Chapter Nine Faith

"You're certain he wasn't in danger?"

"For the last time, he said he was fine!"

"And you told him Madeleine has plans to rescue Flynn?"

"I did." Diane took a swig of coffee. "Though I'm not sure what they are."

The hub was quiet. It was two days since the failed mission ended with the devastating explosion. Although the majority of the Resistance operatives had returned to the library, the whole place was shrouded in an air of misery. So many dead Bellator citizens. The potential for so many more, with the situation at the academy. And the impact of Faith's and Flynn's speeches totally destroyed by Danforth's recent declaration.

It was no wonder everyone was depressed.

On the opposite side of the table, Ella flung a piece of toast down on her plate. "Has Madeleine even managed to locate him yet?"

Diane shook her head. "No sign of him. Danforth's not prepared to lose her scapegoat. She's put him somewhere very secure."

"Could the situation get any worse?" Faith sighed. "A few days ago, it felt like things were looking up. But now, what with Flynn and Helen getting caught, and the situation with the academy students…"

"And what are we doing about it? Diane spat out. "Nothing!"

"Has anyone even told Eremus what happened to Flynn?" Ella asked. "I mean… they deserve to know."

Not for the first time, Faith thought of Anna. Did she already know what had happened to her partner?

A noise at the far end of the hub made them turn. As though their complaints had summoned her, Madeleine emerged from her office and made her way towards them. She looked tired, her face was pale, but there was a determination in her eyes which hadn't been there the previous day.

"Ladies." She didn't waste time on pleasantries. "We must continue with our work. Robyn, Blake, and I have been attempting to put a plan together." She turned to Diane first. "I need you to go on a scouting mission today. Various locations."

"I'm looking for Flynn, right?"

"You are. Blake has drawn up a map of likely locations. You can collect your specific assignment from her as soon as you've finished breakfast. There are a few of you, searching different parts of the city. Evelyn and Olivia are trying to source more placebo pills for the academy as a matter of urgency, though how we'll get them inside, I'm not sure yet." Sighing, the leader turned to Ella. "We'd like you to return to Matriarch House."

Ella's eyes widened. "But–"

Madeleine waved away her protest. "Danforth appears to have her people salvaging what they can from the sections of the building which are still intact. They're moving to a new location. Since you're one of the few surviving staff members, I'm sure they'll be happy to have you back. You may even find yourself assigned a more central role, which could be very helpful."

Faith could see Ella struggling with the idea. Her experiences in the aftermath of the bombing had been horrific, and she obviously had no desire to return to a place which held such terrible memories. But it didn't look like she had much of a choice.

"Would I…" Ella sat up a little straighter. "If I set off early, might I be able to go via the hospital? I was wondering if there was some way I could… get inside… check on Helen, see if she's–"

"Absolutely not." Madeleine cut her off. "We have enough to do at the moment. Diane returned from the hospital only yesterday. There's no need for anyone to go there today or tomorrow. It would put you in an unnecessary amount of danger for no practical reason."

"But I'd really like to make sure that–"

"I said no." Madeleine's eyes were steel. "You're to go to Matriarch House, as instructed. I'll expect a full report from you this evening when you're back. Okay?"

Ella's eyes darkened, but she nodded.

Satisfied, Madeleine snapped her focus to Faith. "As you know, there is little you can do outside of this building. But you shouldn't sit idle. Lily tells us Sophia seems a little stronger today. I'd like you to interview her about her time at the hospital. See if you can get more details about the people involved in her care, the drug dosages she was on, any other aspects of her treatment we may not know about. No detail is too small. It could prove vital when we attempt to extract the girls from the academy."

"No problem." For once, Faith's assignment was a pleasing one. "I'll head to the dorms right away."

"Good. We all clear, then?" Madeleine's eyes rotated between them. When none of them argued, she gave a sharp nod. "I'll catch up with you later."

Without further fuss, she moved across to another group of Resistance who were sitting on the opposite side of the hub to repeat the process.

Ella leaned towards Faith. "Wish we could switch assignments. I'm not sure how I'll…" she bowed her head. "It's just…"

"We get it." Faith grasped her hand. "You don't want to go back there."

