I've put a chapter before this what was previously chapter 10. It was supposed to be an update but it fitted better to take place before this chapter. Thanks for reading
Atlanta hated hospitals. They reminded her of her mother's passing and of the accident that left her father in a hover chair. And didn't help she was sat outside the same little row of ICU rooms where she and the rest of the team had sat earlier that year, waiting the news of Troy's near fatal poisoning at hands of Titian. He'd recovered when the antidote had been sent thankfully when Marina had given herself in exchange.
Now Atlanta felt they might be in the same situation but with the roles reversed, and hoped for a similar happy ending.
Fisher was sat next to her, head in his hands. Shock and tiredness, a passing nurse had said and had insisted he got out of his wet clothes before he caught a cold, which explained the baggy lost-and-found track suit that weren't his he was wearing, the bag of damp uniform by his feet and the blanket over his shoulders. he refused to go home to bed and had been here since getting Marina to the hospital with the medics. The young girl had been wheeled away on a gurney at once with an oxygen mask over her face and Fisher had called the tower straight away, which to Atlanta seemed far more than an hour ago.
Troy, Phones and her father had arrived almost as soon as Stingray had returned to its pen but the ship's crew had been ordered and practically dragged to A&E to have their wounds tended too. Nothing major in either case thankfully despite Atlanta's concern; Phones had gained a somewhat tender shoulder and sprained ankle and Troy, (as well as rope burn and a minor scald from the heat where his suit had torn,) was covered in cuts and scrapes but even the worst only rated as "stings like heck" by Troy, one on his head and one on his side that wasn't deep enough to need anything but a bandage, a dose of very mild painkillers and the instructions of "go easy". Both men were bruised black and blue in the weirdest places and with possible risk of concussion- nothing that couldn't be treated quickly but both men more worried about each other and the third member of their trio to worry about himself.
"We'll be right over." Troy had said for the third time over the video phone when Atlanta had called to see how he was. The hospital was the largest building in Marienville bar the control tower, it was little wonder they had to radio each other. They had been discharged and were now only being held up from to join Atlanta in the IC waiting room by signing his forms at the main desk. "Any news?"
"Still nothing yet Troy. Father's gone to see if he can get anything, pull rank even to get some answers."
Last time Atlanta had seen the commander, he'd been arguing with at least three Doctors that had been buzzing around who were also bickering with one another in regards to Marina's condition but paying her friends no heed to as what was going on. And somehow silence seemed worse than a death sentence.
Marina might be a rival for Troy's affections more often than not but Atlanta felt retched at being unable to help her now when Marina had needed a friend. Just how bad the situation was hadn't sunk in until Atlanta had reached the hospital and heard the full story from Fisher did it really hit home. If only she had called Marina last night. What on earth could have caused this? These thoughts and similar kept replaying in Atlanta's mind and she to force herself to hold on hope that the younger girl would be all right.
"I just hate all this waiting." She had told Troy, wiping a rouge tear that had threatened to leak.
"I know sweet heart, me too. Let's see if he comes back with some good news soon."