Eliana:

Comfort is an odd thing. It puts our guard down, it forces us into a false sense of security, even when the unthinkable has happened to us and we know what is waiting for us out in the rest of the world. Waking up in a warm bed with someone holding your hand, after you've just had an ordeal throughout which you've wanted nothing more, has the ability to lull you into a false sense of security.

Alessio's loose grip encircled my wrist and his head was laid in the crook of his elbow on the bed beside me. Almost as if it was second nature, my hand found its way out of his gentle grip and I ran my fingers through his hair, noting that someone must have taken great care to scrub my hands clean. They were caked in blood and mud the last time I saw them, but now they were trimmed and polished.

Something like a sigh hummed in the back of Alessio's throat and he shifted slightly. It was a few more minutes of calm before his eyes opened and he sat up straight. I still felt too tired to straighten up and match his height, but I could quirk my eyebrow and give him a disapproving look, "Please tell me that you haven't been waiting here too long."

"You're going to be alright, by the way," He gave me a pointed grin. "A few days of taking it easy, and some of the injuries might require a more long term recovery."

I nodded and gave him the best smile that I could, "Glad to hear it."

My internal thoughts became much more frenzied. I couldn't afford physical therapy in the long term, I wouldn't be able to cover the medical bills of wherever I was at that moment. I looked around to confirm my suspicions that I was indeed in a hospital, but something about the room didn't totally fit what I expected. Sure, there was the normal bed with railing and wires connecting me to machines, but the open door to the hallway made it look more like a bedroom that had been converted into a hospital room. The fireplace against the opposite wall and extremely nice television furthered my suspicions that this wasn't a hospital, as well as the unbelievably soft sheets and blanket, but I had definitely received professional medical attention. This couldn't be a long term recovery room, it was too nice even for that.

"Alessio, how long was I asleep?"

"Four days," He answered warily, trying to gauge my reaction.

It wasn't unbelievable. After not sleeping or eating for what was probably a week, and then being beaten to a pulp on top of that, I was almost surprised that it wasn't longer. I looked down at my arms and noticed that while they were scrubbed clean, they were still black and blue from the abuse.

"Ezrah!" I yelled, suddenly panicking. How had I forgotten about him? He had to be back by now, and I hadn't called or texted him. He might think I was still missing, at least he was alone dealing with the fact that he had terminal cancer and was going to let himself die. I tore the blankets from my legs and threw myself towards the edge of the bed, knowing that I needed to find a way to call him.

Alessio stood before I could, gripping my shoulders to stop me from stumbling to my feet. He forced me back into the pillows, and I was somewhat glad that he was holding onto me because I was hit with a wave of dizziness after having been laying horizontal for days on end. "Eliana, it's alright. Ezrah's fine, I talked to him."

I froze, staring at him, "You did? Did he know that I was...."

"He just got back a couple of days ago, I stopped by the shop to tell him that you went with us on a hiking trip, and that even though I had to come back early for work, you had made such good friends with some of the girls that you wanted to keep going with them. As far as he knows, you're out of cell service for a while."

"You didn't tell him that I was injured?"

"I had the feeling that you wouldn't want him to worry or panic, especially since he just got back from his own trip and I knew you would be ok.... Was I wrong? Should I have told him?"

"No, thank you for lying. I wouldn't want him to worry right now. If I've still got some bruises when he sees me, i'll just tell him that I tripped a few times on the trail."

I breathed a huge sigh of relief and let myself fully sink back into the pillows underneath me. It was a relief to know that Ezrah was alright, and I owed Alessio big time for thinking so far ahead and going to that extreme to help me.

"By the way," He grinned teasingly, "I think you need to get out more. He was so excited to hear that you had made friends that he didn't even question it."

"He's got a lot on his plate," I laughed. "He doesn't have time to worry about much else right now, but he'll have plenty of questions when I get back, I'm sure."

Alessio gave me a tired grin and I could tell that he needed to go get some real sleep. There was absolutely no way that a human being could sit in one chair for four days and wait for someone to wake up, but if his work was still keeping him stressed and he was coming to see me, that had to be keeping him awake more.

He reached into the cabinet beside by bed and procuring my book bag, then pulling out my phone from the pocket, "Here's your phone if you would like to text him."

"Where did you find this?" I asked, amazed.

"After I realized that you were gone, I went to your apartment to see what I could find. Your keys and wallet were in the kitchen, as well as your backpack." He hesitated, "I hope you don't mind that I brought some of your clothes and stuff here for you."

"Not at all, thank you," I sighed, relieved that I had some sort of lifeline to my own things. "By the way, where is 'here'?"

"The same place that you stumbled to a few days ago," He gave me a crooked grin.

"Do I want to know why your office/house building has a miniature hospital in it?"

Alessio shrugged at me question, "Probably not."

"I'll take your word for it," I muttered as I looked around. My curiosity was piqued, but with everything else running around my mind, I knew that I could ask questions later. First things first, I needed to call Ezrah. I gestured to my cell phone, "Do you mind if I...."

Alessio shook his head hurriedly, "I'll give you a moment."

"You don't have to leave," I quickly shook my head, knowing that the look on my face was somewhat pleading. I was a little scared of being alone in the present moment, everything was much more terrifying than it should have been, "If you don't want to."

He seemed cautious, but nodded nonetheless. Instead of leaving through the door he merely took slow and measured steps around the room, first glancing out of the window and then dragging his fingers across a small pile of magazines that sat on a nearby table.

I dialed Ezrah's phone number and bit my nervously, all the while trying to plan what I was going to say if he started asking too many questions

He picked up after only a couple of rings, "Hello, Eliana!"

"Ezrah," I tried to keep the tears of relief from clouding my vision too badly, I had honestly thought I would die before I ever got to hear his voice again or see him. "I wanted to call and check in on you, I heard that you were back in town. We just had to get up the mountain before I could cell service again."

"Oh, did that young man tell you about that? The nice one who came around to let me know that you went on a hiking trip? Are you two dating?"

I brushed off his last question and opted to only answer his first ones, "Yes, Alessio told me. He had to come back early from the trip, but I've met some really great people and I really needed to break so I stayed a little bit longer. I hope you don't mind."

"No worries, it seems like business was a little slow the last few days so they had more than enough people to cover, and that friend of yours let us know as soon as he realized they hadn't figured out why you were gone."

"Yeah," I stuttered my answer. "Sorry about that, I.... I just had to get out of town for a little while and I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry, I didn't want you worry, you've already got a lot on your plate."

"About that.... I have some stuff to talk to you about, I would prefer face-to-face," Ezrah sighed.

"Oh...." I could feel my hands begin to shake slightly. Had he somehow gotten worse, gotten more news about his cancer? I wanted to see him now, but I was barely in a mood to walk, he would know the hiking trip was a lie the minute that he saw me. "I can come back sooner, but it'll take me a couple days to get out of these woods...."

He chuckled, shocking me through the phone. He didn't sound upset as I had expected. "If you've got some new friends, take all the time you want. You deserve it, and a break from your school work."

"Ezrah, you're making me nervous, is everything alright?"

Alessio sent me a slightly concerned glance, but continued to act like he wasn't paying very close attention, returning his gaze to his phone in his best attempt to give me privacy.

"I don't want to keep you waiting, so I suppose I'll just tell you." I held my breath as he shuffled slightly on the other end of the phone. "There's a clinical trial for a cancer treatment, and I qualified."

"Wait- what?" I breathed. This was the opposite of what I expected, but I didn't know what it entailed. "What clinical trial?"

"It's a lung cancer treatment sort of thing... The doctor explained it to me and it was all very complicated, but he summarized it for me and basically, it sounds like I'll be getting the best and newest treatments, all I have to do is go in for weekly check ups and allow them to use my progress to compare success in other trials."

"That's.... That's amazing," Something half like a cry, half like a laugh came out of my mouth. "So you're going to do it? You're going to try and get better?"

I could hear the smile in his voice, "It has an incredible survival rate, even for advanced stages. And here's the best part- It's entirely funded by donations. My participation is completely covered, I don't have to pay a dime."

There were no words. Ezrah was almost all that I had left in the world, and I hanging alone in my room by my wrists for almost a week, I had tried to accept that he was going to let himself die. Now he was saying that he was going to fight, and most likely going to survive? It was too good to be true.

"I... I can't believe this. Ezrah, this is amazing."

"It is, isn't it? Anyways, I just wanted to tell you so that you weren't worrying too much, you should go back to your new friends. I want you to have a good and relaxing weekend... let the earth and nature heal you, and all of that."

I tried to hold back a rueful laugh at his choice of words, "I'll do lots of healing. Don't be surprised if I come back with a few bruises, though, I'm not the most surefooted person in this group."

"I'd expect nothing less," He chuckled his old laugh that I had become so familiar with. "I love you, Eliana, you know that, right?"

"And I love you, too," I sighed, wishing I could see him sooner. "You let me know if there's anything I can do for you, hang in there until I get home."

"Will do. See you soon," Ezrah chirped before hanging up his end of the line.

I locked my screen and set the phone on the nightstand next to me, sighing as a sudden weight was taken from my shoulders. Alessio took his seat in the chair next to my bed as I sank back into my pillows. "Is Ezrah doing well?"

"Better than well," I couldn't keep the grin off my face. "He's going to get treatment for the cancer, I think he might be alright."

"That's great." He gave me a small smile as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Some of the best news I've heard all day."

There was a momentary silence in the room, somewhat stifled by the elephant that also sat with us, the one that I desperately didn't want to address and didn't have an answer for. My stomach clenched as he said my name, "Eliana...."

I glanced up, expecting questions that I couldn't answer, but he faltered, "Are you feeling alright still? Should I get the doctor?"

"I'm fine, thank you," But after a moment of thought I had an idea. "Actually, is there a kitchen around here that I could use?"

"That may not be the best idea," Alessio hesitated warily. "You've got some nasty bruises and a few broken bones, not to mention that your feet are still in bad shape."

I tried not to shiver as I recalled the glass piercing my skin, and every step I took that only deepened the cuts. On the other hand, my muscles felt weak from not being used and I wanted to stand up straight. "If I'm very careful and don't run, I bet I'll be fine."

Alessio's mouth was pressed into a very thin line, obviously doubting my statement, but he didn't protest as I swung my legs over the side of my bed and lowered myself to the floor. Putting weight on my feet hurt at first, but after a tentative shift of my weight, they just felt sore, and I could handle that. A very tight bandage covered my arm, and I could feel another wrapped tightly around my chest. I didn't want to know what injuries they covered. There had to be broken bones somewhere on my body, I was just thanking all that was holy that it wasn't my legs.

I used my good arm to support my weight as I tried to take a step, but Alessio was already reaching for me, first for my arm and then when he realized he shouldn't grab what appeared to be broken, he cautiously looped an arm around my waist. I said nothing, because a small part of me knew that I needed his help, but I was determined to at least try. I attempted to loop my own arm around his shoulders, but lifting them at all managed to overcome the pain medication and send a shot of pain through my shoulders. I suppose dislocating them so many times was bound to create an injury that even morphine couldn't calm.

The fact that I felt very little pain in my body, especially my feet as I made my way down the hall, told me that they had given me some extremely strong pain medication. Even if it had been four days, the bruises on my body alone would have left most people immobilized. I looked like an odd Pollock painting covered in splotches.

I slowly made my way down the hallway, leaning on Alessio for support more heavily than I would've liked. I didn't want him to say anything about it, and Alessio seemed to share the same sentiment, thankfully not mentioning that he was basically having to carry me. His grasp was gentle and he didn't seem to mind going slow, but I faltered when we crossed a mirror in the hallway. My face was almost unrecognizable.

