Infectious

Chapter 15: Jax

The soft beeping of a machine plays the beats of my heart. Every tick is accurately measured. Slowly I open my eyes to the dimly lit room. A somewhat soft mattress holds my laying, aching body. Glancing to my right a metal doctor's cart holds a tray of... food. Stomach growls encourage me to cautiously sit up to reach it. Eagerly I pull it towards me. Without a second thought, I dig my fingers into the slop that had been slapped onto the plate. Mmm.

"I see you found your dinner." Drake walks into the room, leaning against the door frame. I hold my hand up briefly covered in the mystery food before putting it in my mouth.

"What is it?" I ask mouth full.

"You don't want me to tell you man." Drake's lips twitch with a tempting smile. My stomach does a flip, but ultimately I don't care. Food is food. Once it's all gone I lift the plate to my face, lick it clean, and enter myself into the clean plate club.

"Can you tell me what happened?" My eyebrows raised in questioning. "I don't remember much after tumbling down the stairs." Rubbing above my eyebrow, I try to jog the hazy memory.

"You were out for," He looks down at his flickering watch. Slapping it when it alerts low battery, "Three days in about four hours." Shock punches me in the stomach.

"Three days? There's no way."

"You hadn't eaten in days, Doc said your body was in complete distress, Jax. Being out for a few days is expected."

"What about Kai? I need to see her." Not waiting for an answer I threw the blanket that was haphazardly strewn across my body onto the floor, standing up. Taking a few steps towards the door I feel a slight tug on my forearm. A tube runs from my arm back to an IV bag hanging by the bedside. With a grunt, I rip it from my body. Blood swells from the hole left behind. Running down to my fingertips and dripping onto the floor.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Drake closes the distance between us, places both his hands on my shoulders, and tries hard to get me back in the bed.

"Get off me, Drake!" I shake him off with minimal effort. He's never stood a chance against my strength. "I need to see her!" I seethe. He lifts his hands in defeat.

"Okay, okay. I heard you, just-" His face drops solemnly. Everything inside of my body runs cold. Oh god, please, please don't let her be dead. I have to see for myself. I shake my head from side to side not believing what he's about to tell me.

"I don't want to hear it, okay?" I sidestep him, leaving him standing there alone, no more time can be wasted.

"Kai?" I yell down the hallway. Cool bare feet pounding against the tiled floor. Looking into every closed door, a fire deep within my gut begins to burn. An unfamiliar rage propelled me forward. "Kai, where are you?"

Bursting through the second to last door on the left I find her. Laying still, skin lacking pigment where it showed from beneath the same kind of blanket I had been given. Breathing heavily, and a bit unsteady, I stumble towards her. "Kai..." Coming out as a whisper.

"Jax! Wait!" I turn back towards the door as Drake runs down the hall toward us.

"Hey..." Barely audible, I almost don't hear her. Overwhelming joy has a smile spread wide across my face. Relief washing away the burning rage. Turning back to her, I fall to my knees. Tears roll down my cheeks giving away the happiness I feel. Her shaking hand reaches out to swipe them away carefully. Tilting my head, I lean into her touch. My Kai. Alive.

"Hey." I half laugh looking into her bright, stunning eyes. Shining with the life she's fighting to hold onto. Her dry lips tighten attempting to smile back at me, only to crack and bleed a bit.