"Where did you find her?"

"She was just...in the wastes. N-now, Lilly, before you freak out she-"

"Dude! Normal people would've, oh I dunno, CALLED 911...Something like that!"

"She was about to die I had to do something! They wouldn't have made it in time."

"Ed, you can't-"

"...."

"..."

".."

"Who is she, did you carry her...all this way? And," Lilly sighed, "why the hell did you think we could help her?"

".........I couldn't leave her..........."

**********************

Am I dead yet?

The searing pain, though much less unbearable, was still present throughout her body. A sudden warmth fell across her face and body-sunlight. No, she was not dead, now she just needed to figure out where the hell she was. She felt exceptionally tired, beginning to drift off once again. Even laying fairly still, her body creaked, cracked, and complained with every slight movement, shooting a new wave of pain through her. She groaned out of frustration with her state; she was weak. Weak. Weak and hungry. That too. But that would have to wait; she had other things to worry about, like whoever it was that was coming. The door opened before she could fully process anything.

This...this is weird...

Instinctively, she feigned sleep, hoping to achieve something from it. There was a slight hesitation in the movement, some mumbled words that she couldn't quite make out, and finally, the continuation of the person's footsteps. A sudden dip in the bed she was on took her by suprise, threatening to expose her cover of the faked sleep.

A desperate whisper broke the silence that was held over the room, "You better not die on me."

Me? How could anyone care about me like that? But she remembered, she was most likely not in the lab anymore. No one knew who she was, not even her. This person's caring behavior was still odd to her. Her company let out a sigh, breaking her thoughts up.

"Your wounds seem to be healing...you also seem to be accepting the medicine.....but.....was it even worth it?"

She could tell that whoever it was with her was a man, and one that knew medicine. Could she have ended up in a hospital? If so, not good. She would have been found out by now.

"..what the hell am I doing? Talking to you as if you can hear me? You've been asleep for days now...I....I should have called someone instead of just....."

Just what?

"But why do you seem to matter so much?"

She felt a warm, gentle hand brush a stray hair off of her forehead.

"Who are you?"

I do not know. Something made her want to answer his questions, even talk to him. She was too timid though. She didn't want to risk anything, she truely didn't want to know where she was.

"You don't look like just anyone. Perhaps you were of the Mercy family, or one of the seven? Royalty does suit you...or your looks at least. It would also explain finding you as I did; left for dead..."

Royalty? Although she didn't remember much, she remembered enough to know she was the farthest thing from royalty. Whoever this man was, he was completely clueless.

"But still.....who could you possibly be?"

"I do not remember." She awkwardly spoke out, not intending to originally. Realizing her mistake, she gave into her curiosity and opened her eyes to meet the room and her companion. When her grey eyes met his, he jumped back clumsily, startled by her sudden gain of consciousness. "I can not recall who I am. In fact, I can narrowly remember anything. Where...where am I?"

"Y-you're awake!," he said still jumpy, "How do you feel?"

"I'd feel much better if I knew where i was...and who you may be..."

She examined the dark haired male, who couldn't have been too much older than she was. He and his quirky mannerism gave her the impression that he was just an ordinary person: no relation to the lab, not even a doctor.

"Me? Oh, I'm Ed. E-Edward White. I, uh, don't know if you know this, you seem very dazed, but you're, um, currently in Echo City. I had to bring you here to my house a few nights ago. You were passed out down by the wastes...I had to..ya know..do something..."

"Hmm...is that...so..."

Echo...City? That's where I am?

"You live in this city? " She asked while slowly attempting to sit herself up

"Y-yeah, as I've said before-"

"So does that mean....I-I am...safe here, Edward?"

Ed paused to face his strange patient. She stared back at him, her face filled with a sudden sorrow. Her rather odd question and expression she gave after concerned him; her comment confirmed to him that she was supposed to be dead. He moved toward the young woman, wanting to console her but not knowing how.

"Safe? Safe from who ever did that to you? Do you remember who it was?"

She nodded, slightly shaking, he noticed. Acknowledging the amount of time that had passed since he asked, he accepted that the simple head nod was the only response he would get.

"Ah, I remember some," she began while combing through her long silver hair with her fingers, "They called me something. Before I left, I remember them...shouting.... referring to me when the word was spoken."

"That sounds like a name."

"It..does not sound...correct.."

"What is it?"

"Rogue."

No sooner than she spoke it, a twinge of pain tore through her head. She winced, causing Ed to rush hesitantly to her bed side.

"It is strange to me," She laid back down, giving up on retrieving any more memories. She let a small laugh escape, "I could have sworn I was someone else..."

"A nickname, perhaps?" Ed suggested "Do I call you Rogue then?"

The young woman sighed, "call as you wish. Would you get some water for me?"

He nodded, "I didn't get to tell you; the medicine I gave you may dehydrate you, so a slight headache is natural."

"I'm sorry to bother even more so, but please tell me," she spat out as he exited the room, "I can't understand something about you. You seem like just...anybody. Why wouldn't you just...leave me."

Ed shot her a strange, questioning look, "I can't just up and leave a person to die out on the streets like that....or, uh, in your case, the wastes."

And with that he left the room. Ed was unsure; the strange dream he had a few nights ago that featured a girl bearing some resemblance to the one now occupying the guest room, her seemingly paranoid behavior, all of it made him uneasy. What would the price for harboring a person like this be? How soon would he find himself paying it?

*******