“Yeah,” he said, his expression softening for a moment. “It’s over. You did it. Hey.” He caught the paramedic’s hand. “What did I say about shots?”
A team of doctors waited at the entrance to St. George Hospital, and as soon as the ambulance doors opened, they rushed to help us. Knox was immediately carted away, but just as I began to panic, Greyson appeared.
“I’m right here,” he said, taking my hand as they loaded me onto a stretcher. “I’m not going anywhere.”
True to his word, Greyson stuck by my side for the rest of the day, even as reporters descended on the hospital, begging to speak to him. Benjy somehow managed to find us, and he brought with him a protection detail for Greyson and me—all Blackcoats, he promised. And all immeasurably loyal to us.
Doctor after doctor inspected my face and throat, and though it didn’t seem like much of a big deal to me, they insisted strangulation had dangerous lingering effects, and they couldn’t be too careful. Every time I started to protest, Greyson shushed me and told me to let the doctors do their jobs, and reluctantly I did so. After kicking him in the stairwell and abandoning him, I owed him this.
“We’ve done everything we can to prevent severe scarring to your cheek,” said a doctor with a thick black braid hanging over her shoulder. “But I’m afraid without more—advanced measures, there will always be scars.”
I’d had enough advanced measures done to my body to last me a lifetime. “It’s okay,” I said tiredly. “They’re fine the way they are.”
“You’re sure?” said Greyson, and I nodded.
“I earned those scars. I’m keeping them.”
He touched my chin and examined the stitched-up lines running down my face. “They suit you,” he said. “Make your outsides match your insides.”
“What, damaged?” I teased. He blushed.
“No, I mean—tough. Strong. Fierce. A fighter.”
“A regular badass,” said Benjy, who lingered nearby, and I gave him an amused look. I could live with that.
At last the chaos of the day subsided, and night set in. As soon as Knox was out of surgery, we were given private hospital rooms side by side. With Greyson’s help, I snuck out of bed and into Knox’s room, pulling my IV along with me. Together Greyson and I sat on the sofa while Knox slept off whatever they’d given him, and I couldn’t help but notice a little trail of drool running from his mouth to the pillow. It would have been cute if he wasn’t snoring so loudly.
“So,” I whispered. “You’re Prime Minister now.”
Greyson took a deep breath and released it slowly. “Guess so,” he said. “I’m going to put together a council tomorrow.”
“Like the Ministers of the Union?”
“Something like that. I want you to be on it. You, Knox, Benjy, Rivers, the other leaders of the rebellion who survived—you all won this war. I want to honor that and turn this country into something to be proud of.”
“You will.” I rested my head against his shoulder, my gaze lingering on Knox. “Thank you. I know being Prime Minister was the last thing you wanted.”
“Being my father was the last thing I wanted,” he corrected quietly. “Making a difference in this country—giving people their lives back and making sure all of this wasn’t for nothing—that’s an honor. Besides,” he added, “if all goes as planned, I’d like to hold elections eventually. Real elections, where there’s more than one name on the ballot. And term limits. No one will rule this country indefinitely again, and the people will have a voice—a real voice.”
That sounded almost too good to be true, but wasn’t that exactly what we’d spent all this time fighting for? “America’s lucky to have you.”
“No. They’re lucky to have you.”
I pressed my lips together. “I’m sorry for kicking you in the shin.”
He chuckled and pulled me closer. “I’m sorry for trying to stop you. But I meant what I said, Kitty. You’re it. You’re the only family I have left now. I’m never going to let anything bad happen to you again. I promise.”
“Bad things happen all the time. Maybe not war and death and maiming, but—little things.” I looked up at him and offered him a lopsided smile. It was all I was capable of at the moment. “It’s okay. I don’t mind them, as long as I have you.”
Knox let out a particularly loud snore, and my shoulders shook with laughter.
“You, too,” I added, giving him a look. He was still fast asleep, and I turned back to Greyson. “We’re through the worst of it. We’ll get through the rest together.”
Greyson sighed. “I hope so.” After a moment, he added, “Can I ask you something?”
“I think you already did.”