances of waking up?"

"I... I wish I knew." Dr. Scott says looking down at her desk. "Like you said, she's strong. I hope she can pull herself out of this one. She could wake up tomorrow, next week, next month, or even longer. Right now she is just unconscious, so it will be sooner than later if she stays in this state. If she slips into a coma, well, who knows how long it could be."

Four's mind flashes back to when Uriah was in a coma on life support in the Bureau.

The only difference was that he wasn't actually dying.

It just took them four years later to figure that out...

If that happened to Tris over the next few days... She would be actually dying.

"Trust me. She's in good hands. We are watching her every second. Plus, she still has brain waves, very strong ones too, so the chances of her slipping into a coma are less likely, but not impossible."

"Is there any way I could see her before I leave?" He asks.

"I think you may be able to. She seems somewhat more stable today than she was a few days ago. Her parents were let in to see her this afternoon, and I'm not sure if they'll still be there."

Four and Dr. Scott walk down the halls of the Erudite hospital. They walk over a sign that says ICU Wing. Four follows Dr. Scott down the halls until they stop outside of one of the doors.

"If you could wait here. I'll go check with the other nurse in there and see if everything is okay for you to see her. It'll just be a minute." Dr. Scott says and Four nods.

Dr. Scott goes into the skinnier hallway that is behind the door. The right side of it is lined with one-way see through glass so they can see in but people inside can't see out.

Dr. Scott stands next to the other female nurse and notices that Tris's parents are still in with her.

"How long have they been there?" She asks the other nurse.

"Eh. About twenty minutes. Maybe less. She's showed no reaction, but I think she can still hear them, maybe." She replies.

"Okay. Her boyfriend wants to see her before he goes back to Dauntless today. Do you think that one visit back to back of one another would be too much on her?" Dr. Scott asks.

"I don't see a problem with it, unless she changes in the next few minutes with her parents and wakes up or something in her brain waves changes or something. I think we should let her parents have maybe ten more minutes and then let him have a half hour like they will get."

Dr. Scott nods. "I'll go let him know."

She goes out of the room and let's the door close behind her.

"Her parents are still in with her. We are going to let them have ten more minutes, then let you have a half hour or so with her."

"No. It's fine. Let them have longer. They're her parents after all. I only want to see her for like five minutes, at the most. Let them have their time with her, please." Four says.

Dr. Scott tells Four that she'll come and get him when they're ready and goes back into the room.

Four stands and waits.

And waits.

It seems to take hours, but in reality it is twenty minutes later when the Priors leave the room. Andrew pushes Natalie in a wheelchair and they both smile at him sadly as they go by.

Dr. Scott motions Four to follow her.

"Just be careful of the wires and tubes. If she wakes up, just get out of there. It seems like a terrible thing to say, but we need to monitor her closely if she does."

Four nods and walks into the door that Dr. Scott opened.

Tubes and wires.

That's the only thing he sees from across the fairly small and dimly lit room.

"Hey, Tris. It's me, Tobias." He says quietly once he gets to the foot of her bed.

Taking a deep breath, he walks closer to the left side of the bed, up near her head.

Tobias

Her hair is much smoother and nicely laid behind her back, no longer pulled up like it was a few days ago when I saw her.

There's a small oxygen mask that covers her nose and mouth, along with part of her chin. There's also a few things with wires sticking out of them attached to her forehead.

I wish this was a dream. That in a minute she would sit up, none of those things would be attached to her and she'd let me wrap my arms around her and keep her safe from here on out.

Of course, that doesn't happen.

Her breaths are steady. Her eyes stay closed. Her body stays still except for the constant steady rising and falling of her chest,

I know I don't have much time.

It was worth it though; giving the Priors more time with her. I feel like it was the right thing to do.

"I'm going back to Dauntless today, Tris. I'll be back soon though, so don't worry. You're safe here. All of these people are super nice, and your doctor is a very smart and kind woman."

She doesn't even flinch at the sound of my voice.

I think back to the time I went to the morgue at the Bureau with Chris back when Tris had died. She just looks so lifeless right now, just like then.

Gently, I stroke my thumb over her cheek; the one part of her face that doesn't have any tubes or wires covering it.

Unlike at the morgue, her face is warm now. She still doesn't react to my touch.

"I'll be back in a few days. Wake up for me please while I'm gone. I can't wait to see your beautiful eyes again and hear your voice. Just, please wake up soon, Okay?"

Ugh. Stupid open-ended questions.

"Be brave, Tris. I love you."

I leave out of the door I entered and what I see is unexpected.

Both Dr. Scott and the other nurse panicking and messing with all of the computers.

The computers connected to Tris.

"What's happening?! What's wrong?!"

Dr. Scott frantically presses buttons on the computer, then stops and sighs.

I just stand there for a second, not knowing what to do or say.

"What the hell just happened?" I barely hear myself gasp.

"I didn't think it was going to happen, Four. I guess I was wrong..."

"Wrong about what?!"

"She slipped into a coma right as you left the room. She's not as stable now, but we have to get her on different machines, fast. I'm sorry, Four, but I'm going to need to ask you to leave. I'll call you later tonight. Just go back to Dauntless like you planned. Everything will be fine here." She says rushing around and then taking me out the door.

Tris

I feel my world falling apart around me, but I continue to hear his voice.

His voice keeps me here; keeps me fighting; keeps me somewhat sane.

I feel myself slipping.

I hear his voice fading.

I feel my life falling through my fingers; breaking at the seams.

"Be brave, Tris. I love you."

That's the last thing I hear before I actually slip.

The world is filled with darkness and the numb ringing in my ears.

I feel like I am lost.

Like I am gone.

But I don't want to be lost.

I don't want to be gone.

I want to continue to hear his voice.

I want to hear about the world now.

I want to hear about his mother.

I want to hear about his dog, Indiana.

I want to hear about the people.

I want to hear about the current faction system.

I want to hear about Dauntless.

I don't want to be gone.

I want to be here.

Maybe I can't be.

But maybe...

Just maybe I can.

A/N

Hi humans!

So... First time of Tris's POV for the book in this chap. Don't expect there to be a lot more of that coming. There's going to be a lot of Tobias and Third Person POV in this one more than TTAA (or at least I think there's going to be)

Qotc: Which one is it (for you)? (: or :)

Aotc: (:

10.8k reads!

78k reads on TTAA! That literally went up like 4k since the last update of this, so thanks so much guys!!

Anyways...

Don't forget to...

Vote!

And

Comment!

And

Be brave because I <4 you all so so much (: