Unseen Scenes—Book One, between Chapter Twenty and Twenty-one (Ava Version) (Patreon)

And now Ava’s version of this series of Unseen Scenes!

Hope you enjoy it :)

(I used 'they' as a pronoun for the Detective as it's neutral, so you can imagine whatever gender your MC actually is or NB)

--

At the Facility. Nearing Midnight.

---

Time. Ava barely takes note of time anymore. But how long it can seem!

Minutes drag into hours; hour drag into days; and days, well, they’ve seemed like centuries for the amount she’s had to suffer through.

The Detective had been brought in days ago, with no sign or hope of waking yet.

Not surprising considering what they’d been through.

Ava hunches forward on the end of her bed, thrusting her fingers through her loose hair while letting out a heavy breath.

There are still things to do. Paperwork to file. People to organise.

And yet here she is, stuck in her room, to afraid to go and see them.

With a growl, Ava shoves herself off her bed and storms from the room into the hallway.

-

She’d managed to avoid most other people as she traversed the hallways. Sensing their movements or heartbeats, and dodging out of view or into another corridor as they neared. 

But one steady, familiar rhythm beats in her ears as she nears the medical wing.

Rounding the corner, Ava is already prepared for the sight of Rebecca, even if not prepared for seeing her in the state she’s in.

Dark circles drag at her usually focused eyes, her nails are bitten short as she taps them against her paled lips, and her stiff, formal posture has slumped so much she’s surprised she hasn’t collapsed onto the floor.

“Agent [Surname]—” she begins, then shakes her head. “Rebecca.”

She glances over at her with a frown. “Ava.”

It’s strange for them to use such informalities, but it seems appropriate considering the situation.

Ava moves to stand beside her. Her green eyes purposefully avoid looking through the glass partition where the Detective is visible.

“You should rest,” Ava suggests.

Rebecca brushes back a dull curl of hair from her face. “As I’ve been told repeatedly by everyone who passes.”

“Then maybe it’s time you finally take that advice.” She folds her arms. “I will take watch.”

Her brows pinch together as her focus whips back to the form of her unconscious child. “I couldn’t take if it something happened to them…”

“I know. I won’t let that happen.” There is no doubt to Ava’s tone.

Rebecca sags further, only just making it to the chairs behind them before she flops down onto one and leans her head back. “Thank you.”

Ava nods, but Rebecca's eyes have already closed, her chest rising in steady, deep breaths as sleep takes her.

Ava swallows. In order to keep a watch over the Detective, she needs to actually look at them.

She does.

And she grits her teeth against the pain in her chest which makes it feel as though her ribs have caved in.