Captured

Kaden woke to find his left arm completely immobile and full of pain.

His body was still, his eyelids heavy, and his throat sore.

Blinking against the stark white room, Kaden looked around.

He was in a hospital, the beeps and whirrs of all the machines giving him a headache.

Looking down he saw his right arm in a sling, and when he tried to move it searing pain shot out from his shoulder and down through the whole arm.

Biting back a cry Kaden jerked his right arm.

But that one didn’t move at all.

Looking down to his left, Kaden felt his pain melt away as a smile stretched across his mouth.

Matty had his hand held tightly in hers, her cheek laying against them as she slept.

As long as she continued to be healthy and safe, Kaden was willing to endure any amount of pain.

His thumb rubbed across her cheek, the movement causing her eyes to flutter.

He watched as her eyes opened, watched as she recognized that he was awake as well.

Her smile was so beautiful, Kaden felt his heart ache.

“You’re awake!”

Kaden’s smile grew at her excitement, but when she launched herself onto him he was forced to let out a pain filled groan.

“Oh! I’m so sorry.”

He was reluctant to let her go, but knew that if he didn’t he’d cause more harm to his arm.

“Do you know what happened?” His voice was barely above a whisper, the sound of it scratchy and weak.

Matty sat back and grabbed his hand, “Your team rushed in to give you some back up, but when my dad heard them enter he pulled the trigger.”

She looked at him, “The doctors say he missed your heart by only a couple of inches.”

Kaden swallowed, “And your dad? What happened to him?”

Maty rubbed her thumb against his knuckles, “Your Commander shot him just as he pulled the trigger on you.”

And Kaden new that Night Owl never missed.

Kaden gently squeezed her hand, “I’m sorry, Matty.”

She sighed, “It’s not your fault. He choose his own path, nobody forced him to join The League.”

Kaden struggled to sit up, but managed to do it with Matty’s help, “He was still your father.”

Matty nodded, “Yeah, and I’ll always miss the father that I knew, but he wasn’t that same man at the end. So that makes it a little easier.”

Kaden tugged on her arm, bringing her closer so that she could snuggle against his right side, “What are you going to do now?”

“I don’t know.”