Speak Now & Surprises [Hunter Hayes fanfic]

Chapter 36

It all seemed to happen in slow motion and I’m still not sure of half of it – all I remember clearly is the glazed look that appeared over George’s eyes as the sedative worked its way into his bloodstream. I struggled against the sweaty hand that was clamped over my mouth and preventing me from screaming, edging my way up enough to bite it as hard as I could.

The male nurse shook him self away from me so fast that I fell to the floor, scrabbling at the end of George’s bed for support. I could see my prosthetic leg on the other side of George’s bed – the male nurse must’ve kicked it there after he knocked it off my left stump.

“You dropped her? Really Nick, you had one job and you messed it up!” Lisa yelled nastily at the male nurse.

“She bit me!” he cried and held out his hand indignantly. The back half of his hand was punctured and little blood droplets were appearing rapidly from indents that were just about the size of my teeth...

Smack.

A fist from somebody shorter than Nick collided with his temple and I watched him fall to a crumpled heap to the floor. His assailant skidded towards me and helped me up, swearing profanities and oaths of murder for everybody to hear.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Hunter screamed to Lisa, spit flying and a vein sticking out of his chin. He was livid.

Lisa didn’t react to Hunter, but moved towards the wrinkled mess upon the wheel marked tiles that was Nick and slowly shook him.

“You’ve killed him!” she whimpered, before raising her hands to shield her own face from Hunter.

We all froze and looked at Nick; he wasn’t moving, he didn’t seem to be breathing – Lisa was right, Hunter had killed him.

“I-I didn’t, I didn’t want, I didn’t mean to,” he stuttered completely submerged in guilt and blame until the thin, piercing noise tore through his apologies. We all turned in unison to see the long straight line that darted across George’s monitor.

By now we had an audience of mostly patients, but also a few trainee nurses and doctors that were on the terminal illness ward too. This is where everything became a real blur to me...

“You’ve got to do something! Do something!” I screeched wildly, thrashing about on the floor. George was turning paler by the second and I couldn’t quite grasp the slippery surface of his faux-silk sheets long enough to haul myself up and save him. “Do something!” I continued until the screams turned into wails and then subsided into sobs.

I looked around and inhaled the fresh scent of bleach – funny, I hadn’t seen anyone sterilizing the ward just now.

Wait – I wasn’t even in the terminal illness ward anymore; that low, depressive atmosphere was lifted, and the sound of practised, certified voices resonated in my ears. I listened to their careful tones for a while as my final memories trickled into my mind like a hot spring. Ouch. My stump was still sore from Nick kicking my prosthetic leg out from beneath me. I wondered briefly what had happened to it.

“Miss Shelby Clarice White – a word, please?” a trained accent asked me courteously.

The police man stood to the right of me wearing the stereotypical law enforcement outfit. He smoothed his Prussian blue trousers as I assessed him, trying to formulate the correct words in my mouth. I couldn’t, so instead I nodded.

“I’d like to ask you a few questions about the reported abuse of the Hippocratic Oath. The said incident took place this morning at eleven forty-eight. Surveillance cameras are being reeled and processed.” He spoke in that same qualified voice.

“Is George okay?” I queried half-heartedly, already knowing the answer. The officer shook his head gravely and looked back up, wanting answers off me.

I licked my lips and tried to tell him things as clearly as I could remember, about how George hadn’t wanted to go to sleep but Lisa had forced him to anyway, about how roughly I as a disabled citizen had been handled and maltreated, and that Hunter had arrived on his own accord without my summoning and that his actions were purely in defence for me and George.

The officer made few ‘mm’s and ‘ah’s whilst taking notes. I thought I saw a wire beneath his shirt and suspected a voice recording was being taken of me also. Before he left he asked me if I had any questions.

“What’s happened to Hunter?” I managed to choke out, knowing that I couldn’t be able to breathe if Hunter was being punished for my mishaps.

“Dr. Nicholas Felton was not killed, only knocked unconscious by the blow supplied by Mr. Hunter Hayes. Mr. Hunter Hayes is currently being charged with grievous bodily harm but charges may be dropped after further investigations and testimonies from both sides. Thank-you for your time Miss Shelby White.” The officer informed me before sweeping out of the room as if he’d never been there, squeaking his black shoes on the way out.

I slowly sank my head into my hands and combed them threw my hair. It felt grimy and oily. For a split second I wondered if the staff would let me use the bathroom alone or if I’d be quarantined and recorded.

Don’t be stupid Shelby, yet again you’re the victim here.

The clatter of un-coordination pulled me up out of my reverie, as I assessed the girl in the powder blue pinafore in front of me. Her long ginger hair was braided into a single plait and secured with a black bow and her nervous fingers fumbled through the sheets clipped to the note board that she clenched so preciously to her chest.

“Sorry about earlier Miss White – aw hell.” She cursed as the note board smashed to the floor. “First day on the job.” She said apologetically in a rough New York accent. I wondered if she was an intern or actually employed here, either way I was glad to be rid of my old nurse.

“I’m Nurse Tandy, and you’ve got visitors.” She smiled once her composure was regained.

“Thanks,” I answered, “And you don’t have to call me Miss White, please call me Shelby.”

“Right you are Miss White – I mean, Shelby.” She giggled and left. I laughed with her as she walked out the door, she couldn’t have been older than twenty.

Grant, Claire and Liz walked in with horrified expressions smattered on their faces. I guessed they’d heard about today’s previous events.

“Shelby we’re getting you out of here as soon as possible. We’ve booked you a room in the Lincoln hospital and everything’s sorted with this hospital. We’re leaving tomorrow.” Grant announced, his usual humour had vanished and been replaced with tones of disgust and outrage. Claire and Liz seemed on the verge of tears, but didn’t say anything.

“Really, I’m okay.” I tried to reassure them, “Where’s Hunter?”

Nobody answered.
“Where’s Hunter?” I asked a little more sternly. Liz sighed and threw her arms up in the air.

“You may as well just tell her, Grant!” she exclaimed hopelessly. Claire turned to look at her lover and gave him the nod of approval. Grant took a deep breath, averting my eyes.

“He’s at the police station.”