Adoration: [Cole X Reader 3]

Chapter Three- Shattered on the Ground

My head pounded and ached as I blinked my eyes open. Through my teeth, I sucked a breath in and the world around me slowly came into focus. Slowly, I managed to propped myself up the slightest bit to look around the room.

I found myself in our makeshift hospital room in the base. A groan slipped through my lips as my head thundered and I gently laid back down in the pile of pillows. On the left side of me was a single couch where Cole lay, asleep.

A hacking fit engulfed me, the coughing burning holes in me. I wrapped a hand around my chest while I covered my mouth with a sleeve, the coughs getting more and more viscous with each second that passed. My grip around myself tightened as Cole started awake, groggily stumbling to my side. He slid his arms under me and slid onto the small hospital bed next to me, holding me close as I coughed and coughed and coughed.

"Breathe, baby. It's okay." He soothed, holding me tight.

I took a strangled breath in, ragged and sharp. I coughed a few more times, before it slowly stilled, my lungs aching and head light.

Pulling my sleeve away from my mouth, I flinched at the sight of blood from where I had coughed into it. Something really wasn't right. Frightened, I met Cole's eyes, who took my hand in his and pressed his forehead to mine. "It's okay. It's okay."

"Everything hurts." I grumbled and gave a pitiful cough once more. He nodded, taking a sharp breath in. "Okay. Okay."

I closed my eyes tight as he pulled away from me to grumble a few words into the intercom system. I wrapped my arms around myself and willed my shaking to cease. "What happened?" I dared to ask, my voice barely a whisper.

Cole shuffled around beside me, taking a few seconds to respond. "You passed out before dinner, yesterday and I just thought you were dehydrated or had some bug... I don't know what's going on and I'm not ready to loose you yet."

I opened my eyes as he came to my side again, silent tears falling from his eyes. Slowly, I lifted a hand to wipe them from his face. "It's okay. We'll be okay. Whatever is happening, we can do this." A slight smile spread across his lips as he picked me up wrapping me in a blanket and carrying me out the door.

Jay met us just as Cole laid me in the back seat of the car. A wild, panicked look was written on his face as he climbed into the back seat of our Jeep and held me close to him. Crickets chirped and the night was quiet which only seemed to make my panic grow louder and roar in my ears. The moon shone in the sky, bright light shining down on us peacefully. "Hey, big brother..." I mumbled which quickly turned into a hacking fit.

"Hey, shh. I know us Walkers are talkative, but try to reign it in a little okay?" His voice was flimsy and rough, but he managed to give me a Jay smile.

Cole flung himself into the drivers seat and barely managed to throw his seatbelt on before speeding down the road. From my place propped against Jay's shoulder, I watched the temple grow further away as the rest of the team piled into our other vehicles and drive after us. I wrapped an arm around my middle and leaned into my brother.

"Hey, I've been working on my grade A jokes for Nya, wanna hear some?" We jerked off to the right as Cole took a turn too fast. I winced, pain in my chest throbbing. To Jay, I nodded and managed a tiny smile.

"Okay okay! So there's two cows, right? And one cow says to the other cow, 'there's this crazy disease going around called mad cow disease. It makes cows go crazy and then die.' And the other cow said, 'good thing I'm a helicopter!'" Jay bounced his eyebrows at me and I gave a wide smile and a nod.

"Um here's another one." We slid forward as we stopped at a stop light. I heard Cole grumble at the light, "hurry up... come on come on.." before we slid forward again.

"What's blue and not very heavy?" Jay piped up, turning to me with a wide smile as Cole pulled into a parking spot, throwing the Jeep in park. He leaned forward to help me out and whispered in my ear, "light blue!" with a little giggle which I tried to return, but to no avail as it turned into a cough.

Cole scooped me up from Jays arms and nearly kicked open the hospital door. He threw commands and information at the nurses and doctors who quickly ripped me from his arms and onto another bed.

I twisted to look at Cole and Jay, who both took steps forward towards me before being pushed away by a nurse. I held out my hand to them, which Cole managed to grab, and give a squeeze before mouthing "I love you," as I was swept away from them.

I took a deep breath in and braced myself for whatever was to come.