Obliterate

twenty seven

Finn looked ghastly. He was tucked into a plain hospital bed, starch white sheets pulled up around his waist. A light blue hospital gown had replaced the tattered remnants of his shirt and his hair was disheveled. Two frantic nurses stood beside the hospital bed. One stuck a massive needle into his free arm. The needle was attached to a bag of human-blood that hung beside the bed. The other adjusted several machines attached to the wall behind the bed. A doctor sat on the other side of the bed, focused on Finn's shoulder. She worked quickly with a needle and thread, stitching his shoulder.

Sophie and Eli made sure to stand back, as far away from the hospital bed as physically possible — a feeble attempt to give the nurses and doctor enough space so that they could work their medical magic.

Eli leaned against the wall, his arms folded across his chest. His expression was marred with a mixture of concern and mild frustration. Sophie sat in a pale blue armchair beside him, her back ram-rod straight. She couldn't bring herself to relax comfortably in the chair. Instead, she focused her attention on the nurses. Her ears strained to listen to their hushed whispers about Finn's injuries.

From what she could gather, his injuries weren't that severe or immediately life threatening, aside from his shoulder. He had a broken wrist and a very deep gash. The gash tore through his skin and some of his muscle, stretching from the very top of his shoulder to roughly the center of his chest. It just barely missed the bones of his ribcage by mere centimeters.

The gash itself would heal over time — the nurses and doctor seemed almost certain of this. However, because of it, Finn had lost a lot of blood. And that notion caused a bit of panic amongst them, making them move at a frantic pace.

As the blood flowed through the needle and into his arm, though, Sophie could see the color begin to slowly return to Finn's skin. The pastiness of his cheeks warmed and the blue-twinge that had colored his lips began to fade away. The sight sent a palpable sensation of relief flooding through the entire hospital room.

One of the nurses turned to Sophie and Eli. He graced them with a reassuring smile and explained that Finn would remain under supervision for a bit. The doctor stepped up beside him, also smiling warmly at Sophie and Eli. She verbally walked through Finn's injuries and explained his expected recovery.

After discussing everything with Sophie and Eli, one of the nurses and the doctor left the room. The second nurse remained behind, rearranging the smaller medical supplies that were stored within a cart beside the bed.

Sophie heaved a small sigh. Eli reached down, his hand finding her shoulder and squeezing it softly. "I'm glad that you were able to find him in time," he told her.

She opened her mouth to respond, but the door opened, its metal hinges creaking with the movement. Aelia stepped inside. Her eyes scanned the room, taking in Finn's limp form. Then her gaze focused on Sophie and Eli.

"What attacked him?" she asked. A quiet anger trembled within her voice. "Were you able to see anything?"

Sophie stared at her mother for a moment. Then she shifted her gaze to the wall, her expression distant. The memories flashed across her mind's eye — fresh and perfectly detailed. The ghostly white skin, encrusted with layers of smeared dirt and dried blood. The elongated, bony limbs, with skin stretched so taunt that it fractured in areas, revealing dead muscle and sinew beneath. The foul stench and electrified screech still echoed through the air around her.