"I don't think you need to be jealous," I said before I could stop myself and quickly looked at my feet with more scrutiny than they really required.
We sat in awkward silence for a while, listening to the odd sound that echoed in from the corridor but it seemed to be quiet out there for the most part.
“So, how long did it take him to train you?" I asked after the silence became unbearable.
"He'd probably say he isn't done yet. That was about nine years ago I think. It's weird how quickly the time goes by."
"I know the feeling," I said, thinking about how it seemed like only yesterday but also, in some ways, like it had been years since I'd left the city behind.
"This list says it's of prisoners. There's not many names, only about thirty," Coal said, changing the subject as he pointed at the screen again.
“What?" I asked in confusion. "The city doesn't hold any prisoners, they don't have the resources. That's what the Lawless Trials are for."
“It's here, clear as day," he said, shaking the receiver at me so that the names swam before my eyes.
Two of them stood out so clearly it was like a slap in the face. I snatched the receiver from him and stared as my lips fell open and my heart raced.
“What is it?" Coal asked, leaning in to look over my shoulder at the
screen.
“You're sure it said that these people are prisoners?" I asked, my hands shaking as my brain tried to compute what I’d just seen.
“Yeah, at the top. What's wrong?" Coal put his hand on my arm and the warmth of his skin only sent my pulse hammering faster.
The list of names had scrolled on and started listing births and I growled in frustration as I tapped at it, trying to make it go back.
"Can we scroll back up?" I asked urgently.
"No, it's just relaying the information they're looking at in Franklin. We can look at it again when we get back though." He frowned at me, waiting for an explanation and I blew out a shaky breath.
“I saw my parents' names." I dropped the receiver into my lap and turned to look at Coal as I tried to process that.
"I thought they were dead?" he asked, frowning. "Are you sure you saw them?"
I nodded silently.
"It was an accident in the lab," I said quietly.
“What?" Coal asked clearly confused by my sudden desire to tell him about what had happened to them. But I needed to get it out, to figure this out, because if I let myself belive that they might be alive then that could change everything…
“The Guardians said there was a chance of contamination, so I couldn't see their bodies. They were just - gone."
“So they could be in a prison then?" he asked.
“But why? They were working for the city, they were brilliant scientists. Why would they imprison them?"
"How long ago did it happen?"
"Five years. Have they been there, stuck in some cage that whole time?"
"I swear if they are, I'll help you get them back."
I looked at Coal, his eyes burning with determination and knew that he meant it though I wasn’t sure why.
“Thank you." I handed the receiver back to him and he put it in his pocket.
It couldn't be true. I wanted it to be so badly but there was just no way.