With A Cherry On Top

Chapter Fifty-eight: Next time catch a grenade instead

Song: Golden by Harry Styles

Chapter Fifty-eight: Next time catch a grenade instead

I told the Officer James about my metal anklet on my leg and that we needed to sort that out before any questions and he said we could do it here. I had to heat it in a small, enclosed vessel that was heated from below. So that was probably gonna hurt a lot. I mean I would get burns.

I wasn't used to pain, but the amount I had felt these past few days in my wrist, my ankle, and today, throughout my body, was a lot. Wasn't that the best way to spend my eighteenth birthday?

Birthdays are overrated.

Are they?

That is just me trying to make you feel better.

Horrible job you're doing.

I was on a hospital bed and the nurse just finished applying an ice pack to my ankle for the burns.

"I am going to wrap it with a bandage now." She stated as she took the bandage from a table beside her. Even though she wrapped it gently around my ankle, I still winced. "I am so sorry." She apologized. I just nodded and assured her it was fine.

"Your burns are going to heal in 2 weeks leaving minimal scarring. You should probably wait in the bed. Your ankles were already weak and bruised before, but adding the heat to it has made it so much worse. The officer said your parents were almost here."

"Thank you." I nodded to her.

She just nodded and started heading out. Then she stopped and turned around. "I am sorry for what happened to you."

"Does everybody know?"

"Everyone that watches the news. Your face has been on for the past week during their search for you."

I just nodded at her as she left the room.

Once she was out, I stood up from the bed and limped to the door.

Ouch.

My ankle hurt badly so I was on my tiptoes. And my whole body ached from being shot with a lot of pain in the past hour and a half. But I'm sure Zane felt worse.

He can't feel anything, he's unconscious.

I needed to see him.

I opened the door to hospital room only to be met with Jay on the other side. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you." He looked down at my leg. "Do you plan to walk around the hospital without shoes?"

"Yes. Shouldn't you be checking on your brother? What even happened to him?"

He pocketed his hands and rolled his lips inward. "He was coming after you so I shot him in the leg."

"You shot your brother?"

He bit his lip. "Does that make me a bad person?"

I engulfed him in a hug. "To be able to do that to protect someone else, to protect me, makes you a great person. And I am very grateful to you for that. I am very grateful to you for everything. If not for you, I'd still be in there."

He hugged me back. "You're welcome."

I released him and gave him a small smile. "Not very awkward anymore."

He shook his head and chuckled.

"I need to find Zane." A frown was on my lips when I remembered where he was.

"Even if you did, they wouldn't let you see him. He's probably still in the operating room."

I was about to demand to know where that was when I heard my name, "Nova!!"