Chapter 10 Not Safe Anymore
1121 Words
“He's in the emergency room,” the nurse yelled out behind me as I rushed out. I barely acknowledged her words, and my heart pounded in my chest as I rushed down the hallway, heading to the emergency room.
I spotted Claire and another nurse pushing a cart out of the emergency room, and I felt my heart stop as I spotted the bloodstains on the cart.
“What happened ?” I yelled as I tried to pass through the door, but Claire stepped into my path. “I need to see him,” I muttered, trying to sidestep her, but she stepped into my path again.
“You can't go in there, Sophie,” she held my hands. “Doctor Sinclair’s attending to him. He'll be fine.”
“What…” My voice hitched, and my eyes remained fixed on the closed door. “What happened to him? Tell me.”
“I…” Claire hesitated, she exchanged looks with the other nurse who took the cue. She pushed the cart away. “Come, you look pale,” Claire pulled me to sit down on a bench that was close to the door.
“What happened, Claire?” I repeated, my voice smaller. I stared her in the eye.
“I don't know,” Claire’s composed expression cracked for a moment, revealing a trace of fear. “He left the hospital only an hour ago. He looked pretty pale,” Claire muttered, looking away. “Then he was brought in by someone.”
“He was bruised up pretty bad,” Claire glanced at me, her face calmer now. “We can't know what happened until he regains consciousness.”
What! I could feel waves of guilt creeping in on me, threatening to overwhelm me. Had Jason left the hospital because of me? Because of… I shook my head, cutting off the thought.
If something happened to Jason, I wouldn't forgive myself.
“Thank you,” I whispered. Claire nodded, and her hand reached for mine and squeezed reassuringly.
“He'll be fine,” she gave me a small smile.
I nodded, trying to believe it.
I didn’t know how long I sat there, waiting. Praying. Wishing that the doors would just open at that moment, and Jason would walk out, unharmed.
Claire had left me there. She had her rounds to make. I didn’t budge, I wasn't going to leave until I'd made sure Jason was out of harm's way.
It was crazy I thought, pacing back and forth. The roles seemed to have been switched. Where a relative would be pacing back and forth, I was there now. Pacing back and forth, waiting for news about him.
The doors opened at that moment, snapping me out of my thoughts, and Doctor Sinclair walked out. He had a weary expression on his face.
“How's Jason?” I asked, rushing up to him. I glanced behind him at the closed doors before glancing back at him.
“He's fine,” his words brought a wave of relief over me, and I could feel my tense muscles relax as the tension eased away from me.
“Thank the moon goddess,” I whispered under my breath. “What happened to him?” I asked.
“This…” Doctor Sinclair revealed an unsure expression. “To be honest, I don't know,” his answer stumped me.
How couldn’t he know? I wondered. Doctor Sinclair was the oldest and most experienced doctor in the hospital.
“He was bruised all over, Sophie,” he began, seeing my confused expression. “It seems like something a wild animal would do but…” my eyes narrowed as he spoke, “ he's lost a lot of blood, so he'll take a while to come around.”
‘Something a wild animal would do,’ my heart thudded as I tried to take in the implications of his words. Could it have been done by werewolves? I wondered, but I immediately denied the possibilities.
If it was a werewolf, Jason wouldn't have still been alive, let alone return with bruises and injuries. I knew a werewolf’s lethality firsthand.
“Can I see him?”
“I…” Doctor Sinclair was about speaking but he sighed after seeing my determined expression. “Alright, but you know the drill. Don't stay too long.”
“Yes, yes,” I nodded, quickly walking past him. I pushed the door and stepped inside.
“Ja–Jason,” I covered my mouth with my hand, stifling the sob that nearly escaped my lips. My eyes watered as I stared at him.
His entire body was riddled with bruises and his breathing was faint. He'd been strapped up to oxygen and his breathing was faint.
What happened to him? I wondered, not able to tear my gaze away. Who… ‘or what,’ could've done this? I shivered, Claire's words coming back to me.
‘They've been an awful amount of animal attacks lately…’ My eyes narrowed as I tried to weigh the implications of her words.
I had no doubt there was more to this than met the eye. Could it have something to do with Max? I froze, the thought of him made my heart race.
Did he have something to do with this? My hands trembled as I reached out and brushed Jason's hand lightly.
“Sophie,”
I turned sharply, finding Evelyn in the doorway.
Her eyes widened in alarm when she saw Jason. “This is bad,” she muttered, bending to check his bruises closely.
“Did they tell you what happened?” She asked, glancing up at me.
“No,” I whispered. “If…” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have left the hospital so early. It's all my fault,” my voice cracked and tears welled up in my eyes, my body shook as my sobs wrecked me.
I felt Evelyn's hands curled around me, offering comfort. “It's not your fault, Sophie,” she whispered. “When he wakes up, we'll find out what happened okay?”
I nodded, but I didn’t look at Jason again. My phone buzzed at that moment, taking my attention.
“You look shaken,” Evelyn stared at me, her eyes filled with concern. “You should go home, Sophie. Some…”
Her words echoed at the back of my mind but I'd stopped listening. A chill shot through me as I stared at the text that'd just entered my phone.
“I'm coming back to get you. Don't leave the hospital no matter what. It's not safe.” ~ Max.
What exactly was going on?
- Writer
