I pull the keys from my pocket and toss them to her.
She nods and gives one last lingering look to Julian. It's clear she doesn't want to go. She wants to help. But even though Ellie is very well-trained, something tells me she won't tolerate it well if Julian gets violent, which has happened before.
Aurora's throat bobs and her voice is thick when she speaks. "It was really nice to meet you, Mr. Ashford."
She keeps a hold on Ellie as they pick their way back to the trail.
"Who was that girl?" Julian says in a snap of a whisper once she's out of earshot.
I guide him back toward his nurse. "It's Eli's girlfriend, remember?"
"I don't think so. I don't know her."
"You just met her."
Seven shakes his head at me, telling me without words to shut up before I make it worse. Yet another reason I don't always come. Because when I do, I inevitably say the wrong fucking thing and set him off. I'm always saying the wrong damn thing.
He wrenches from my grip and starts to hyperventilate.
"Mr. Ashford," his nurse says in a soothing tone, approaching with caution. "Let's get you inside. Flo should be back by now."
He looks up with a fury in him like I haven't seen in years.
"Back?" he snaps. "Back? Liar.Liar!"
He lunges for the nurse, and Seven is quicker than I am, holding him around his shoulders as he says something low for only Julian to hear. Jules calms, but barely.
The nurse draws out the syringe, and though she's careful to try to keep it out of sight, Julian notices.
"Wait!"
My stomach turns.
"No,wait!" he cries, squirming in Sev's grip as Elijah closes his eyes and clenches his fists like he can't bear to watch.
"I need to," he starts, his eyes frantic as they search and search and then latch on to mine. "Atticus, I need to show you?—"
He curses through his teeth as the nurse slips the needle tip into his arm.
"No, stop," I snap. "Wait, he's trying to say something."
I have the nurse in my grip before I realize I've done it, but she's already injected him and gasps in pain at my hold around her bicep.
I drop her, hands up. "Fuck, I didn't mean to?—"
I don't have time for this.
Rushing to Julian, I take his arms, his weight, from Sev.
"Jules." I give him a shake, trying to bring him back even as the sedative makes his eyes dull and his expression soften. "Jules, what were you going to say?"
"The…" he slurs, getting heavier in my arms. "Caravaggio."
Seven takes him from me with a harsh look. "Leave it, man."
"But he was?—"
"Talking nonsense," Seven interrupts. "Like he always does. You'd know that if you came with us more."
