Away Mission - Book 2 of the Guardians Series - EDITED version

CH 10.3 I Was A Hero There

The brothers and Alex appeared out from the portal behind the concrete wall that was shielding the dumpsters of Charity Hospital. Rile looked up to see an enormous neon sign that cast a shadowy red light over their faces as they ran towards the hefty glass double doors. They opened with an automatic hum, leading to a cold rush of hospital air carrying an overpowering scent of bleach.

Rile scrambled towards the nearest person dressed in medical scrubs, grabbing his arm and exclaiming, "Help her! She was stabbed and can't breathe!" Rile waved frantically at Alex, still in Gabe's arms.

The medic complied, briskly instructing Gabe to place Alex on one of the many stretchers lining the walls. He hastened to do so, giving Rile time to lean in close to Alex. His eye-ridges were knit together in concern.

Alex's pale face was struck with pain and desperation, her weak voice barely audible as she begged Gabe to take her home. Blood oozed from the corners of her lips, leaving behind a sickening smell of iron. She held onto Gabe's tunic.

Gabe fumbled for Alex's hand, but the doctor stopped him before he could grasp it. He quickly uncoiled the stethoscope around his neck and placed it against Alex's chest. Then he looped it back over his neck.

"I've got a pneumothorax here," he called out. "Where can I put her?"

"Trauma bay six!" someone yelled. "It's not checked in yet."

"Not checked in," the man repeated over his shoulder as he was pushing her down the hallway and he said to the brothers following him, "You'll need to fill out paperwork. Right there. It won't take long."

Gabe stepped forward. "Let me do it. I remember from the last time we were here."

They watched as a swarm of scrubs descended on Alex and took over pushing her into the trauma bay. When the paperwork descended next, Gabe painstakingly filled it out, remembering the name of Godeaux, and to blame the now-dead Morgan. He used the address that Morgan had stalked Alex to as the home address, and the doctor's office as the work address. He listed Morgan's description as the assailant and his first name.

Finally, exhaustion set in and he released a shaky breath of relief when he realized the forms were complete. He sent a silent thank you to the Portal Guardian who had made them accessible with automatic translation. "How is Alex?" he asked the unit clerk as he handed in the last form.

"I don't know. I can check," the clerk said.

The clerk spoke to a nurse's aide, who spoke to the licensed vocational nurse, who had to track down the registered nurse, who had to call the operating room nurse.

"She's doing well," the clerk said. "Chest tube is in and lung re-inflated. They explored and sutured some other knife wounds, but other than that, she's doing well. She'll be back in the room shortly, but she's sedated. You'll be allowed a brief visit. Mr. Godeaux, then you'll have to leave. Visiting hours aren't until tomorrow."

"Mr. Godeaux," Rile hissed softly once Gabe sat next to him in the hard plastic chair.

"Shut up." Gabe rubbed his eyes, a weary gesture.

Cale sat still, his fingers twitching as if they could create a canvas out of thin air. "Let's pray a prayer of healing for Alex," he said.

"You pray." Rile stood up and paced the waiting room with its yellowed tile floors and concrete block walls. After a moment, he added, "I can't remember the prayer." His voice cracked, then trailed away into silence. He looked down at his hands helplessly.

Gabe's body tensed, and he curled himself into a tight ball in the chair. He shut his eyes, his breath heavy and his fingers gripping the chair armrests as if trying to ground himself. Suddenly, a woman in pink scrubs appeared by his side and gently touched his shoulder.