Page 11 of Chosen Beta

He leads me into the room.

It’s a weird feeling to see a space that used to be filled with old admin records turned into a hospital bedroom. It doesn’t matter how many times I see one of these rooms, it always seems strange. Being at Goldcrest for years, seeing things only one way, it wasn’t possible to imagine something else. I’m glad that didn’t stop me from changing things the second I got the chance.

This wing always felt like it was meant for something important.

We might be operating on a skeleton crew and our equipment may be a bit bare bones, but we’re trying to help women who’ve been hurt by evil men.

It feels good that we’re using our resources to help the kind of women the academy spent so many years pimping out and abusing in underhanded ways.

If I can find a way to get through to this one woman, to help her understand she’s safe, it’s worth the risk of taking a make-shift shiv to the guts.

Though I doubt that’ll be much of a threat with Ezra by myside.

I move to the open bathroom door, and I see the frail woman is crouched by the side of the shower cubicle, weapon in hand, eyes bright and wide and staring.

She blinks slowly at me as I sit down just inside the door, ignoring how cold the tiles feel under my ass and taking comfort in the presence of Doctor Clarke as he steps in and sits down cross legged beside me.

“Hi, I’m Lana,” I tell her, keeping my voice soft and myexpression friendly. “We haven’t met.”

She looks at me warily, but she doesn’t try to talk.

“I worked with some people to help provide medical assistance to women who were trafficked, and you were one of those women brought here to be helped.”

She straightens, but, still, she doesn’t respond verbally.

“You need medicine to get healthy again. You need rest, and sustenance.”

She closes her eyes, and I can feel Ezra’s energy tensing up beside me.

I might look relaxed, but I’m aware that she could choose to attack at any moment and I’m ready to defend myself if it comes to that. I hope that isn’t necessary.

Her eyelids flutter open, and when she looks back at me, there’s steady resolve in her eyes.

“I need to go home,” she says, her voice a gravel-filled whisper.

She holds out the shiv, point forward, as she slowly moves to her feet.

Ezra’s quick to stand up beside me, stepping forward to block my body from hers.

“That’s part of the plan,” I assure her, as I stand up, mirroring her slow movements. “Once you’re healed. When you’re healthy, you’ll go home.”

She stares at me. “No. I’ll go homenow.”

Steadying her swaying body against the wall, she grimaces before fire sparks in her eyes.

The fury inside her is real, and it’s vibrant.

God, she’s been through so much.

I don’t blame her for thinking we’re bad guys. Not when those are the only kinds of people she’s known for so damn long.

“You’re not well enough,” Ezra adds, keeping his voice soft.

She glowers at him. “I’m stronger than anyone you’ve ever met.”

I don’t doubt that statement one little bit, not now that she’s showing her fighting spirit.

“Where is home? You couldn’t tell our doctors your name when you got here. Do you remember your name, where you live, any of that?”

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