My nose was obviously broken, red and black and purple all mixed together in an unappealing mess that also colored my left eye and the outer socket of my right. There was a cut along my forehead and another along my chin, but one had even stitches and the other was obviously cleaned and sterilized. I must have stared for a moment too long, or Alessio must have misinterpreted my look because he gave me a comforting smile, "It should all fade."

I chuckled, "I'm not so worried about that, I've been left with a few black eyes in my time. I'm just amazed that the pain killers are strong enough to dull all of this."

Something in his expression was reserved, holding back, but I turned away from the mirror and took another step forward, which he took as a cue to keep going. The whole house was incredibly lavish, but not in the most ostentatious ways. There were socks on my feet, but even through them I could tell how soft the carpet was. The pictures and things along the walls would have been normal, if not for the gilded frames and obvious expertise they were made with.

There were more rooms than I expected, and I was beginning to wonder how many people lived in the building. I didn't see anyone else until we stepped foot in the kitchen where there was a man standing by the stove. Alessio helped me onto a barstool and I leaned sideways onto the counter, not realizing how exhausted and worn I was just from the trip down the stairs. The man who already occupied the room muttered something to Alessio, but when all he got was a head shake in response, the stranger left the room.

Alessio leaned against the counter with his elbows, giving me a careful look, but then righted himself, "How does some soup sound? Nothing too heavy, nothing that'll upset your stomach?"

"That sounds fantastic," I nodded. "Thank you so much for doing this."

"Are you still feeling alright?" He asked again as he turned away back to the stove.

"I think so-" I began, but the entrance of two more people gave me pause.

I recognized Leonardo immediately, but the other one evaded me. I felt as though I had seen him before, but I didn't quite know why. He gave me a brief glance, one that threatened to send a shiver down my spine even though he didn't seem aggressive at the moment. Something about his stature and the blankness in his eyes gave me pause, which didn't happen very often.

"Angelo," Alessio called in a cool voice. The tall and muscular man snapped his attention back and held out a folder, but Leonardo stepped away from their interaction and came towards me.

"I can't lie, Eliana. You seem to be doing better than I thought you would be."

I gave him a grimace, "I had the same sentiment. Now I'm just waiting for the pain meds to wear off, then I'm sure I'll be more realistic."

He hesitated as the two men by the stove talked in low tones, but he asked me quietly nonetheless, "Has Alessio asked you about what happened yet?"

I shook my head slowly, not sure what he knew, or what the doctors would have figured out while I was unconscious. It was inevitable that someone would ask and I would have to explain it, but in all fairness, it had been traumatic and I was trying my best not to think about it at all.

"I don't know if you wanted to file a report with the police, but we need-"

"No," I didn't mean to cut him off, but my gut reaction kicked in. "I don't want to call the police."

He seemed confused but also relieved, "You don't want to report what happened to you? These injuries seem pretty severe, you're not worried about whoever did this?"

"No." It sounded almost like a whisper, but it was all that I could muster when I thought about it.

"Do you..... Want to talk to anyone about it? Maybe Alessio or......"

"No, I'll be alright. I have my reasons."

I didn't mean to be short or stonewall him, but I could feel my hands shaking and my heart rate picking up. In no world did I want to talk about it, to think about it, or to relive it. Blocking it out when it was happening may have been the most difficult part, but ignoring it now was going to be a challenge as well.

I took a shaky breath and wrung my hands a little bit, "Sorry, I'm not trying to be difficult, I just don't like the police. I'd prefer to stay under the radar."

Alessio and Angelo had fallen silent, also casting looks in my direction. I know they were trying not to be obvious, but it was easy to tell that they were listening in. Angelo was leaned back against the counter, further away and obviously still skeptical of me. Alessio had taken a step forward and was leaning against the counter again, I wondered if he remembered me mentioning that I avoided the police because of my history in the foster system.

He seemed cautious of bothering me but asked nonetheless, "Can you tell us anything about the people? Did you recognize any of