Hades

Chapter 6: Friend or Foe?

Tick, tock. Tick, tock. Tick, tock.

The scene replayed through his mind hundreds of times within the timespan of minutes. He bounced his leg out of habit as he sat in an uncomfortable chair, placed outside a particular room. All that could be done now was to wait. Minutes soon turned into hours, but he didn't care. This was his fault anyway and he was going to fix it before he left.

The air had an underlying scent of bleach, which required getting used to. The pungent smell would make anyone who had never smelled it before nauseous; it was unwelcoming.

He was used to it.

He's been through this a countless amount of times. The more he finds himself in the building that reeked of death, the more he remembered his work. The more out of place he felt. The more he pushed people away.

Oh, the irony.

"She's awake now."

Her words brought him back to reality and he eagerly stood up, towering over the small nurse. He tried to mask the look of hope on his face but it just made him look constipated.

Aurora's father, who was seated across from him, stood up simultaneously with just as much energy. If not more.

"Which one is-"

"I'm the family; I'm her father." He spoke before the other man had a chance to. "I don't know who that is."

His words were laced with venom, pertaining an obvious hatred towards the man he's never met before. He was a kind man, but his love for his family and his protectiveness traits outweighed any other emotion.

"Sir, I'm sorry"- she turned to face him- "but if you're not a family member nor a significant other you can't-"

The rest of her words faded away. He couldn't hear them even if he wanted to. They, too, were familiar and it stung.

This is my fault, he thought, frowning. If I hadn't intervened, then....

But I had to.

He regained his posture, nodded, and handed Aurora's father the bouquet of cheap flowers he purchased downstairs while waiting. A few petals fell off at the quick action.

This is what normal people do, right? He thought, skimming the overly priced pathetic excuses for flowers they had for purchase at the hospital. Flowers will make her happy, right?

Peonies were much lovelier.

The cashier tried not to look taken aback at the sight. A tall, broad chested, handsome man clothed in all black despite the hot weather outside. Buying flowers. She had seen many abnormal things come through the hospital doors, but this was a first. Maybe he's here to support a girlfriend? He didn't seem like the type.

After poking and prodding at the already dying bouquets, he chose the one that looked the most alive, tossed it on the counter and pulled a credit card from his pocket.

Would it anger her if she knew?

She wouldn't know, though. She couldn't. How could he even begin to explain to her who he was, where he came from and what his intentions were. He didn't even know his own intentions, or why he had acted so recklessly and intervened. This was the first time he had done so, and for the first time, he succeeded in actually saving her.

Shouldn't he be praising himself?

Aurora's father seemed surprised at the gesture, hesitantly accepting the flowers. After that, he hurried into the hospital room where his daughter lay.

Was it worth saving her?

"Aurora!" Her father choked on a sob.

His heart twinged upon hearing Aurora's father's worrisome voice. His heart twinged because all he wanted to do at that moment was embrace her too. He shouldn't have come up from the underworld. He should never come up again.

He ran his fingers through his hair for the millionth time that day. Just leave, he told himself. What am I still doing here.

His body seemed to comply, and he turned around. Slowly making his way out of the hospital, Hades racked his brain for any excuse to make for himself being in this position. He got himself into this mess in less than a mere week. God of the underworld?

More like god of mischief.

"Aurora Aurora Aurora." Tears started streaming down his face as her father held her hand, scanning her body of all the injuries she had acquired. Cuts and bruises littered her arms. There was one on her cheek too, and a large part of her arm was bandaged tightly. It was tinted red under the layers of white.
His eyes widened at the sight of this and he repeated her name again, sounding even more pained.

"I knew something was wrong! I knew it! When 5:30 passed and you weren't home and I got an unknown call on my cellphone-"

The rest of the night was filled with her father smothering her with worry and love, alongside Aurora apologizing continuously for not driving safely. Her father didn't even acknowledge her apologies, never believing it could be his daughters fault.

A nurse dropped by every hour or so, making sure she was still okay. The doctor had suggested that Aurora should spend the night due to the outcome of the car accident. He explained that somewhere along the line, Aurora's head must have bounced off the concrete, causing a concussion.

Aurora's dad almost fainted at this explanation.

She made sure she didn't explain to her father nor the cops what actually happened. She had to figure it out for herself.

But how was she going to find him?

"Aurora" He gasped, walking inside the room quickly. "I came here as fast as I can oh my god."

"I hope you don't mind I called Dean too, sweetie. He was so worried when I told him I-I just had to!"

Aurora stiffened at the sound of her ex best friend's name, but welcomed his warm embrace.

The hug was long and filled with emotion. Aurora would've hugged back, but she hadn't moved her arm yet in fear and she didn't want to try just yet.

She didn't want to admit it, as childish as that seemed, but she missed him.

"I'm so fucking glad you're okay." Dean dragged a nearby chair to the opposite side of the hospital bed of where her father was seated. "How did it happen? Was it your fault?"

Aurora internally sighed, hoping she could get some rest before being juiced of more information about what had happened. The cops already questioned her, as did the nurses, and she was just tired.

Dean shrugged off his jacket, and Aurora knew it was going to be a long night filled with lies.

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