Silver can't die

Chapter 5

A consistent, soft beep pulls me from my empty sleep. My eyes crack open and are greeted by paper white, the kind that makes you dread your oncoming treatment.

I sit up, and my fingers drift over to the drip that someone has put in my arm. Still not quite with it, I watch lazily as a silver bubble rolls its way down the fluids and into my skin.

A slight increase in the beep rate comes from the heart monitor. The sharp realisation hits me hard.

Hospital.

I'm in a hospital.

Pain worms its way to my head as I grimace, holding it gingerly.

What happened?

The hounds.

Sempertine.

Agony.

Our mate.

I gasp at the sudden invasion of my head space. How am I still alive? The energy should have killed me. Who saved me?

Mate did, silly.

I yelp and jump off the bed, staggering out into the hall. The last events crash down on me like a ton of bricks. 

I let Sempertine back in my body.

Shit.

A petite nurse comes rushing round the corner, hair flying loose in her hurry. Her eyes widen as she sees me, panic slipping into her eyes. She comes over, helping me support my own weightas she guides me back into the room, helping me lie down.

'I'm sorry miss, but Sir told us not to let you go just yet. We still have to run a few more tests.' She blubbers, clearly only used to docile patients.

My mouth feels like sandpaper, and I'm too thirsty for her words to make any sense.

'Water.' I rasp, wincing at the horrid sound of my own voice.

'Oh! Of course!' She cringes, reaching down into the little freezer next to my bed. 'Forgive me, I'm very new to this. Nurse Collins is out, and she asked me to cover for her, I'm not used to doing this, although I don't doubt you can tell . .  .'

I nod weakly, eyes fixed on the glass of liquid she is currently pouring.

'There!' She says, seeming so pleased that she managed to pour a glass of water that I feel slightly worried. I push all thoughts aside however, as she passes it to me.

I gulp down the water, forgetting that someone else is in the room for a blissful few seconds.

When I'm done, she takes the glass of water and sets it down, pulling out a clipboard from a drawer.

'I just have a few questions, if you don't mind?'

'Where are my friends?'

'Do you mean Sir's generals?'

Wow. They definitely had a lot to tell me. That car conversation was condensed, to say the least. I would have thought Max would have boasted to me about it.

Mate.

I yelp again, hands flying to my head.

'Are you okay?' The poor nurse looks scared, like she doesn't know what to do.

'I'm fine,' I mutter, rubbing my temples. 'My other half is just speaking to me.'

'Oh.' She instantly calms down. 'He said this would happen.'

I frown. 'Who said this would happen?'

'Lord Reaper, miss. He said you would experience your beast's voice inside your head. It is her, right?'

I freeze up, and the words fall from my lips.

'Who brought me here?'

'He said I should say that his name was Max, miss. He said,' she hesitates, and looks at the ground.

I look at her with a sense of impending doom.

'What is it?'

'He . . . he said that Lord Reaper is your mate.'

'Shit.'

My stomach lurches, and I scrabble for the bathroom, barely making it before my stomach empties itself. 

The nurse is behind me, kneading my back with surprisingly steady fingers and making soothing noises.

When I'm done, I rinse my mouth out and spit. A mirror catches my eye, and I watch as a lock of my hair slides around and reveals itself. My heart lurches in my throat as I grab it, holding it up to the light.

From the roots, the usual silver shimmers, but towards the ends, a darker, inky black has swallowed it up. The colour of the void.

I whip around to face the nurse, who looks scared out of her wits. I only hope she has enough left.

'What did he do?' my voice breaks up, and I feel her sympathy even as she looks at the ground as if she might find the answers there.

'I don't know miss. I swear, I would tell you if I could. But he worked great magic. The very foundations of this place shook.'

'Where is he?'

She winces, like the answer is causing her physical pain.

'He said not to be disturbed, miss.'

'You mean he doesn't want to see me.' I whisper.

She finally meets my gaze, and I want to scream at her to not feel sorry for me, that I don't want to see him either, but I just can't bring myself to lie.

'I am sorry, miss.' 

No explanation. Just an apology. My brain zeroes out and my humanity shuts down. I can't let her see me cry. I won't let her see me cry.

In the back of my mind I hear Sempertine cry softly, but I shove her to the side.

'Please call Marcy.'

I feel awful for ordering her around, but I can't think properly right now, and my survival instincts have kicked in. I can't stay here, but I need to know why he saved me if he doesn't care.

She bows low, and sweeps out of the room with a grace that faults her innocent appearance. My mind registers the fact that she has not just been a nurse for the whole of her career, but I let that information slip away.

I stare at the door for a while, my entire being becoming robotic in its nature as I wait. Sempertine is howling in distress, the words I know to be true causing us both pain.

A soft click, and Marcy slides in, her face sympathetic. At that point, I can't help myself. 

I burst into tears.