Never Coming Home

Gerard's POV

I wake up groggily, lying on a bed. My mouth's dry, and I feel something wet on my forehead. Reaching up, I realize it's a damp cloth. I open my eyes and look forward. Susan's taking her hands out of a tray of water. She has dark circles under her eyes, like she's been thinking hard about something.
"Susan?"
"And he's awake." she says, walking over to my bedside. Somehow it reminds me of that morning I woke up at the hospital, just not as grave, I think.
I try to stand up, but I can feel bruises all over my body and pain in my left shoulder, and I flinch back, lying down again in pain.
"Pace yourself." she says. "You were nearly trampled, it's not surprising you would have some bruises."
I sigh, not remembering what she's talking about. But then it all comes back to me. The riot, the screaming...
"How did you escape? How did I get here?" I ask.
"I told them I'm not Jewish, and I showed them my ID. They apologized and showed me a way out through the back pathway. As for the other part, I brought you back here by myself."
"How did the riot start?"
"Some Jewish men went in to a non-Jewish bakery, and some Nazis chased them out, grabbing their arms and were about to send them off to...you know where."
I nod.
"Anyway, some people tried to help them, and more Nazis came and more people tried to help and so on. Eventually a full on riot broke out with people struggling and trying to escape."
"Oh." And that's all I can say. I can literally see the horrific images in my head, and I don't want to. Susan turns away from me, walking back to the desk in the room. She hasn't looked me in the eyes once since I woke up.
"Susan, what's wrong?" I ask, looking up at her curiously.
"Nothing."
She's lying, it's obvious. But what about? Should I have guessed it by now? Is it obvious? But then it hits me.
"...Where's Alice?" I ask.
A tear falls from her eye, and I can see her shaking.
"Susan, where's Alice?" I ask again, slower.
"Umm...that's something I've been meaning to tell you." her voice quivers, like every word is a stab in the neck. Stalling her answer.
"Susan, I'm desperate here. Where did they take her?"
"They...didn't take her anywhere."
I sigh in relief. "Where is she, then?"
"They didn't take her anywhere...because they shot her."

Notes

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