Convergence - The Last Science #2.2 - Heroes and Villains

B2: Chapter 29 - The Battle of Lakewood - VII

  Hailey couldn't sit still. All they told her was that Jessica was still in surgery. The bullets shattered her leg completely, obliterating major sections and causing heavy bleeding— with the high powered guns Viper's people used and at such close range, it was a miracle it hadn't done more damage. She paced up and down the waiting room, while Rika snored curled up in the corner. Jeremy was outside fobbing off the media, who'd followed the cars back to the nearest hospital as soon as they realized Hailey and Jeremy were involved.

  She kept moving, afraid to let her thoughts settle. She'd already done everything she was supposed to do. Jessica's parents were on their way, and she'd even gotten them an escort—the best possible escort she could think of, under the circumstances. They were as safe as Hailey could possibly make them.

  Cinza was on high alert. With the news that Viper was back to being a real player, and willing to go to such lengths, they needed to be ready for anything. She'd called back everyone she'd sent out, and invited several of the most-trusted newly awakened to take sanctuary in the Greywood. Cinza's well-fortified, magically protected haven was secure—but given Viper's knowledge of the area, and the considerable resources backing him in Cornelius Malton, there weren't many other places any of them could feel truly safe.

  Worse, Viper was awakened, unlike Brian and his people. He had access to magic and mundane weapons, and the ability to come up with something new that might blindside them entirely. Hailey knew the golems by now. She knew their limitations, and how to keep them at bay at the very least, and Cinza's people were working on more targeted spells using the golem Scrap. On top of which, Brian played by the rules. His own, insane rules—but rules: only the awakened were valid targets.

  Who knows what rules Viper's playing by...?

  There was no doubt they'd killed more than a few innocent people in the crossfire tonight. Between taking down several houses, the improvised explosives laid into the yards, the gunfight... Hailey shuddered at what the death toll might end up reaching.

  "Hales?" Rika murmured, rolling over. "Did I miss anything?"

  "No..." Hailey sighed. "Still no word."

  "Shit..." Rika sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Sorry I fell asleep."

  "It's okay. One of us really should."

  "You, for sure," said Rika. "You need it way more than I do."

  "I can't." Hailey started pacing again. "I can't miss anything. Not while she's..."

  "Yeah, I know." Rika yawned and stretched out. "You want anything? Maybe the cafeteria's still open."

  "It's three in the morning," she snapped, frustrated.

  Rika shrugged. "Okay, so maybe not."

  Hailey sighed. "I'm sorry."

  "Seriously, Hales. No apologies necessary. I should be the one apologizing to you."

  "Huh?"

  Rika shook her head. "I keep blaming myself for this shit. Because I made that deal with Viper. Gave his boss everything he could dream of."

  "How's that related to this?"

  "Probably isn't, but that's how my fucked up brain works."

  Hailey sighed. She walked over and took a seat, and put an arm around her. "Thank you, Rika."

  "Uhh... for what?"

  "Sticking around. Being my friend."

  Rika coughed. "I'm a pretty shitty friend."

  "Nah." Hailey smiled, though she could barely manage it. "You see anybody else in this waiting room? It's you and me."

  "Points for attendance, then." Rika shrugged. "I guess that's something."

  Hailey nodded. "Hey, speaking of which..."

  "Huh?"

  "Gimme your number. Let's not just meet up every six months whenever the world's ending."

  Rika snorted. "Good call."

  The waiting room doors burst open a minute later, just as they were both starting to settle down a little. Jessica's parents rushed through. Malcolm's face was streaked with tears, and Beth looked like she was in the middle of an active panic attack. Beth opened her mouth as soon as she saw Hailey, but nothing came out. Hailey wouldn't have cared if she'd starting screaming for hours.

  She hurried to them, burying them both in a hug.

  "Is she—"

  "We don't know yet," Hailey whispered.

  "Oh god..." Malcolm collapsed into the nearest chair. His wife followed him, clutching his hand. Neither of them spoke, staring dead-eyed at the emergency room doors. Hailey took a deep breath, trying to keep from breaking down at the sight of them. She turned around to greet the last member of the group—the escort she'd called in.

  "Everything went okay?" she asked.

  "Nothing the whole way here," he replied. "Nobody even recognized us. Had to convince the front desk staff we were for real."

  She smiled. "Thanks, Wes."

  Weston nodded. "Anything, Hales." He hugged her tight, and she melted into his arms for a bit, letting him hold her upright. She didn't want to do it herself anymore. Gravity felt like her worst enemy. "Any news?"

  "No..." Hailey buried her face in his shoulder. Horror flooded her veins like purest ice. She felt magical energy rushing in her chest, but it couldn't do anything for her. "Nothing at all."

  He hugged her tight. "She'll be okay. She was always the strongest of us."

  Hailey didn't move, didn't respond. She couldn't move. Everything felt so wrong. She couldn't bear to see anything anymore. She just kept her face there, pressed into Weston's shirt, standing in the waiting room with the pale buzzing lights above them, while Rika rocked back and forth in the corner trying to keep herself awake, and Jessica's parents clutched each other's hands, pale as ghosts. Nobody spoke another word, waiting desperately to hear the answer to the same question they'd all been asking over and over.

  Waiting for a doctor to come let them know it was going to be a while and they could just go home, only to get declined, and practically shoved back out the door.

  Waiting for the surgery team to return, let them know it was a success and she was in recovery, but that they couldn't see her for a while.

  Waiting for Jessica to wake up and tell them everything would be okay.

  Waiting for anything.

  Waiting.