I slowly woke up. My head was hurting, but for the first time I wasn't woken up by Magnus banging on the door. Then why did I wake up? Before my eyelids opened I heard breathing. My body instantly froze. My heart beat missed a beat. My mouth went dry and my muscles tensed. I tried not to breathe too loudly. My hand slid quietly and clamped over my own mouth.

Tears pricked my eyes, and slid down my temples into my hair. Who was breathing beside me? What happened? Did Janson finally do the unimaginable? Maybe Rex isn't actually dead.

Shuck shuck shuck.

My chest was rising and falling too fast. I couldn't breathe properly, but if I let my hand go he was going to hear. I couldn't even move, his arm was draped over my hip. The tears came fast, sliding from my clamped eyelashes, when I felt him stir.

I was biting my lip so hard to keep quiet, I was tasting blood. I sniffled and flinched hard when he moved again and I stifled a sob when his arm slid over my waist

"Hey Morning Baby." A deep voice whispered, but it shifted into worry and I felt them sit up quickly.

"Charlie? Charlie, what's wrong? Tell me!"

I just shook my head, squeezing my eyes tighter, the tears came faster and I was clamping my mouth so hard to keep the sobs inside and quiet. Because I knew Janson didn't like crying. He didn't like loud noises...it would make the punishments worse.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me." His voice was gentle, not like Janson's.

I felt a hand on my wrist, I flinched, when it pried it off my mouth. Another hand touched my face, it was warm and callased, but it was gentle, even when I flinched away. I felt a thumb gently running over my cheek bone.

"Charlie, Sweetie, open your eyes. Your safe. I promise!"

I slowly and carefully blinked open my eyes. Blue worried eyes looked down at me. Not wild dark angry ones.

"Hi." He whispered a small worried smile on his lips, "Good morning."

I stifled another sob.

Gally.

"Will you tell me what happened? And how can I help you next time?" He asked gently.

"I...I don't know! I...my brain panicked when I heard someone else beside me. Minho was always awake when Magnus banged on the door. And...I ... I never got to wake up...on my own."

He frowned.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again!" I whispered quickly, feeling the worry in his face, making the panic come back.

"Hey! Stop. There is no reason to be sorry! You're okay. I'm okay. We'll be okay." Gally said gently. "I'm sorry I scared you. Is there something I can do right now for you?"

I had to think for a moment. No one had asked me in so long what I wanted, how they could make me feel better.

"Can...can you..come back?" I whispered, almost scared with his reaction.

He smiled gently and lay back down beside me. With much wincing and moaning in pain I rolled onto my side, and he slid closer, so my back was pressed into his chest. He slipped an arm over me and hugged me close.

I could feel his heartbeat in my back. And I just lay still, just being still and quiet for the first time in a long time. My eyes slowly got heavier. His steady heart beat and breathing. He was drawing circles in the palm of my hand, it tickled slightly but it was gentle.

"Thank you." I whispered as my eyelids lost the battle and slid shut.

"I love you, Charlie."

____________________

I woke up to a few hushed voices. My body tensed, and my breathing changed from slow even ones to a sharp intake and I held my breath.

"Charlie. Breath. You're safe. Breath."

Gally whispered, his breath tickled my ear.

"It's just Magnus, Sophie and Zayn. They brought you breakfast and coffee."

I slowly opened my eyes, scared it was a lie and I was back with Janson in the Fear Landscape.

"It's real. This is real. It's not the landscape." I had to whisper to myself.

"That's right. This is real. You're away from him and I'm going to keep you safe." Gally whispered back.

I counted to three in my head and then opened my eyes fully. Standing by the door giving us some space, was Magnus, Sophie and Zayn.

"Are you okay to have them come closer?" Gally asked me quietly.

I gulped, and nervously nodded. Gally sat up, and waved them over. They slowly came forward. Sophie plunked down in a chair with a loud ompf. Magnus sat down, his arm still in a sling and Zayn leaned against the wall, his arms and legs crossed. Gally helped me up, he slipped a hand under my back, taking most of the weight.

"Morning Charlie." Sophie's bright smile and happy voice made the side of my mouth twitch into a very small smile back.

"Hi." I whispered nervously.

"Gally said you liked coffee, hope it's to your liking. We don't get to really...you know... go grocery shopping, but we have a pretty good selection. I did my best!"

"Thank- thank you." I stuttered quietly.

