Summerguard

CHAPTER 28: Answer Her

She cares for me? But, I am a stranger to her who has been nothing but her nightmare.

"I know you're hesitant in trusting me. I don't blame you because of whatever his face did to y'all. But just please don't push me away. You can let me know if something hurts or if I push too far, but..." she begins speaking again and I get it.

"I'm sorry. I will try and work on accepting you," I said.

She throws her arms around me.

"I would love that," she says softly and smiles. I relax in her warmth. But something doesn't sit right. She was speaking super fast as per usual, but I just barely heard it.

"What do you mean by rejecting your blood?"

She lets out a yip and turns nervously away from me. Something's up.

"What did you do to me?" I shout in worry.

She rolls up her sleeve and turns her left arm over. I see a band-aid on her cubital fossa (the part on the inner arm and between the forearm and bicep).

"You? For me?" I can barely hide my awe. This woman!

"You couldn't stop puking blood and it was my fault that one of your ribs shifted and punctured your intestine. I was the one that brought you in and they asked me if you had family and I said that I don't know. And they found your medical card in your wallet and your blood matched mine so I volunteered and thank goddd..."

She takes a sharp breath in, but I knock it out of her when I grip her tightly by the waist, pouring all my gratitude in just this one embrace. It's different from the other ones, not only because I initiated it, but because it has so much power radiating in it despite my fragility.

"Thank you."

I shiver when Joy caresses the square of my shoulders, her hand rubbing it up and down.

"At least you're polite. LOL. Now, come on and for once do as I say. Stay in bed or I will use these," she jokes, dangling her cuffs in my face.

"Fine. Fine. Now let me sleep and please don't watch me, it's creepy," I plead.

"Alright. Alright. Don't let me catch you again. I'm being serious. There will be consequences," she warns me before closing my door.

~~~~

~ONE HOUR LATER~

I stretch out my limbs and collect my wallet, phone, and my standard-issue army watch. I sign myself out of the hospital. I visit Asher who is still asleep and leave him a note of where I will be going and that I will be careful. Next, I knock on Paxton's door and fortunately, she admits me in.

"Hey, how ya feeling, Peace?" I ask, pulling a chair close to her side.

"So exhausted. Concussions suck. All I can do is keep praying and praying she is still alive and hanging on for me. But, I want to get outta this stupid bed, this stupid room, and this stupid gown. I mean come on, it's so plain and bleghhgh," she complains.

"Yeah. You will live. I'm heading out. I promise I will be careful and if I pass through, I will get you and Asher some real food. Okay?"

"I still think it's a terrible idea for you to go alone. Asher and I were literally attacked in broad daylight by someone. Please, come back quickly. Just in and out and maybe a bit of punching, but please be safe. Maybe bring your girl with you. She's NYPD and stuff. Call and text me when you get there and leave," Paxton implores of me.

"I will and no, she's done enough for me. She has her own job and life. She won't even know I was gone," I pat her shoulder before leaving her room.

Boy was I majorly wrong.