The Enhanced

Chapter Thirty

I knew a head injury was bad. The head was the worst part of the body to injure. And so, Hayden agreed to help me carry him in to make sure he wasn't badly concussed.

I knew it would cost money, but I didn't care. I would pay for it. Hopefully there would be nothing wrong and Aiden would be fine.

Hayden and I didn't talk much, it felt like something had completely changed between us. His parents were meant to arrive within an hour or two and he seemed to be coming with his injuries.

Aiden sat next to us, slumped in the chair, lopsided. I had expected the doctors to make more of a fuss since he had hit his head and he was unconscious, but they were noticeable busy so I supposed that was why we had to wait.

I had heard and read about hospitals during my time at the facility. It resembled the Infirmary most, with its white walls, and squeaky floors, there were nurses and doctors and the same type of stretchers too.

But in here, people had very different injuries. In the Infirmary, girls were usually admitted for serious illnesses such as flu and for injuries usually inflicted during combat training. Whereas, here, people had severed fingers from chopping onions and a broken arm from getting so disgustingly drunk the night before. It was very different.

We all sat in the Emergency Room for nearly an hour until suddenly doctors came around the corner and pulled Aiden onto a stretcher and carried him away, calling me after them.

I say goodbye to Hayden who was nursing his very broken arm and burned hand as I left.

Aiden didn't wake up during any of the tests. It made the doctors worry and it made me worry. It had been hours since the initial injury. He should have been awake by now.

They do X-Rays and MRIs and every other test that can they can think of, carting us around the whole hospital every ten minutes.

I didn't enjoy being at the hospital, the place resembled the facility much too much for my own comfort. Bright lights and white floors and there were doctors everywhere. It made me feel on edge, exposed.

It was early morning by the time they set us up in an overnight private room and left us alone for a few hours as tests results came back, the few that came back instantaneously were luckily positive and so I had hope that Aiden was fine and would experience no lasting effects from this incident.

I didn't see Hayden again after that. I hadn't even gotten to tell him about the fact that we couldn't see each other. The night had been an absolute disaster.

I had already arranged a later payment with the hospital as Aiden didn't have any health insurance, so I wasn't worried about the finances of it all, I was confident that I would have enough to cover it, hopefully.

At around six in the morning, the doctors finally leave us alone, giving a few hours of peace, and also a chance to sleep.

Aiden was showing no signs of waking up and I begin to feel more and more anxious staying here. But I cannot leave him, there was no one else that could sit here with him. So I would.

After a while, I slip my shoes off and climb onto the bed next to Aiden, careful not to jostle him in any way for fear of making anything worse.

Then, I snuggle into his shoulder and finally find some comfort and fall asleep.

*

*

*

"-but she can't be up there, sir" a far off voice calls.

"It's fine. Just leave here. Just for a bit." A closer voice insists.

I move my arms and then my legs and then finally my head before my eyelids open and I am back in the hospital room.