Come Hell or High Water - Striker x Reader (18+)

1. Request

"Alright, I'm done now," I said as I reclaimed the blood pressure cuff and pulse oximeter and slung them over the vital sign machine by their cords. "That blood will take about two to three hours to go through. Everything looks good right now, but if you start having chills or back pain, you let us know, okay?"

"Of course," he replied. "I remember from when you gave me that unit last week."

I grinned. "Good," I said, stepping toward the door. "I'm gonna let the dayshift nurse know the blood is running."

"Are you back tonight?"

"No, I'm off until Friday. But I hope you get to get out of here by the time I'm back." I smiled at him as I gripped the doorknob. "You take you of yourself, okay?"

"W-Wait," he said suddenly, causing me to stop in my stride and look back at him. His eyes fell to a tile on the floor, and he started hesitantly, "I know we've only known each other for a short time, but I have a request to ask you."

I blinked, then raised an eyebrow at his wording. "Okay."

He painfully pushed himself up in bed with his good arm and looked at me. "I have a small summer home in Wrath. I was there last month and left a few rather valuable belongings there that—well, I was wondering if you would be so kind as to retrieve them for me."

I turned back around to completely face him. "But I thought humans couldn't travel to the other rings."

"Well, yes," he responded. "Normally, they can't. But . . . would you hand me that over there?"

He pointed to the plastic belongings bag the staff had placed his things inside when he was transferred to our hospital from the Sloth ring. I took the bag by the cheap nylon drawstrings and handed it to him.

He set the bag in his lap and filed through its contents. "A few months ago, I was able to obtain a handful of these."

In his hand was a pendant with a sapphire blue faceted gemstone. It sparkled delicately even in the hospital's fluorescent lighting, and the gold setting and spiraling trim complimented it perfectly. It was a beautiful piece.

"It is an Asmodean crystal. It helps the hellborn safely travel to the human world." He reached out and placed it in my palm. "And sinners travel between rings."

I stared at the pendant, how it shone so vibrantly. "Stolas," I started.

"There is a small chest in the bottom drawer of my desk in the library," he interrupted. "My other Asmodean crystals are in there. I also would like you to retrieve a blue leatherbound book from the shelf behind that desk. It has gold trimming with a crescent moon on the front cover."

I brought the pendant close to my chest as I tried to listen and burn his directions into my brain. I stood stiffly at his bedside while he continued.

"I will give you directions to the summer home—it can be a bit difficult to find. Here are the keys." He pulled out a small keyring with three keys attached and handed it to me. He took his cell phone from the bedside table and tapped the screen a few times. "I would like your phone number, at least for the duration of your errand."

I stared at him in bemusement. I was admittedly a bit paralyzed by the whole proposition. After a rather long moment, I pulled myself back down and processed his words. I gave it a few seconds of thought, then typed my number into his phone.