Darkness. Just darkness. No sounds, no feelings, no pain. Just me and my thoughts. This was really the end. Dying in the arms of a wanna-be-half-angel-half-mundane-whatever who tried to rescue me. I appreciated his effort. He didn't know me and most people would not have done anything in order to help. I was wondering why he carried me instead of calling an ambulance. Anyway, it wouldn't have been fast enough either.

Jace POV

The little girl was curled up in my arms. She must have been in terrible pain. I was walking as fast as I could. I would bring her to the institute. Hopefully they could help her. Oh little girl, Freja, what happened to you that you want to die like that? I held her even tighter and began to run through the streets. The institute was already in sight. I already called Alec. He would open the door for me. I moved even faster until I could see  him. He shouted "Jace, what happened?". I didn't bother to answer, squeezed past him, entered the institute and headed straight to the little ER we had. I screamed "Izzy! Help me!"  and a minute later Izzy was there. She looked at Freja. "Jace, what happened, who is that?". I laid her down on the examination table but held onto the back of her head and her waist. She seemed so innocent, with her light blonde hair and the pale skin. "Please, just help her. She's a Nephilim like we are. I believe in it. Izzy, please." I almost begged and I don't know why. I didn't know her. "Don't worry, I'll help." She prepared some medical utensils. I didn't even want to have a look. Alec arrived.

Alec: "Now you tell me, what happened? Explain it to me."

He came closer and threw a look onto the girl. His tone if voice was harsh and a little angry. Probably because I just ignored him.

Alec: "It's the girl from the alley, isn't it?"

Jace: "Yeah, I was trying to find her the last days. I was worried a demon might attack her. She looked so weak. She's one of us. I couldn't let her go. I've been searching everywhere for her. Found her dying in a locked room in an abandoned room in a basement."

Alec: "Someone locked her in a basement?"

Jace: "No. She must have locked herself. I don't know why. She is in so much pain. Help her, Izzy."

I looked over to her. Izzy was placing an injection.

Izzy: "I'm trying my best. The morphine will help. Her temperature is way too high. She should have been dead."

You could tell the morphine was working. It looked like her whole little body relaxed. I didn't realize I still had my hands on her head and her waist. I took them away and grabbed her hand instead. No one should be alone in such a bad and painful moment.

Jace: "What is wrong with her. Can you already tell?"

Izzy: "I think it might be an infection in her body. There are no clues of external injuries. An ultrasound will give us clearance. Hold her up. The jacket needs to go."

I grabbed her below her armpits and rose her up. Then I put one hand behind her head. Alec helped to undress her jacket. I let her down slowly and hold her hand again. Izzy lifted the bottom of Frejas shirt and her belly appeared. It was pale like her face and there were scars all over it. Cuts, rips and even some burnmarks. We all three stared at it.

Izzy: "What happened to her? Who could do that?"

Alec: "Well, maybe she did it herself. I mean, she locked herself up in a basement to die."

I could feel the anger rising inside me but didn't say anything. I was too shocked because of what I saw. Those must have been about 15 to 20 little scars. Some were bigger. Izzy started with the examination and placed the ultrasound on her body. When she moved it back to the direction of her sides she began to cringe.

Izzy: "That probably causes her pain. Both of her kidneys are highly infected. I'll give her antibiotics through an IV. That must have hurt so bad. Alec, please prepare a room for her. Not far away from ours. She'll need someone when she wakes up again."

Alec groaned annoyed but did what Izzy told him. Izzy placed an IV in her arm bend and secured it with a band-aid. Then she prepared all the following medications. Several bags of fluids and some more syringes. Alec returned and nodded. He came closer to Freja and wanted to pick her up.

Jace: "No, let me do it. Show me the way."

Alec backed up again. I lifted Freja up and followed him to the room. It was small and basic. I laid her onto the bed and sat down next to her. Just yet I noticed that her shirt was pretty dirty. I hurried into my room and selected a dark shirt from my closet. When I returned, Alec was gone and Izzy already undressed her sweatshirt. More scars decorated her shoulders and arms. I put her into the new shirt. It was way too big. We decided that would be enough for now. Her attitude already showed off and she does not seem to be okay with someone seeing so much of her. She didn't even want me to know her name. The IV was set up and running.

Izzy: "She is soon going to wake up. What are you going to tell her?"

Jace: "I'll tell her that I found her and that she's in our institute and that we will help her. She will probably riot. She already tried in the basement. I will stay with her."

Izzy smiled and left the room, closing the door behind her. Freja started shivering. I wrapped the blanket around her and sat down into a chair next to her bed, holding her little pale hand.