Code Black [The Experiments Book 1]

Chapter 13: The Hospital

Chapter 13: The Hospital

            “Okay, we’ll have to sew your knee up, but it looks like it would heal within a week,” Dr. Shultz said.  He was very tall and blonde with sleek features.  “You heal very quickly young miss.” He smiled behind his glasses.

            “Yeah, I have to,” I said, knowing that he already knew I was a freak.  My wings spread out in plain sight, he checked them for any strain from carrying Dugger and when the cougar fell on me.  I heard a crack when it hit a rock as the cougar went limp.

            “They say that most supernaturals heal quickly, but your friends don’t seem to be healing fast, especially Jerome.” He started to sew up my leg, but I couldn’t feel pain anymore.  The morphine helps, he only needed to use a little, since I already couldn’t feel my leg very much.

            “Is Dugger supernatural,” I asked, wondering why he said both of them should be healing faster.

            “Yeah, he can shape shift.  He is healing fast, but not as fast as he should be.  Jerome doesn’t seem to be healing very much, but I think it’s because he was hardly alive and in one piece when he got here.  He lost a lot of blood, and his muscles were torn apart.  He also has a broken arm and a few ruptured ribs.”

            “Ouch, do you think he will make it,” I asked, completely unsure of what I said.  My dizziness got worse from the morphine.

            “Yes, he is actually doing better now.  I think he’s determined to live for some reason.  If he didn’t care about living this much, he would be dead.  What I don’t understand is why he won’t heal faster, fairies are extremely fast healers,” he said as a-matter-of-fact.  He smiled at me, and I wondered what he was thinking about.

            “How do you know so much about supernatuals,” I asked as he put in the last stitch.  He tied and cut the string before he answered.

            “I am one,” he said looking up at me.  He start wrapping my leg in gauze so the stitches wouldn’t catch on anything. “I have extremely good vision, that’s why I am so good at being a doctor.  I’m very good in the surgery room.”

            “Oh, that’s cool.  I have good vision too…well better than humans anyways,” I said, trying to make myself feel better.  I was having another rough day.

            “Yeah, I noticed,” he said laughing, I couldn’t help but smile.

            “Can I see Jerome,” I asked.  I worried about Jerome, and I couldn’t bear to think he could die.

            “He’s asleep, but I guess it’s okay, come with me,” he lead me to the door and down the hallway.  He opened the door to a white room that blinded me as I walked in.  No lights were on, but the light from the sun gleaming through the window made it too bright for my eyes’ liking.

            I walked into the hospital room.  It smelt of blood, anesthetics and cleanliness, not a good combination.  Jerome lay down on the bed, his face filled with blood, and he was really quiet and still. His eyes were closed, as if he was sleeping. Tubes came out of his nose and hand.  I cringed at the sight of them.  It looked uncomfortable.

            “I’ll leave you two, but I’ll come back in a little while,” Dr. Shultz said as he walked out the door.  He closed the door slowly, looking at me with a flirtatious smile.   I walked over to the chair near the window on the opposite side of the room.  I stared out into the sunlight, wondering if Jerome and Dugger’s parents came to see them.  I also wondered if my parents decided to come.  They always do if I get hurt.

            “Hey,” someone behind me said.  I tuned around and looked into Jerome’s half closed eyes.  He sniffled a little, probably trying to get use to the tubes in his nose.  I felt my heart sink at the sight of him, as I really took in his damaged features.

            “Hey, how are you,” I asked walking over to the bed and kneeling beside it.  I could hear the steady beep of the cardiac monitor on the other side of the bed.  I rested my chin on my arms, leaning on the bed.

            “I fel horruble,” he said gurgling.  The tubes and bloody nose prevented him from talking normally, “but I’m butter then before. Why are you here anyways?”

            “I was attacked too,” I said, showing him my leg.  He looked at it for a few moments, disappointed about something, but I felt it wasn’t towards me.

            “I meant in thus rum,” he looked at the wall across from him, trying to keep his eyes away from me so I couldn’t see the tears filling his eyes.

            “I don’t know…I guess I was worried about you,” I said truthfully.  I realized my wings were a little unfolded, meaning they were completely visible.  He looked at them for another moment, not being able to concentrate very well.  I blushed from embarrassment, and tried to tuck my sore wing to my back, but failed.

            “I’m fune, you don’t habe to worry but me,” he said, he looked at me; his eyes were a dark hazel now.  He looked dramatized by the attack.  “Wha happened tu Dugger?”

            “He’s fine; they’re stitching his arm up.  He saved your life you know,” I said, remembering Dugger’s frightened face when we were under the waterfall with the wolves.  He said he dragged the cougar away from Jerome.  I should make a list of people worthy of thanks for today, first Jerry, Dugger, Jodie, and maybe Vanessa and Grace, since they called Jodie.

            “Yeah, I hab tu rumumber to thunk hum,” he said.  For a few moments, neither of us talked, we just looked at each other.  It was a little awkward at first, but then he smiled.  “Thanks, I think a lot more people wud have gotten hurt if you weren’t here.  Before the cugar attacked me, I noticed a luttle girl of in the dustance, but then I suw you pick her up.  When you flew off, the cugar saw me an attacked.”  So he saw me with Rosabella.  I didn’t notice I actually saved her from a cougar, I didn’t even see the cougar.

            “I didn’t here the cougar when I was there,” I said, realizing Jerome must have distracted it and saved both of our lives.  I felt something grow in the pit of my stomach, like painful hum, but it made me feel happy.

            “Well it wuz, and if you hadn’t been there, the girl would have been eaten.” He put his hand on my cheek and spoke the next words clearly, “you’re a hero to a lot of people.”  His eyes brightened as he looked into my eyes.  In the next moment, my heart raced loudly and I couldn’t control my actions. I leaned down toward him, and his eyes grew wide. Our faces pressed together, and my lips pressed against his as I slowly closed my eyes.  I heard the cardiac monitor beeping faster, to the point where I thought he would explode.  Why was I doing this?  I had a boyfriend.  I only pulled away when I heard the door handle click open.  Jerome’s parents walked in, and I got up, Dr. Shultz waited in the doorway.  I looked at Jerome for a second, and I could see brightness in his eyes.  His monitor still beat swiftly, but it had slowed since the kiss.

            “Your parents will be arriving soon,” he said to me, “so you might want to get back to your own room.”  I got up swiftly, looking back at Jerome for one more moment to give him a reassuring smile.  We walked back down the hall and into my room. I sat in the chair next to the window and didn’t feel the need for a hospital bed. 

            I thought about what just happened.  I had a boyfriend, so why did I kiss Jerome?  Did I have feelings for him I never really thought about?  Miles did bring it up when we talked on the beach, but I hardly thought about it.  I also wondered what I would do about Hunter.  I would deal with it when the time came.  Right now, my heart pumped so hard it hurt, and the fluttering pain in my stomach lingered, making me smile.  I brushed my fingers softly against my lips.  So many thoughts raced through my head I felt like exploding.  I wondered how Jerome felt.  As my parents walked in, I was sucked out of my head, and into the reality of my injury.  My long forgotten, painless injury.