having or showing dogged determination not to change one's attitude or position on something, especially in spite of good arguments or reasons to do so.
"a stubborn refusal to learn from experience"
synonyms: obstinate, stubborn as a mule, mulish, headstrong, willful, strong-willed, self-willed, pigheaded, bull-headed, obdurate, awkward, difficult, contrary, perverse, recalcitrant, refractory; More
âWait a minute. . .â A private nurse mumbled to herself as she stared at the screen of the ultrasound. The mother on the table panicked at her tone, her heart rate picking up as well.
âWha-What is it?â The mother tried to sit up and see the monitor clearly, but the nurse silenced her by gesturing for her to lay back down.
âItâs alright, I just think. . .I think youâre having twins.â Dreaded words neither of them wanted. âI-I donât know what to do.â
âAlvra, please, you canât tell anyone about this, please!â The mother pleaded for both of her babiesâ lives.
âBut, I have to, Jasmin. If I donât and they find out, Iâll be floated.â The nurse spoke pitifully back.
âIf they do, Iâll be floated!â She cried back, her heart monitor racing once again. The thought of leaving her babies defenseless worried her to absolute death.
âI-. . .I canât.â And finally, Jasminâs eyes drifted down to Alvraâs finger as she pressed an alarm button, the low beep slipping through the silence of both women.Â
âAlvra. . .â A single tear fell down the motherâs cheek as the pain pierced her heart, her trusted friend no longer in front of her, only her enemy and guards barging in to arrest a pregnant woman.
âYou are hereby found guilty in the act of having two children and refusing to abort one or both. And therefore, by having chosen to give birth to both children, you will be floated as the last consequence.â
âAbsolute monsters.â The mother spat, eyes deeply watering at the sight of both of her newborn children in the arms of two guards. âYou all will burn in hell for this.â
âGet her in the pod.â One of the councilmen ordered before two guards began to lead the mother to her designated location.
âCanât I see my babies before I go? It wasnât something I had control over. . .â She was broken, this isnât what she wanted, but if she had to die, she would. There was a silent interaction between the council and the guards and she was soon released to walk towards her babies. âMomma loves you two very much, I left you both pictures of me with your new family. Please donât forget me, I wonât forget you.â She placed a kiss on the top of the little boyâs head, but she was quickly ripped away and forced back in the previous direction.
She was now in an airtight pod looking through the glass with tears streaming down her face, sobs wracked her frail body. She shut her eyes before they pulled a lever, and soon space was yanking her into the stars. She couldnât feel anything, everything shut off in a split second and there was nothing. No sound, no breathing, no thoughts, just silence.
âMichael, weâre the same age.â I rolled my eyes while continuing to organize the medicines by their labels. âDo you need something?â
âI canât just want to visit my little sister as she works?â I gave him a look until his stiff posture loosened and he looked at me as if he knew I could see right through him, which I already had done. âFine, I was wondering if you could bring home extra dinner, Iâm starved.â
âFirst of all, the ark is kind of limited enough, second of all, you arenât starving, you eat every moment you can, and third of all, I need to work or theyâll remove me from this station so please go read a book or something.â I shoved him to the door and walked back to my table, but I turned towards him immediately when I heard medicine bottles clatter across the floor.
âShit, sorry, Y/N.â Michael bent down to help me but I shooed him out completely.
âItâs fine, Iâll take care of it, just go.â
I placed them all back onto the counter and returned to my previous job. âHeâs way too clumsy.â
âI swear I didnât take them!â I pleaded in front of Abby Griffin, a doctor and a council member, as she had me pulled aside. âI donât know where they went, I promise I didnât do this, Dr.Griffin.â
âSomeone took the medicine, Y/n, and you were the only one in the facility at the time that the medication went missing." Her accusation made me panic, as I can possibly be charged with theft and locked up until I turn eighteen, but I knew I didn't take the meds.
"Abby. . ." I tried to beg as my heart raced with fear.
"I'm sorry, Y/n. There's nothing I can do." I knew there'd be no point in running, where the hell would I run? We're in literal space. "This is all that can be done. I wanted to talk to you to see if anyone else might be responsible, but if you can't give me any names, I can't help you."
Michael. He's the only person who visited me that day. Why the hell would he take medication, especially when he was smart enough to know that I'd be locked up for this. Give Abby a name? I can't do that. Even if he would cost me my life, I can't throw him under the bus, he's my brother.
"Y/F/N Y/L/N, you are being arrested for stealing rationed medication and hiding it in your chamber." I stared at Abby as they gripped my wrists and clasped cuffs around them behind my back. She looked pitiful, but I turned my head to stare at the ground as tears gathered in my eyes.Â
Halfway to the C wing, I heard my name being called.
"Y/N/N, what the hell is going on?" I didn't say anything, but he repeated it again, making me flinch at the volume in my left ear. "Wait a second, fuck, the medicine. Shit, don't arrest her, that was me, I did it!"
"Michael, shut your damn mouth," I growled as I sent him a glare, he was taken back by my response but continued to say he did it.Â
âI did it, arrest me, donât punish her for something she didnât do.â One of the guards seemed almost swayed by my brotherâs statement and was about to un-cuff me.
âNo, I did it, I took the medicine, heâs just being an idiot.â Both guards seemed confused and unsure of what to do.
âLetâs just arrest both of them.â Fucking idiot, now look at what you did, Michael.
âWhat? No, let her go.â
âMichael, youâre the biggest idiot on this stupid ship, Iâll kill you before they do.â
Whose fault is it that Iâm currently sitting in a cell?
 Is it my brotherâs for that the fact he stole the medication in the first place?Â
Or is it my fault for taking the blame and being an idiot?Â
The answer is all of the above, and yet here I am on death row pretty much for a crime I didnât commit. But I suppose Iâd feel worse if I were out there with the others, living a good life while he rots away in here. They ended up locking both of us up because we both confessed to the crime and it was found in our own sleeping quarters.Â
The only thing Iâm worried about now is having to face mom and dad. . .
âWhat the hell were you thinking?â I flinched at my fatherâs tone and looked down at my cuffed wrists. âIâd expect this from your brother, but never from you.â
âDear,â My mother calmed his anger, âThink about it. . .â
They both looked at me trying to figure out why both of their children are in cells. I suppose it clicked in my fatherâs head as to why Iâm here because there was an expression of realization on his face.
âDo not tell me youâre in here after covering for him, Y/n.â I continued to look at my lap as a way to avoid his stern eyes, I knew he was more upset with me than he was with Michael. âTell them it wasnât you, tell them you were scared and accidentally confessed, tell them you arenât at fault!â
I stayed silent because I knew if I said anything, it can and will be used against me at my review at 18. If I plead guilty, I have more of a chance to be released, itâd be worse if they found out I was covering for my brother. Iâd be viewed as a liar and theyâd never believe me after that. I sent a grateful glance to my mother when she quieted him down once again.
âTimeâs up.â One of the guards informed my parents and waited for them to stand up so he could escort them out of the recent viewing facility.
âBye mom, bye dad.â I turned away as my own guard guided me back to my cell. It wasnât until the lock made confirmation that my tears began to fall.Â
Everything is going to be okay.
Everything has to be okay.