"But we need you to." Diane's expression was resolute. "If we're going to continue to work against Danforth, we have to keep trying."

"I know you're right." Ella straightened up. "I just wish I felt reassured about Helen. If I knew she was okay, I'd feel a lot better about everything."

"I'm sure Madeleine will send someone over there in a couple of days." Faith attempted to comfort her friend. "For now, I suppose we'd better do as we're told."

The three of them stood up and collected their dishes. After washing them and putting them away, they all headed for the door of the hub. Before they got there, it opened.

Lily stood on the other side. Taking a step into the room, she waited for the person standing behind her to catch up.

"You're out of bed!" Ella was the first to rush forward as Sophia took a tentative step forward.

"Woah there." Lily shot out a hand to stop her. "She's still pretty weak. Don't overwhelm her."

A smattering of applause rolled around the room as Sophia made her way to one of the tables. Her face flamed with embarrassment as Lily helped her onto the bench.

"Got to go." Diane was smiling as she headed for the exit. "Great to see you up and about though."

Ella retraced her steps until she was standing behind Sophia. Bending down, she squeezed the younger girl's shoulders gently. "Seeing you out here has made my day. How are you feeling?"

As the pair continued to chat, Lily approached Faith. "I'm going to get her some porridge. Would you sit with her while I make it? Keep her company?"

"Of course." Faith was beaming. "Madeleine wants me to talk to her anyway."

Lily leaned closer. "She's still not A1. I didn't want her up out of bed, but she insisted."

Faith glanced over at her friend, who was saying goodbye to Ella. "She looks okay."

"She's barely eaten anything in the two days she's been here." Lily frowned. "And she keeps throwing up."

Faith eyed Lily. "Isn't that normal with pregnancy?"

"It is, but…" Lily shrugged. "There's just something I can't put my finger on."

"Fair enough." Faith accepted the other woman's concern. The unofficial medic was not usually overdramatic. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Thanks." Lily moved off towards the kitchen. "Back in a minute, Soph."

Faith took a seat opposite her friend. Searching her face, she noted how pale Sophia looked. Perhaps Lily was right to be worried.

"You okay?"

Sophia nodded. "Sick of staring at the walls. I want to be helpful."

"There's no need. You should rest, take your time to get better. You've–"

"Been through so much?" Sophia's usually gentle features creased with annoyance. "If I hear one more person tell me that…"

"I'm sorry. It's just…" Faith searched for the right words. "We've waited so long to get you here, we want to make sure you're fully recovered before–"

"I get it." Sophia sighed. "It's just… I keep hearing about how hard the Resistance has been working to fight Danforth. You, Noah, Diane, Ella, even Flynn! I want to be part of that." She sagged a little as she finished speaking. "Instead of feeling like a burden."

"You're not a burden." Faith insisted. "I have the perfect way for you to be helpful. Madeleine wants to know all about your experience in the hospital. She thinks it will help us with the other girls who are still stuck at the academy in similar circumstances. Think you're up to a few questions?"

"Of course!" Sophia brightened slightly. "If you think it will help. And… I have a few questions for you too."

"Okay." Faith settled back in her seat. "What did you want to know?"

"Firstly, where are we?" Sophia gestured to the room around her. "I barely remember being brought here. We're underneath the library, right? But how big is this place?"

"I'll give you a tour later, when you're feeling up to it," Faith said. "But for now, you're in the hub. This is where the Resistance folks eat. And socialise, obviously."

Sophia stared around, more comfortable now that the other women in the room had gone back to their own conversations. "So, how long have you been here?"

"Um, less than an hour." Faith was puzzled. "We just ate breakfast."

"Not today." Sophia gave a gentle laugh. "In total."

"Oh. You mean when did we get here in the first place?" Faith remembered how little Sophia knew. She considered. "I guess… almost a month ago."

"And you left Eremus…?"

"As soon as we could after we knew Danforth's guards had you."

Sophia closed her eyes briefly. "Figured you'd do something crazy."

"Crazy?" Faith faked offence. "I'll have you know we thought our plans through very carefully." She winked. "You should be proud."

Sophia smiled. "I am proud. Can't believe you got all the way here without getting caught."

