A World Apart

Blame

It was almost noon by the time that I'd finally woken up enough to leave the couch and take a shower. I was surprised to find no note, nor text from Jake. It wasn't like him to leave without saying anything. I'd tried to call and tell him that he'd left his hoodie behind, but there was no answer. Not wanting him to be without it, I decided to take it to him.

I drove straight to the shelter, parking a short distance away in a parking lot, then going the rest of the way on foot.

"Hey," Sam called as I neared the doorway.

"Hey Sam," I greeted with a smile. "Jake here?"

Sam's face scrunched, paling a little as he exchanged looks with the same grouchy man from last time.

"Nah, he's not," He answered awkwardly.

"What's wrong?" I asked, beginning to worry as I picked up on the guy's body language.

"What's it to ya?" The old man snapped.

Usually, I'd have ignored his tone, maybe even attempted to explain in a polite way. But today, right now, when something clearly wasn't right and my concern for Jake was rocketing through the roof, I just didn't have the patience.

"You know what buddy," I snapped, "I'm not in the mood for your crap. If something has happened to Jake, then I have every right to know, and I don't need to explain myself to you. So if you want to tell me, then that would be great, if not, then mind your own goddamn business."

Sam's eyes widened in surprise, but there was another look there too, something like satisfaction or even admiration. The old man pouted sulkily, reminding me of Tina when she wasn't getting what she wanted. Still, he fell silent and bit down on his pipe.

"Look, it's not my place ter say," Sam began, "An' in all honesty, I dunno much, but if you wanna find 'im, he's at the hospital."

I could have sworn my heart stopped beating at the word hospital. My knees went like jelly and I couldn't breathe. I didn't even manage to thank him for the information, barely nodding my head in recognition before fleeing to my car and setting off for the hospital.

By the time that I flew through the double doors of the hospital and practically crashed into the desk, every single heartbreaking scenario that I could possibly have imagined had all set up home in my head, rendering me cold with sheer dread and panic.

"How can I help you?" The woman behind the desk said coldly, adjusting her thin-framed glasses and surveying me through cool, grey eyes.

"I'm here to see a patient, Jake Hardy," I replied, hearing the tremble in my voice as I clutched my keys.

She nodded her head and tapped a few keys on her computer.

"There's no Jake Hardy listed here," She commented flatly a moment later, speaking directly to her screen.

"Are you sure?"

Her eyes narrowed in a stern glare.

"Miss, there's no one by that name here," She said sharply. "Now if you're sure this person has been admitted, I suggest you try another hospital and allow me to get on with my job."

I backed away from the desk, confusion now mingling with my fear. This was the closest hospital. It was the only logical place he'd have been brought to. With my next step unclear, I stared around me as if I was waiting for some kind of magical sign to appear out of nowhere, displaying directions that would lead me right to wherever Jake was. I swept my hair away from my face, raking my fingers through it and casting a watery eye up and down the corridor. A nurse began walking towards me looking concerned, I didn't want to cause a scene so I held up a hand, shaking my head.