Dark Stars, Light Stars

Chapter 24 - Dangerously

I loved you dangerously. - Charlie Puth, Dangerously

'JUSTICE!'

I shout at the top of my lungs as I run down the corridor of the agency to the hospital wing. People dodge out of my way and step out of my path to avoid impact. As soon as her ambulance left the scene I got back as fast as I could, but even then that wasn't fast enough. I can't get it out of my head . . . the sound of the bomb exploding, the glass sticking out of her shoulder, her scream. And the blood, oh my God the blood. She was covered in it. Head to toe, and some of it wasn't even hers.

I reach the wing at the end of the hall and burst through the doors, just as I see her being wheeled into surgery. I race towards her and take one her hands in mine, whispering 3 words in my mind before she was wheeled away.

And then I just stood there and watched. Even as Gavin came towards me to see if I was alright, I focused on the doors. Hoping that any second she would come walking through, unharmed, unhurt. Instead, I was left wishing she would be alright.

I didn't notice Elliot until he shook me by the shoulders. It wasn't until then I noticed I was crying either. Not the type of cry that had people rushing towards me to calm me down, but the kind that was silent and only heard by some. I could see the worry in Elliot's eyes, and I knew Elliot could see it in mine.

'Go get something to eat,' Elliot said to me, 'Standing here won't do you any good. And I should know. I go through it almost every day.' He glanced over his shoulder before patting me on the shoulder and walking out of the room.

I scan the area. To my right is a big white desk filled with papers and computers, but no one working them for the moment. Across from there was a waiting area, a coffee table covered in outdated magazines and 6 seats on either side of it. Next to the front door was a refreshment stand with hot drinks, food and water. Definitely something you don't see at a hospital.

I planted myself in one of the chairs and picked up a magazine, but it was no use. The words on the page danced in front of my eyes, messing with my mind and making me feel more useless than I already was. I threw it back onto the table and pulled out my phone, only to find that it was completely flat and staring at a blank screen.

'Excuse me,' I ask a nurse as she walked into the room, 'you wouldn't have a phone charger up there by any chance?'

She nodded and called my over to the desk where she handed me a cord. I plugged in my phone and thanked her.

'Always keep one handy when someone's waiting for a patient of ours. Beats the old magazines any day.' She explained as she flicked through somebody's file, reading quietly to herself. She was quite beautiful if that was appropriate to say. Long blonde hair that she tied half back and bright blue eyes. 'You waiting on the lovely young lady that just went through? Glass I think in her shoulder?' I nodded and she smiled sadly. She looked 23 maybe, not my age. 'It's not the worst I've seen, but it's still very unlucky. How long she been with the Stars?'

I snapped out of my daze and answered her. 'She's not.'

I could see her trying to hide the surprise in both her expression and her voice. 'How was she allowed onto the field?'

I laughed softly to try and lighten the mood. 'It's a bit of a long story I guess.'

'Well,' she started as she threw her patients file onto the desk and planted her head on her hands, 'I have time.'

I smiled as I leaned forward onto the desk and started to explain her situation, and also mine. How we were brought in after an attack at our school and decided to help out on a mission when the boss wasn't around. She laughed at the fact we went behind Gavin's back to do something he would have wanted to do himself, as she said he was a bit of a control freak around the agency. But when you were running an operation this big and important, you'd probably have to be.