"Oh ye of little faith." She smirked to herself at the pun. "Seriously, though, it was pretty scary. I've never been so relieved as when we got here." Noticing Sophia's worried expression, Faith reached over and squeezed her hand. Shaking off her concern at how cold and clammy it felt, she continued. "It worked out in the end. Are you up to telling me more about what happened to you, now? I mean after you were taken from the forest?"

Pulling her hand out of Faith's, Sophia sank back against the bench. "Not much to tell… not really. Hammond's guards carried me through the woods to a waiting Jeep. They put me in it… drove me to the hospital."

"You weren't taken anywhere else first?" Sophia shook her head. "What happened when you got there?"

"They s-stripped me. Even took my academy pendant." Sophia's voice turned bitter. "Then they examined me. So humiliating."

"I'm sorry." Faith leaned forward. "You don't have to talk about this if you don't want–"

"You said it would be helpful. So I'll tell you. As much as I… I can remember, anyway." Sophia's voice was a whisper. "When the medics knew that I wasn't sick… or injured, they dressed me in a gown and stuck me in a bed. I was… was the only patient in the ward." She sucked in a breath, as though the memory caused her pain. "That was the…" she paused, breathing deeply through her nose, "the first thing which made me suspicious."

She broke off as Lily approached, a steaming bowl of porridge in hand. "Here you go." She placed it in front of Sophia. "I put lots of honey in it, build up your energy. Eat as much as you can manage, okay?"

"I'll try."

"I'll be sitting right over here when you want to go back to your room." Lily gestured to a table on the other side of the room. "Just holler when you're ready."

Sophia waited until Lily had moved off before picking up her story. "I tried to find out why I was… why they had me in the ward, alone…" She broke off, staring at the bowl in front of her. "But they wouldn't… no one would tell me anything."

Faith peered closely at her usually-lucid, intelligent friend. Did she seem confused? As Sophia continued, she leaned closer, her concern growing.

"Only medic who spoke to me said I was there for… for assessment." Sophia rested her chin in her hand, as though her head felt heavy. "Whatever th… that meant."

Faith's heart went out to her friend. Having suffered similar treatment when she had been imprisoned in the academy, she understood Sophia's fear.

"First, they put one tube in. Here." She gestured to a small scar on the back of her hand. "Said they were giving me fluids… rehydrating me, that it would make me feel b-better. Told them I didn't feel ill, but…" Tears shone in Sophia's eyes. "Thought if I didn't struggle, they'd treat me better." She closed her eyes. "Sh-should've tried to fight them off."

"How could you have?" Faith was shaking. "You were totally alone. Terrified."

Sophia's eyes focused suddenly, zeroing in on Faith. "You would have fought."

"Maybe." Faith shrugged. "But it wouldn't have done me any good."

"After that, it's pretty hazy." Sophia bit her lip. "Don't know how long I was there. There's a huge section of time where it's all… blank."

"They lied to you. That first line they put in wasn't fluids. It was a sedative," Faith explained, through gritted teeth. "Once you were unconscious, they could do what they wanted to you, without fear of you putting up any kind of fight."

"As if I'd've f-fought them off," Sophia choked out. "I was too scared. When I woke up, I was…I was…"

"You were out cold. For days." How much should she tell her friend? "No wonder your concept of time got muddled. Once they'd put multiple lines into your body, there really wasn't any chance for you to escape." She eyed her friend. "I can't believe Danforth made you pregnant."

"Me neither." Sophia moved a shaky hand to her stomach. "Something's not right, though. I can feel it."

"It does seem odd that you're showing so early." Faith agreed. "You can only be a few weeks gone, right?" She steeled herself. Her friend would want the truth. "Which means the pregnancy isn't… normal."

She fell silent, not wanting to voice her fear. No one knew what would happen to Sophia as the pregnancy progressed. But Sophia wasn't stupid. She had to be thinking along the same lines.

Sophia was quiet for a moment, and Faith let the conversation lapse. There was a lot for her friend to process, and platitudes were not going to bring her any comfort. Eventually, Sophia sat forward, placing her elbows on the edge of the table. The movement seemed to take a lot of effort.

Glancing down at the porridge, she picked up her spoon. "How many of the academy girls are pregnant?"

