Life after the end

Chapter 1: Shot, but not dead

Tobias' POV:

The ride back to the compound is slow and dark. I watch the moon disappear and reappear behind the clouds as we bump over the ground. When we reach the outer limits of the city, it begins to snow again, large, light flakes that swirl in front of the headlights. I wonder if Tris is watching it sweep across the pavement and gather in piles by the airplanes. I wonder if she is living in a better world than the one I left, among people who no longer remember what it is to have pure genes.

Christina leans forward to whisper something into my ear. "So you did it? It worked?"

I nod. In the rear-view mirror I see her touch her face with both hands, grinning into her palms. I know how she feels: safe. We're all safe.

"Did you inoculate your family?" I ask her.

"Yep. We found them with the Allegiant, in the Hancock building," she says. "But the time for the reset has passed-it looks like Tris and Caleb stopped it."

I nod and continue to look out the window as we drive towards the compound.

We drive past the fences and stop by the front doors, which are no longer manned by guards. We get out and Zeke seizes his mother's hand to steady her as she shuffles through the snow. As we walk into the compound, I know for a fact that Caleb succeeded, because there is no one in sight. That can only mean they have been reset, their memories forever altered.

"Where is everyone?" Amar asks.

We walk through the abandoned security checkpoint without stopping. On the other side, I see Cara. The side of her face is badly bruised, and there's a bandage on her head, but that's not what concerns me. What concerns me is the troubled look on her face.

"What is it?" I ask.

Cara shakes her head.

"Where's Tris?" I ask.

"I'm sorry, Tobias." Cara says.

"Sorry about what?" Christina asks. "Tell us what happened."

"Tris went into the weapons lab instead of Caleb," Cara says. "She survived the death serum, and she set off the memory serum, but she… she was shot. She's still alive, in the hospital. Matthew is operating on her now as he remembers how to. But she lost a lot of blood. All we can do is wait and hope she's going to be okay." Cara tells us.

I run.

I run straight to the hospital.

Tears falling down my cheeks.

I pass a few people on my way and they look at me with weird looks, but I don't care.

I have to get to Tris.

My Tris.

My selfless, brave, intelligent, kind, honest, beautiful Tris.

When I get to the hospital I run straight for the operating theatre. I see Caleb standing outside, crying and I run up to him, grab the collar of his shirt and pin him against the wall.

"How could you let this happen? Why didn't you go in there? You're a coward!" I yell at him.

"I'm sorry. She didn't give me a choice." He says.

"What are you talking about?" I ask.

"I told her why I was going to do it; I told her I wanted to die to get rid of the guilt of hurting her and handing her over to Jeanine and nearly killing her. She didn't like it because I wasn't going to die because I love her. I do love her. She wanted to do it to show she loves me, and forgives me. She held a gun to my head. I would have done it if she didn't hold a gun to my head." He cries.

"Why? Why did you tell her you were going to do it because of the guilt? Why not say because you love her, and maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't have been shot and be in this position right now?" I ask.

"We were playing a game we played as kids, 'Candor'. She asked me why I was really doing the mission and I couldn't lie to her. She's my sister." He says.

"If she's your sister, and you love her so much, you wouldn't have sold her out to Jeanine in the first place, and maybe we wouldn't be in this situation now." I say angrily.

That is when Matthew comes out of the theatre, pushing the bed in which Tris lays, sleeping. I follow them and I know Caleb is behind me but I'm too worried to even think about him now.

"How is she?" I ask Matthew as I catch up to him and walk next to him.

"I managed to get the bullets out and stop the bleeding. But she's in a coma and has to have a blood transfusion due to the amount of blood she lost." Matthew says.

"When will she wake up?" I ask.

"I don't know. Maybe never. But she's a fighter, she'll wake up, I'm almost sure of it." He says.

"Almost?" I ask.

"There is a chance that she won't survive. She may be a fighter but it's up to her if she wants to survive or not. She might choose to die because she's had enough of life. Or she could choose to live and she'll wake up if she decides that. But I'm sure she's going to want to wake up and have a nice life with you and her friends. Also, because she's in a coma, she's able to hear you. Talk to her and maybe she'll make her decision quicker." He says.

"Okay." I say.

Matthew rolls her bed into a hospital room and sets up a blood transfusion and IV thing. Caleb stayed outside.

"If and when she does wake up, tell me straight away. She's probably going to be in pain so I can give her medication. Just sit with her, talk to her, and hold her hand. Stay with her, and maybe she'll want to stay here for longer, with you. Tell her nice things. Talk to her about the things you've done together, and the things you could do, like get married and have kids, grow old together." He says. I nod.

"Do you know if there could be anything wrong with her, because of the bullets?" I ask, concerned for the love of my life.

"Not until she wakes up. Though, tomorrow I will have to come back and ask you some questions about Tris and stuff, and I'll have to run some more tests, but I'll let you be with her alone for a while and get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow." Matthew says.

"Okay." I say.

He nods and leaves the room.

I sit there, in the chair on the right side of the bed, and I hold Tris' still, cold hand in mine, thinking of what I can say to her.

There is so much I could say to her.

There is so much I want to say to her.

But I don't know where to start.

Hey guys, hope you enjoyed it.

Anyway, the next chapter is going to be in Tris' POV, but she will still be in a coma, it's basically what she can hear people saying to her, and she might wake up, though, I might save that for the chapter after.

Please review!