Trained One ✓

Chapter 13

*If you're reading this right after I updated, I also updated chapter 12 so make sure you didn't miss that!*
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We entered the hospital with Ben's phone practically glued to his ear.

The question was on the tip of my tongue: what were we doing? But I wasn't about to ask. Again.

Travis led the way in, looking hell-bent on whatever mission he had in his head. Jay and Ben were in either side of me. Jay kept sending me looks. Like he was just warning me to keep my mouth shut. I kept returning the same look back to him because I wasn't stupid.

We were in a hospital with a bunch of professional staff. I wasn't about to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves. Well, more than we might already be getting. I told myself we would be okay, though. Maybe no one would even notice us as Travis continued on. Maybe we just looked like four very concerned friends of a patient.

For all I knew, we were.

Travis stopped before a set of double doors and turned on his heel to look back at Ben.

"Nothing," Ben said, waving his phone in his hand.

He pushed the doors open and we continued into the hospital, up the stairs which I didn't know why we couldn't take the elevators but whatever. I grabbed my side as it started to cramp as Travis finally exited on a floor. Ben paused, holding the door open for me but didn't bother to do the same for Jay.

As I followed behind Travis, I noticed a few people in the halls cast us glaces. Others stepped out of our way. I suddenly felt very odd walking in the middle of the three very tall, very intimidating men. They seemed to know where they were going, or had an idea because Travis wasn't darting in and out of every room. And they at least knew why they were here. Travis' steps were confident and he looked like he was ready to strangle someone if they got in his way as he stormed down the hall. Not the best place to look like the hoodie-wearing grim reaper in. I started to slow down to give them space to do whatever it was they needed to do. I didn't really want to get in their way and they were a bit daunting to take in if I was being honest.

Ben looked back at me with a frown and grabbed my shoulder, hurrying me along to fall back into place between the three of them.

"Stay close," he said before redialling on his phone.

Travis heard Ben and turned back slightly to glance at me, as if to double check I was behaving like a kid in the backseat of a car.

We walked by a reception desk and I wanted to say it looked just like the floor I was on with Dylan and Josh when we went to visit Andrew, but I felt like all floors here probably looked the same. So I kept quiet.

When the hallway split, I wondered which way we were going as I read the signs for different room numbers and departments on the wall.

"I'll go this way," Jay said, not giving me much time to even read the signs before he turned left.

Travis, Ben and I went right. For what? I had no idea. But at least I knew they weren't exactly positive which way to go, if Jay had to split off at this point. I kept this observation to myself.

I had to walk quickly to keep up with Travis and Ben. When we rounded a corner, I spotted a familiar face.

Ah. So that's why we were here.

"Eli," Ben called out, lowering his phone and putting it in his pocket.

The man's head snapped up at us and his eyes widened slightly before he jogged over to us.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked. I could see the panic flicker in his eyes before he calmed down.

"Where's your phone?" There was anger in Travis' voice.