She handed me a hot mug. Just the warmth from the mug felt good. I hadn't realized how cold I was. I shivered, and Gally dragged the blanket up and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"So what's on the agenda for the day boys?" Sophie asked, leaning back in the chair.

"Don't know. WICKED thinks I'm dead. So. I have the day off. Right Squirt?" Magnus gave me a lopsided smile and winked.

I tried to return it.

"I hope they don't take it out on Minho now." I whispered.

My hands began to shake, I felt the mood in the room change, all because of what I said. I flinched.

"I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

"You don't need to appolagise. It's a valid concern." Zayn said suddenly from the side wall.

I forgot he was there he was so quiet. I jumped. Making the coffee slop, which made me flinch. And that set off my panic. My breathing became sharp and shallow. I felt all my muscles tensing. I knew my eyes were dilating in fear.

The coffee mug was removed from my hands quickly and hands gently cupped my face. Someone's face appeared in front of mine. I couldn't hear what he was saying. But Gally kept talking. He never broke his hold, or his eye contact, even when I tried to pull my face away. He held me firmly but gently.

"I need you to tell me what you can see. Tell me three things."

My eyes darted around.

"Sophie...I see Sophie..."

"Two more. Tell me two more things you see."

"The...the door....and...and Magnus."

"Good." He praised, "now tell me two things you can feel."

My hands flailed, it went wildly around and finally clamp on to something.

"You. I can feel you." I squeezed his wrist.

"Good." He nodded. "One more. Tell me one more this you can feel, Charlie."

"Umm...." my hand formed a fist...with something soft and warm in it, "the blanket. I can feel you and the blanket."

He smiled. "Good."

"I'm so-"

"No apologizing." He said firmly, cutting me off.

He held my face for a few more seconds and then gently let me go. With a small smile Sophie handed the coffee back to me. I hung my head, feeling awkward and ashamed for how easily I went into that panic fight or flight mode.

I kept my head down, slowly trying to sip at least a little bit of the coffee. Without talking or missing a beat in his conversation, Gally handed me a piece of toast.

"I'm always making you eat woman." He whispered, with a wink.

"Please ... You...you like it." I whispered back, with a small smile.

He leaned closer, his breath tickled my ear. "Something's will never change. And I hope I get to make you eat the rest of my shuck life." As he stat up he gently kissed my temple.

I noticed Sophie watching me, she smiled when she noticed I was looking.

"It'll be so nice to have a girlfriend! There is only so much boy I can take! They never wanna talk about boys! And they never tell me anything about the spicy stuff!"

"Spicy stuff?" Magnus raised an eyebrow, "I think you kids are too young for me!"

"Yeah! You Battle hardened Viking! Spicy stuff! Like details of the make outs and stuff!"

The boys all groaned.

"I could definitely tell you a few things." I said quietly.

I was still nervous and uncomfortable, but I knew I trusted Magnus and Sophie had been really sweet yesterday helping me...and she and Zayn had Gally's trust and approval. So I tried. For Gally's sake, I tried.

The boys all groand again, while Sophie squealed.

"Oh really? And what are you gonna say?" Gally challenged, his cheeks were pink, but he was trying hard not to smirk.

"Well considering I was almost an uncle there little brother..." Magnus growled, emphasizing the little brother part, "I'd say she's got some spice!"

Sophie howled with laughter. I actually smiled, it was small, but it was a really one. Gally turned even more pink and ran a hand down his face.

"Look what you started!" He whined.

"I didn't start anything. You kissed me." I replied. Making Sophie and this time Magnus chuckle.

"Well you know it takes two, right?" Gally said, pointing at me.

"Oh I know! Trust me. I was there. I won't forget. It was fan-shucken-tastic." I said quietly, with a small grin I looked up at Gally. He was watching me with an amused smile. His eyes searching my face with a twinkle in them.

The room was full of wild laughter. I hadn't heard laughter since the Glade. It made my heart twist in a few different ways; sorrow and happiness.

The morning was spent with these new friends. I eventually laid my head on Gally's shoulder and my eyes grew heavy. I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes I had my head on a pillow.

And I was alone.

______________________

The hospital room was empty. No one occupied the chairs. Gally wasn't beside me. My anxiety slammed hard into my chest.

Why was I alone? Where did everyone go? What's going on? Is..Janson messing with me again?

The silence was hard, it made my head hurt and my skin crawl. The sterile clean room reminded me too much of my cell. I could feel my body heating up, the sweat starting to bead on my forehead. I had sharp pain in m chest, as my breathing went to short shallow gasps. I turned my head back and forth, trying to see everything at once. I saw the door. Before I could think I sprung from the bed and stumbled towards it. The door was open! My cell door was never open...

