Page 132 of Uprising

She doesn’t wake. She doesn’t even register that I’ve done it.

And I sink back down, taking a new position, closer to them both.

When a nightmare half wakes her, I’m there, soothing her without actually touching her, and soon enough she falls back asleep.

And I return to my guard.

I don’t know when I drift off. I don’t know when sleep takes me, but I wake with a crook in my neck and an a stiffness in my bones.

I rub my eyes, seeing the pair of them still out for the count.

I got a clock in my room that illuminates with the daylight hours. It helps to keep track of the day seeing as we’re underground and don’t have any windows to do that job for us.

I get up, walk silently into the bathroom and wash.

When I come back out, Rose is awake. She’s sat up, all but waiting for me. Her eyes wide like she’s still expecting an attack at any minute.

I don’t ask her how she slept. We both know she had a terrible night.

“Are you hungry?” I ask instead.

She nods.

“I’ll get some food.” I say.

“I can come.” She says quickly.

“Stay. Watch over Lara.” I reply.

By the time I get back Lara is awake too. She gives me the biggest grin as I put the tray of food down for them.

“Breakfast in bed?” Lara says.

“Only the best for my girls.” I reply.

Lara giggles and Rose’s lips curl.

I watch as they dig in. As hey both devour their breakfast. I guess that’s where Lara gets her appetite from, I just never noticed until now.

“What?” Rose murmurs fixing those beautiful eyes on me.

I smile, shaking my head. “Nothing.”

I leave them alone to wash, to get dressed. Lara is chatting away, already coming more out of her shell, returning back to the daughter we’d both found at the beginning.

I have things to sort, things that need to be put into place if we really are leaving.

But first of all I want to check on Sofia. To see how she is.

* * *

When I knockon her door I’m relieved to see she’s alone. That neither Koen nor Ben are here.

She’s laying on her side, staring off at a patch of the wall.

“Hey.” I murmur quietly but I still make her jump.

“Hey.” She says pulling the covers up, even though she’s in a hoody. One sleeve is tucked up where the drip is still in her arm but she looks better. A little better.

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