Sweetheart

96

"Be honest, doctor. How bad is it?" Kelia asked.

"It missed the arteries, which is a good sign. As I said earlier, the blade recovered at the scene was rusted, and we found fragments embedded in the wound, which means it started to split. We were able to get most of the fragments out, but we can't do anything else until the swelling goes down. And that depends on any potential infections."

"His chances?"

"He survived a near-fatal gunshot wound. He's a fighter, I'll give him that. But something like this..."

"I understand completely. We've been through this before with my husband. You said he's on antibiotics?"

"We have to assume it's infected, so we're trying to get ahead and slow down any blood infection."

Back in the room, Aina clung onto the edges of the bed as she tried to calm herself down.

"Can I get you anything, hun?" One of the nurses offered. "Do you want some water or a snack?"

She wordlessly shook her head as she tried to catch her breath.

"Miss," she spoke, "do you promise that he'll be okay?"

The nurse ethically could not make that promise, so she gave the usual 'we are going to do everything we can' before offering her a drink again. Kelia re-entered the room, immediately stepping towards her daughter and placing her hands on her daughter's shoulders.

"We need to go home."

"I don't want to."

"He needs to rest, Aina. Staying here isn't going to change anything. You have to let them work."

"But--"

"We can come tomorrow. I promise."

Aina took one last look at Natsu before reluctantly nodding and following her mother out to the parking lot.

"What if he dies when we're not there?" She quietly questioned.

"Aina, you can't think like that."

"But what if it happens?" Aina pushed.

"It won't."

-------

The words hurt her to even type, but she was in need of comfort, so she sent a message to the trio's group chat.

Found Natsu.

Lucy was the first one to answer.

Oh cool. How'd he react?

He's in the hospital and it's bad.

Her phone immediately rang, and she was greeted by Lucy's loud voice.

"What do you mean he's in the hospital? What the hell happened?"

"Apparently someone stabbed and shot him."

Levy was added, and she seemed just as panicked as Lucy.

"Is he okay, A?"

"Of course he's not okay, Levy," Lucy corrected. "Being shot is definitely not okay."

"She wants to be a doctor, Lucy," Aina reminded. "She knows that."

"Anyway," Lucy dismissed, "how is he?"

"He was shot in the shoulder, but they got it out and said that he was lucky with that."

"Definitely. The subclavian artery is right there," Levy explained.

"There's a complication with the stabbing," Aina revealed. "Apparently the knife was rusted or dirty or something and they think he might have an infection. If it gets to his bloodstream..."