If I left would Janson catch me? Maybe...probably, but the door was open, this was my only chance. I shoved it open and sprinted into the hall. Sliding to a stop, I had no idea where I was, the halls were different. Janson must have moved me. I looked right and then left. Making up my mind in an instant, I ran to the left, towards what quite possibly were stairs.

I had just ran passed one door when it flew open behind me.

"Hey! Charlie! STOP!"

I glanced behind me, a man with greying hair in a white lab coat was running after me. I let out a terrified scream. I ran faster, well, as fast as I could. I hadn't run in six months, my legs were exhausted, and my lungs were screaming at me, the hyperventilating didn't help. I was having stabbing pain in my legs, chest and stomach. My body was flipping between hot and cold. Terrified tears fell from my eyes.

"CHARLIE! STOP!" The doctor yelled. He was older, but he was gaining on me, and quickly.

I didn't. I saw the stairs, if I could get down, I could find a door!

I felt arms wrap around me and I fell to the floor. I screamed. Twisting around, I saw the doctor had tackled me. I screamed and cried, trying to wiggle free. I flailed my fists and legs.

"Get off! Get off! NO! Stop!" I screamed.

"CHARLIE!" He yelled.

I made them mad. Realization hit, I made Janson mad. I was going to get probably the worst beating I have had yet. I sobbed, I stopped fighting, laying still, crying. The doctor got off.

"Where were you going?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I'm sorry! I'll be good! I promise! I won't do it again!" I cried, curling into a ball. "Please don't hurt me! I promise I'll be good!"

"Charlie?" a soft female voice cut through my pleading.

"I made him mad! I made him mad! I promise it won't happen again! I'll be good! I'll listen!" I sobbed.

I felt hands on my arms, slowly prying them away from my face. Then the small hands held my face.

"Hey. Open your eyes and look at me."

I tried opening my eyes, baby blue ones were looking back at me.

"Good. Charlie can you hear me?"

"Yes...I made him mad! I ran and I made him mad! He found me and he doesn't like when I don't listen." I cried, trying to make Sophie understand.

"Charlie, he's not here. Janson isn't here. You're out. Magnus got you out. You're safe here." She said softly, but very firmly.

"This is real?" I whispered, still not fulling understanding.

"That's right. You're out, that's real. Janson is not here- that's real. You are safe, that's real!"

"It's real. It's real..not a Landscape. Not a hallucination." I whispered.

"That's right!" Sophie smiled.

Panic flashed through me like lightning, I saw the doctor who chased me and tackled me...the one who yelled. I sat up and scrambled away. Screaming and crying again, scrambling back into the wall. I pulled my knees up to my bruised and sore chest, protecting my mid section from the kicks that would be coming.

"Charlie.." Sophie had scrambled over to me.

"I made the doctor mad. He's going to hurt me now...I made the doctor mad."

The doctor came over and crouched in front of me. I flinched and tried to curl smaller. Sophie pulled me into her arms.

"This is Doctor Hans. He's The Resistance doctor. He's really nice. He doesn't work at WICKED. He works here, with me and Gally."

"My Dear child, I would never harm another person. Doctors are supposed to help and make you better, not to hurt and harm. That is why I no longer work at WICKED. I do not like Janson either."

"You...you don't?" I squeaked.

"Nope. I do not."

I shifted my hands just slightly to peek through my hands at him. He was was watching me carefully. He kept his distance, his mouth was pressed into a thin line.

"I apologized for chasing you. I didn't mean to scare you." he turned to Sophie. "If you need me I will be in the lab. I think I am doing more harm here." He stood up and nodded, and left back down the hall, his coat billowing behind him.

"Okay. You're okay now." Sophie soothed, rubbing my back.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" She asked.

"For...for everything. I can't...I can't get him out of my head." I whispered, my head bowed, trying to hid behind my hair.

"Girl!" Sophie scoffed, "That man fucked with your head for half a year, it's going to take a bit. You should have seen Gally when he first got here."

She lifted my chin and tucked my hair behind my ear.

"Come on, you okay to stand up? I'll hang out with you until Gally is done his shower, I was actually on my way... I'll braid your hair and tell you some Gally stories."

She got to her feet and pulled me up, She held my hand and she led me back down the hall to my room. I never had a female friend. I liked it.