Night shift - Completed

Chapter 45

Calum's PoV

The guys all sat round me as I stared off into the distance. This was it. The phone call I had been dreading. I felt sick.

"Mr Hood? Are you there?" The caller asked just as Ashton snatched the phone out of my hand and put it on loudspeaker, gesturing at everyone to stay silent.

"Sorry, yes." Ashton answered for me, trying his best to sound like me. If this was any other day, or a prank call, I'd have been laughing at him and punching him in the arm but not this time. This time I could barely function.

"I said, I'm sorry to call you but you're the only person we have on record for Miss Knight. I'm afraid she was involved in a very serious incident and is currently in the hospital..." A recognisable voice rang out across the room for the four of us to hear. We all exchanged worried glances.

"H-how serious?" I managed to stutter out, rubbing my sweating palms onto my trouser legs.

"I'm afraid I can't really discuss this over the phone with you Calum - I mean Mr Hood. Especially because you are, how do I put this nicely, a well known man." She was scared someone would be tapping the phone lines to get information. I wanted to be mad at her but I knew I couldn't be. She was only doing her job. My eyes fell to the floor again, losing the ability to form words or sentences.

"Can we, err I, come to the hospital to see Poppy and discuss the matter?" Ashton was back pretending to be me, trying to make me look like a functioning human being instead of a blubbering mess.

"I'm afraid not, Hence the phone call. Unfortunately, she has had to be put in isolation until tests come back." The nurse's voice saddened, like she was just as affected by this as we all were.

"What tests?" I snapped, my brows furrowing at the phone. "What did that fucker do to Poppy?" I went to grab the phone but Ashton moved it away so that we could all hear the response, something else I was scared of. What had I left her with? What could I have prevented had I been there with her?

"Calum, I appreciate you are upset but I cannot give any more information out. Poppy is a fantastic lady, an absolute gem to work with, and I'm just as mad as you that someone has put her in this state. Now," her voice went low and quiet. "I'm willing to discuss this with you as friends but you have to understand that you cannot under any circumstances try to see her. They will refuse you entry. I can tell you everything I know." We were all leaning against each other to hear the quietened message.

"O-Okay." Ashton answered for me again. "Where shall I meet you?"

"Just head to reception and ask for Mavis. She'll call me down." Mavis? That lovely lead nurse from when I was in the hospital? She's on the same ward I was?

"Thank you Mavis. We owe you one." And with that, she hung up. The room fell silent for a moment, Ashton carefully handing me the phone back as I stared off into oblivion. This was Dave's fault. Hell it was mine too, but he should have looked out for her. Thanks to him, she's now in isolation. I can't even go in the same room as her. I can't touch her, kiss her, hug her. I can't cuddle with her as she rests her head on me as we talk about things and laugh. Before I knew it, I had thrown my phone across the room, letting out an angry cry. I threw my head in my hands as I, for the first time, let my emotions get the better of me. The guys were there for me, soothing me and saying it would be okay. Would it? How did they know? What the fuck did they do to help? I ripped myself away from them and hobbled to my feet.

"I'm going to the hospital." I stated as I limped off to my room to get ready. Mavis was a blessing. She was going to fill me in and put all the doubts in my head away. At least I would know how she was and if she did a good job fighting.

"You'll need to take someone with you!" Luke called after me. I threw on a pair of grey joggers and a hoodie, not really caring what I looked like right now. I grabbed my crutches and headed for the door, only to be stopped by Michael.

"You can't go alone. You need to take Dave or Jack." He warned but I shoved him to the side as I headed out the door, jumping in the lift to make my way to the hospital.
By the time the ground floor bell dinged, the doors opened to reveal Jack standing there with a brow raised and his arms folded.

"Going somewhere?" He smirked. I just rolled my eyes as I shuffled past him on my crutches and headed for the door. "Cal, I'm sorry mate but I've got to come with you." He called as he jogged to catch up with me. We got in the car together and he drove me to the hospital in silence. "Hey, I'm sorry about Poppy. And Dave. As much as I agree with him contractually, that sucked as a human being." I merely glared over to him before looking back towards the road.
It didn't take long for us to arrive at the back entrance and get let through. I spoke to the receptionist and within seconds Mavis had appeared from the side and waved me to follow her. She took us down a long corridor to a "family room" which she unlocked to let us in.

"Forgive me for the secrecy, Calum." She said as she locked the door from the inside. "Very few people have a key to this room and it is sound proofed. Nothing we say in here can be heard outside." I smiled at her for a second before my head fell back down, looking at the floor.

"I appreciate anything you can tell me Mavis, you know that." I said to the floor, but she shuffled closer and put a hand on my shoulder giving it a comforting squeeze. I sat with my hands between my knees, gaze to the floor as she began to describe the situation Poppy was in. Boy, Kyle had messed her up badly.

"The police got there with seconds to spare." She said regrettably. "Poppy passed out before they'd even managed to detain the man. They radioed for an ambulance instantly. This man he-" Mavis cut herself off, not sure on how to word it. I looked up at her for the first time since she'd started explaining and she saw the hurt in my eyes. "He bit her." She continued, making my body tense instantly.

"He fucking what?" I received a punch from Jack, telling me to watch my language but I couldn't care. Kyle bit her? Like a hickey or like a zombie?

"I'm sorry Calum. He bit her, like a zombie would. In the neck." Mavis could barely believe what she was saying just as much as I could barely believe what I was hearing. "She's got a few cuts on her face that will need stitches and quite a few bruises, especially where he grabbed her." I rubbed my hands over my face. No way was this real. This guy was an animal and I left her with him. "To be honest, I don't know how she did it but she got out of it quite well."

"Shit. This is all my damned fault." I spoke through my hands which were still on my face.

"Why? Did you know he was going to be there?" Mavis piped up, making me look over to her instantly with innocence on my face.

"N-no. Not at all."

"Then it's not your fault." She shrugged. "I don't see how it could be. It was just an unfortunate run in. The man has been arrested."

"I should have tried to help her." I tried to justify my thinking.

"In your state? With how strong that man was, he probably would have re-shattered your ankle in an instant. It was probably best you weren't there too." Mavis offered, grabbing a hand in hers to soothe me. "I need to get back, we've got a lot of tests to run to do with that bite. The moment she can have visitors we'll let you know." I sighed defeatedly.

"Thank you Mavis. For everything."