Sinful Addiction

Part 9 - I Still Don't Like You Though

Cover picture translation - 

I notice everything. 

I just don't say anything.

c/w: Not much, this chapter is mostly to help develop August and Alexia's relationship together. Guns, mention of violence and knives. 

Blinking away the sleepiness in her eyes revealing the sterile blue fluorescent lights of the hospital room. Sounds of phones ringing, voices echoing from the hallway and the beeping of monitors flood her senses. Trying to sit up wincing at the pain stabbing through her abdomen.

"Hey, hey, hey. Slow down. You have two cracked ribs, you need to be careful." Reya runs to the bed from where she was pacing back and forth on the other side of the room.

"Morning kid. Have a nice nap?" Tony jokes. Looking over her shoulder she sees him sitting in the chair next to her with his feet up on her bed.

"Mmm, comfy?" She lets out a small schuckle looking over at Tony. "So...What's the story?"

"It's been taken care of, but if you are asked, You don't remember anything. After going to an after party with Re you went for a walk down by the pier, you were mugged, you put up a fight and that got you shot and pushed over the railing into the river. You called me after climbing out of the river and I brought you in." An easy cover to remember she gives him a nod signaling she understands before rolling back over to Reya.

"You know being friends with you is exhausting." Reya says sarcastically.

"Awe I'm sorry, I can shoot you in the thigh too, the morphine would probably help to ease your exhaustion. We could even share a room like when we were in school." A huge smile grows on her face. The number of times that Reya has had to wait by Alexia's bedside is a bit excessive but nonetheless, she is always right there when she wakes up, no matter what.

"Matching tattoos are overrated, we can do matching bullet holes."

Alexia quickly comes to the realization that her previous thoughts about giving up dance may be her only option now. Luckily the bullet didn't hit anything vital but she is realistic about the situation. She spent the rest of the day responding to calls and texts from dance friends of hers while Tony went back to her place with Reya to get her a change of clothes for when she gets released in the morning.

While they were gone Chris came to the hospital to stay with her. He also begged her to stop taking late night walks alone. While the two of them are close, he doesn't know the truth about her past. He genuinely believes that she is just a dancer who is good with computers. Chris is a bit over trusting, Alexia admires that about him but finds it amazing that it's never caused him problems.

"Can I get you anything? Something to eat, drink?" He asks, standing from his seat beside her bed.

"No, I'm good, but thank you." She gives him a quick loopy smile as he leaves the room to get dinner from the cafeteria.

"Okay, I won't be long, Re, and Tony should be back soon too."  He closes the door softly behind him noticing her eyes slip closed.

Just as he steps into the empty elevator his phone starts to buzz in his back pocket. "Where are you?" August's voice was slightly irritated on the other side of the line.

"Shit I forgot, I'm at the hospital, Alexia was shot–"

"What?" The irritation in his voice was replaced with panic. "What hospital are you at? What happened?"

Pulling the phone away from his ear trying to lessen the sound of August's yelling. "New York Presbyterian, she is fine, she got mugged coming home from a party, and being who she is, she put up a fight except this time she didn't win." The elevator dings signaling for him to get off. "Sorry I forgot to call you, I just got distracted, raincheck?...Hello? August? You there?" Checking the phone screen to see the call ended about ten seconds ago.