Chapter 4
Alex sat in the office, waiting.
It was his least favourite place to be. Files stacked neatly against the wall, fourteen desks, a computer per desk, and mess all over their tainted wooden surfaces.
Drew and Ryan sat with him. Alex looked at his hands. They were ice cold, and pale. A large woman, with a cheery face, and red cheeks walked over to them.
"Which of you is Alex, me dears?" She said, in her friendly voice.
"Me," Alex said glumly.
"Follow me," she said, and he followed. Drew and Ryan whispered words of luck, but to Alex, these words meant nothing. He walked over to the woman's desk. A framed photo of her family, her children, and their children, all beaming happily. He felt a burst of sadness well up inside him.
She indicated for him to pick up the handset, and he did.
"Hello," his voice croaked.
"Son,
I have some bad news," a voice told him.
"Yes, I know. My
Gran's in hospital."
"No, I have some more bad news. She's lapsed into unconsciousness. She may not make it,"
Alex dropped the phone, and it bounced off the oak surface of the desk.
"I have to go see my Gran"
Half an hour later, Alex pulled up at the hospital, and ran inside. "Hello, where is Chrissie Scotts? She came into hospital half an hour ago…" Alex demanded of the receptionist.
"Go left, " the woman pointed in that direction. "Room 17,"
Alex thanked her, then ran to Room 17. He stopped outside. His Gran was inside. He opened it, but it was locked. He could hear shouting inside, so he rammed his shoulder into the door and ran inside.
A man, with red skin, pockmarked and with dark purple eyes was stood over his Gran. Her body was withering and twisting in painful convulsions.
"Gran!" Alex yelled. The man span around, his mouth was full of some red substance.
"Blood…" Alex gasped.
The man made sweeping movements with his hand, and Alex felt himself be thrown threw the door, splinters digging into his back, by some unseen force. He was dazed momentarily.
He woke ten minutes later, his head throbbing painfully. He heard shouting, but not angry shouting like before, panicked shouting. He got up, and ran through the door.
"Charging…80," a doctor yelled. "Clear!"
Chrissie's body shook, but the single note did not waver.
"Beeeeeeep"
"Charging…110" the doctor yelled desperately. "Clear!"
Chrissie's Body leapt into the air, but fell back down, unmoving.
She wasn't breathing anymore.
She was dead.
"Gran! No!" Alex yelled, throwing himself forward, tears in his eyes. He grabbed around her abdomen and sobbed. "Gran!"
"Beeeeeeep..."