Kashmir [BxB]

Chapter 30 - You've got a friend in me

A/N - Bro, Ily but please read more fervently this week because I really don't want to be stuck on 13k for longer than necessary:( superstitious bitches feel me here

It felt ridiculously good to get my own clothes on my body, finally exchanging the itchy hospital down for a soft sweater. Everything still ached, but the pain was far duller now. It'd only been two days so I still felt out of it, but it wasn't comparable to the night of the accident.

Ravi had wanted to get me a new shirt, a celebratory one, but I'd declined. It felt like a weird thing to celebrate, especially as Nate still wasn't allowed to leave.

I'd still have to rest at home after they released me, but damn was I happy to not be restricted to the hospital room. It was so small, so sterile, and incredibly cramped with my whole family and Kade resting there. I don't know how they managed to convince the nurses to stay around the clock, but mum wasn't one to be trifled with.

It'd be good to get some space, and to get to lie down in my own bed.

First on the list though: visit Nate.

Esme hadn't had to stay past the first night, but he was still here somewhere. I knew he wasn't in good shape, but to what extent?

I'd asked time and time again and all I got was "He'll be fine", or "Don't worry about it.". Yeah, not exactly calming.

I'd convinced dad to get me Nate's room number as he had apparently talked with Nate's dad, Jacob, a move that was just so in character for my dad.

Whenever crisis hit, he'd be the one to run around and keep the ship afloat. Suddenly, he was his most competent self, caring for everything and everyone. Not saying he didn't do so naturally, but it was kind of like he put the crisis on pause for himself to care for everyone else.

It had been just like that when mum had to get her appendix taken out. Dad was Superdad for two weeks before folding, getting hit with two weeks of stress all at once.

In my wandering I've managed to get lost in the endless corridors, despite having the room number and department. I curse silently, checking my phone to see if I've remembered wrong as a voice calls out to me.

"Kashmir?"

I turn, spotting the young woman and recognizing her almost immediately.

"Rebecka?"

"Oh, it's so good to see you!", she smiles, hugging me. Like all werewolves, she was built far stronger than me, but I can feel the underlying fragility. It was hard for her, being back in the hospital - the same place her mother died, but this time to care for her brother.

"Good to see you too. How're you doing?"

"As well as can be expected.", she states, sadly smiling as she pulls away from me, "You're looking for Nate's room, I reckon?"

I nod, thanking her as she offers to walk me there. Rebecka must've flown back to the city as soon as she heard of the accident, otherwise, there's no way she would've gotten here so quickly. She studied architecture at some fancy college overseas and didn't come around much during the school year.

Circumstances aside, I'm sure Nate was glad to finally see his sister again.

"How's Jacob?", I ask as we near the room, room numbers adding up now that we're getting closer. Rebecka bites her lip, a veil of sadness coming over her face.

"He's... not good. We- we thought we lost him, Kash."

Tears shimmer in her large, dark eyes as she averts her gaze.