REMI HOOD

Chapter 15

Will

I say my goodbyes to Remi and walk into the hotel to take a shower. Finn is waiting for me inside the room. He gives me a disapproving look. "Let me guess, you and Remi took a dip in the sea?" He shakes his head. "Will, you have never disobeyed Noah... Until now."

I start to explain myself. "Yes, I know... I just can't help it, mate! When I'm with her... Man, I don't know..." I trail off, deep in thought. Finn cocks an eyebrow.

"It's like I get amnesia or something, I forget everything else. It's just me and her." I sigh dreamily.

I have no idea what I'm saying.

Finn smiles at me and rolls his eyes.

"You like her."

"I think so. I never felt like this... But," I close my eyes. "I shouldn't like her."

Finn puts a hand on my shoulder. "Once we solve this case, you can hit on her." He winks at me.

I think I've already 'hit' on her...

I give him a small smile anyway. I know he is right, I'll get distracted if I'm with her now.

"So, let's solve the case!" I say eagerly.

"Woah, mate. You need a shower first." He snickers. I quickly walk towards the bathroom but I hit my leg on a chair and my face gets planted on the ground.

Finn is roaring with laughter, tears of mirth forming in his eyes. "You fell for Remi Hood alright, I mean literally!" I flip the bird at him roughly before getting into the bathroom.

I finish showering in record time, I get out of the bathroom, wearing only grey yoga pants, drying my hair with a towel.

I spot Finn on the phone. He looks concerned as he sees me and calls me. "Will, get ready, quick!" I get the message that something is wrong and throw on a shirt straight away.

Finn hangs up and curses under his breath. I ask curiously. "What's wrong? What happened?"

He looks at me, his eyes full of pity. "It's Remi..." He winces and continues, "Apparently she walked out of an alley and collapsed on the road. She got hit pretty bad on the forehead."

Shit, no no... Not Remi. "Where is she?!" I ask loudly. I clench my jaw, my face going pale. I'm panicking, I have to get to Remi, I have to be with her.

This is unsettling.

"She's in the ADK hospital, it's ne-" I don't let him finish. I storm out of the room and run down the stairs to the road. I am worried sick. I'm on my way, Remi Hood.

I get out of a taxi and run in the direction of the receptionist. "Remi Hood... Where is Remi Hood?!" I know I'm not making any sense to her, but I'm really desperate. "She had an accident about thirty minutes ago! I need to see her now!"

"Don't panic, sir. Are you family?"

"A... Friend. A friend." I quickly mutter.

The receptionist nods her head. "She's on the third floor, room 101."

There is a long line of people waiting to get on the lift, so frantically, I take the stairs.

I barge into the room, not bothering to knock. There is Remi Hood, on the bed either sleeping or passed out, a big bandage around her forehead, the side of it with dried blood. Adrenaline floods my system, it pumps and beats like it's trying to escape. I think my heart is going to explode as my eyes are wide with fear for Remi. I get on my knees and I hold her hand, that's the only thing I can do right now.

"Um, excuse me." Someone clears his throat. "Do I know you?"

I look up to see a man behind me, who seems to have just come in. He also seems to have an American accent. I put two and two together; this must be Remi's dad... Richard Hood. "Terribly sorry, my name is Will Louis... I urh- I'm a friend of Remi." I stand up and offer a hand to shake.

He takes it and smiles at me. He looks nothing like Remi. He has blond hair streaked with grey hair, his face smooth from shaving with little wrinkles on his forehead, his body covered by a long-sleeved shirt but I can tell he's quite fit. Not bad for his age.

"I'm Remi's dad, Richard Hood." He introduces himself. He sits next to Remi and tugs a strand of her wet hair behind her ear. "Remi dear, what happened to you baby?" He mutters sadly. I stand awkwardly staring at him sorrowing Remi. Thankfully, a doctor gets into the room and breaks the tension.

The doctor looks at us, confused. "Um, have you seen Remi Hood's parents? Or family?" He looks at us for an answer. Remi's dad and I both are not Maldivians, so I get why he's so muddled, seeing two random white blokes.

Richard Hood chuckles. "I'm her father, and this is Remi's friend." Emphasizing on the word 'friend' as if he knows that I'm more than just friends, dammit.

"Oh, sorry. Well, I came here to tell you that she had eight stitches on the right-side temple on her forehead."

Eight stitches... Oh Remi.

"Eight?! What happened to her?" Richard Hood shouts at the doctor. The doctor, who probably is used to families' outbursts, replies calmly. "We don't know, she was found passed out on the road, and has not awakened yet... but it looks like she was hit by a very sharp object."

"Jesus... I need to get some air, you'll stay with Remi right?" Richard Hood asks, to which I nod my head. "Call for me if she wakes up, I'm right outside the lobby."

"Sure... Mr. Hood?" I ask questionably, he smiles at me.

"Richard is just fine."

He leaves the room along with the doctor. I sit next to her and run my fingers in her wet hair, her face is glowing as the salt water from the sea has dried on her face. Her clothes are still somewhat wet. Whatever happened to her must have happened when she was heading back home after saying goodbye to me.

Finn shoves himself into the room. "Is she okay?" He asks worriedly.

"She's fine I guess, eight stitches to her temple." I point at the dried up blood in that area. He cringes and drags a chair to sit next to me.

"It looks like this accident happened right after you guys went swimming." Finn observes. "You think she's a target... Of our culprit?"

I think for a minute. "She might have hit her head somewhere, but it's very unlikely to get eight stitches by bumping into something. So yes, I guess she could be a target." I tell him and I hold her hand again.

Finn looks at our entwined fingers. "Hey, look at her nails and knuckles!"

Remi's knuckles are bruised and turning purple, her nails had dried blood inside them, her fingertips red. How did I not notice this?

"It looks like she punched something... Hard. The blood on her nails could be hers or it could be... someone else's. These wounds are the result of self-defense for sure." Finn examines her other hand as well.

"Will, is that you?" My head snaps to Remi. She's squinting her eyes and looking at me, her voice sounding very weak.

"Yes it's me, are you okay?" I say softly, squeezing her hand lightly, enough not to hurt.

"What happened? Everything's so blurry and fuzzy." Remi croaks and grimaces. "Ow!" Her hand lets go of mine and touches her temple.

"Why do I have a bandage on my head?" She looks at me again.

Finn explains for me. "Hey Remi," He gives her a small smile. "We don't know what happened but you were passed out on the road with a wound on your temple."

Remi feels her head. "Jeez, do I have stitches? How many?"

"Eight." Finn recoils.

Remi groans. "Where is my dad?"

Oh yeah, I'm supposed to call him.

"He's down at the lobby, he told me to tell him once you've woken, I'll-I'll be right back." I tell her and I get up to fetch her Richard Hood.