My dear readers,
Been a while, hasn't it? I apologize again for my schedule and lack of regularity in updating. I'm trying to get my feet back under me with this story and finally wrap things up. I predict seventeen chapters total, and I'm working on them right now, so hopefully, if you guys remind me enough, I'll have this thing completed. And they can all live happily ever after...we hope. P
Ahem. Before I spoil my story, I present to you...
Chapter Fifteen: Revolutions
Bleep…bleep…bleep…
The soft, high pitched ring of a steady heart monitor echoed in Dawn's insipid hospital room. She had passed out in the ambulance on the way to St. Luke's Children's Hospital, but Warren couldn't tell if she was still unconscious or just in a deep sleep now.
He knew once she recovered more, she wouldn't escape a thorough, scalding talking to, but he couldn't bring himself to do it while she was in this state. She had acted stupidly, he knew it, her mother knew it, but she knew it too. It wouldn't do either of them any good for him to start lacerating her as soon as she woke up.
Warren swore softly under his breath. "Shouldn't have let this happen." He mumbled.
"Don't beat y'self up, mate." The Australian medic - his badge read "Littleton" - quipped from the back of the room, having snuck in without Warren's knowledge…or permission.
The pyrokinetic glared at Dawn's still form but didn't look up. "Get out."
"Easy, brother; I'm just - "
"Get out."
An insult slipped between the medic's lips before he gave a malicious goodbye and shuffled out the door.
Warren's gaze softened again as he looked at Dawn. "Nobody gets to come near you." He whispered, taking her hand gently.
He ran his fingers over her palm as he reflected on how strange actually holding someone's hand was. He didn't come in physical contact with many people if he could help it - even in fights he much preferred using ranged attacks like fire instead of fists. And holding a girl's hand? A month ago he would've laughed at himself. Today…he wasn't really sure what he was doing.
Dawn's skin was soft and smooth, despite the trauma her whole body had gone through, and it was cool in his warm grasp. His fingers instinctively clasped in with hers and he rubbed hot circles on the back of her hand.
"…What am I doing?" He grumbled, dropping her hand roughly back onto the hospital bed and crossing his arms defensively.
Fifteen seconds passed before a small, salty tear slipped out of the corner of Dawn's closed eye.
It didn't pass Warren's notice, but he failed to do anything about it.
-
"Yes, Mrs. Odelle, your daughter will be fine. It's a miracle you weren't hurt."
"You didn't answer my question. When will she wake up?"
Inside the head surgeon's office, a different sort of battle raged. The poor doctor was under attack by Dawn's mother, who was very insistent upon knowing the ins and outs of her daughter's procedure.
"My father was a doctor, and he wouldn't have let a mother go without knowing every little detail about her own offspring's surgery!"
"Ma'am, you're free to go see your daughter any - "
"I don't need to see her; I need to know things."
"Ma'am, I - "
"You what?"
"If you'd calm - "
"I am. Calm."
"Yes ma'am."
It was the hospital's misfortune that they didn't have a more hard-headed head surgeon.
-
Just outside the hospital grounds, a shadow lurked. This was strange, because shadows do not usually tend to lurk, and particularly not at high noon. But there it was nonetheless, gliding towards the door of the hospital.
As a hospital attendant walked by the door, it melted into a corner and stayed as still as possible.
The woman will be the first to go, the creature mused, for being arrogant enough to think fire could kill me.
And then the target will finally be eliminated once there is no one left to stop me.
The attendant finally disappeared around the corner, and the shadow entered the hospital building unbarred.
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AN: Voila. Enjoyed, I hope? Back to work now...
Corvaisis