Faith took a deep breath. "None of them."

"You mean…" Sophia paused, a spoonful of porridge halfway to her lips. "I'm Danforth's only success?"

"Yes. That's why it was so important that we got you out." Faith leaned forward. "You won't believe what's been happening at the academy. They have every senior on femgazipane now. But they haven't had any other success. They've even started to give metraxilone… that's the second drug, the one which caused your pregnancy… to some of the girls when they weren't ready for it. Despite the fact that…" she steeled herself to tell Sophia the truth, "two of them died recently."

"No!" Sophia gasped. She dropped her spoon back into the bowl, untouched. "That's… how could she–?"

Faith gave a heavy shrug. "She's desperate to make a success of the procedure. Madeleine's working on a way to rescue the girls, before the situation gets any worse. That's why she wanted me to talk to you." She paused, noting the still-full bowl of porridge in front of Sophia. "Are you going to eat that?"

Sophia sighed. "I'm never hungry."

Picking up the spoon again, she shovelled some into her mouth. She chewed it for several minutes, as though she had to psyche herself up to swallow. When she did, it was with a grimace.

She turned back to Faith. "What we need to… we need to…" she hauled in a breath, "we have to work out what makes you and I… different."

"What do you mean?"

Sophia took another hesitant mouthful. "Why did the femgazipane work…on us…" she chewed resolutely, "and not on anyone else?"

Faith shrugged. "I've no idea."

"There must be a reason." The quest for information seemed to give Sophia renewed energy. "Let's go over it again." Glancing down at the bowl, she pulled a face, but took another spoonful. "I was taken to the hospital…"

She closed her eyes, a sheen of sweat glazing her forehead.

"You said they stripped you and gave you a sedative, right?" Faith prompted her friend, desperate to distract her from the discomfort the food seemed to cause "Presumably, that's when they started you on the femgazipane?" Sophia nodded weakly. "That's different than my experience. I wasn't sedated." Faith shuddered, remembering the tiny room Anderson had kept her in. "And I was only given a single dose."

"But they… they saw promising results," Sophia replaced her spoon in the bowl. "We m-must…" She lowered her head to the table, resting it on her arms. "Must have…"

"Do you want to go back to bed?"

"No." Sophia waved Faith's concern away weakly. "Just a little… dizzy, that's all." She gritted her teeth. "We must have… have something else in common."

A thought struck Faith. "You said they took your pendant when they stripped you, right?"

"That's right." Sophia's hand drifted to her bare neck.

"And you were never given the pendant back."

"No." There was a flicker of determination in Sophia's eyes. "And you… you–"

"I lost my pendant. At the hospital. So when they gave me the drug, I wasn't wearing it. And neither were you." Her eyes locked on Sophia's. "But that's stupid, right? I mean, how could a necklace–"

"S'definitely an anomaly." Sophia muttered. Her head was still pillowed on her arms, but she forced herself to continue. "Must be significant."

"Yeah. I think it's worth checking out." Faith glanced at Madeleine's office door. "Alright. I'll mention it, see what they think." Faith turned to Sophia. "See? You're proving useful already." She stopped. "Are you okay, Soph?"

"I'm just so tired. And I feel a little… queasy." With a Herculean effort, Sophia raised her head. "Think maybe I should…"

"Let's get you back to bed." Faith placed a hand on her friend's back. It, too, was clammy. She tried to smile, not wanting to frighten her friend. "You've done enough for today."

Faith gestured to Lily, who hurried over, her eyes clouded with concern. Her eyes went to the half-full bowl. "Porridge not going down very well?"

Sophia didn't reply. Bending down, Lily slid an arm around her. "Help me get her back to her room?" Lily gestured to Faith. "I'm afraid it's becoming a familiar cycle. She'll probably throw up, then need to sleep off the effects." The medic's eyes were clouded with worry. "I was hoping we wouldn't need to put her on IV fluids, but I think now's the time to take that step."

Faith took her position next to her friend. As they helped her back along the hallway, she noted how much support Sophia needed. She could barely support her own body.

Lily was right. Sophia was not well. And if she couldn't eat, how would she ever build up the strength to recover?