The Reason

Chapter Six

"Angel, stop!" Angela holds up her right hand, her voice so curt and clear as she cuts me off from saying another word. As soon as she has my anxious attention, she quietly continues. "It's Rex, he's been badly hurt during an anti-terror raid."

My blood runs cold, a shiver of fear runs down my spine as I slowly process Angela's regretfully said words. Squeezing my eyes shut, I try to take control of the pain that her words deeply cause within me. Badly hurt. Those two sickening words play over and over in my panicked mind. Trying to calm myself down, I slowly open my eyes to look at Angela's so very pale face. "How bad is it?" I powerlessly ask, terrified of what her reply will be.

Angela's expression is agonised as she lethargically shrugs. "He's at the hospital being treated. Marion called Aidan, and he called me."

I have no idea who Marion is, so solemnly need to ask. "Who is Marion?"

"Rex's ex wife." Angela simply states, before comforting me with a gentle stroke of my shoulder. "Rex's mother is on a cruise in the Mediterranean, so Marion was called because Rex hadn't removed her as his next of kin...an oversight on his part." She smiles with her softly told explanation, though no explanation is needed—I just need to go and be with him.

"I need to go." I mumble, growing more anxious with each passing second.

Angela pulls on my arm, preventing me from leaving her office. "Do you think that's wise, Angel?"

My foggy mind isn't able to think clearly, so the answer is probably no. I numbly reiterate that. "Probably not." I quietly say, lifting my tearily-filled eyes back at Angela. "It's probably not a good idea, but I still need to be with him." I confess with a tear breaking free from one of my lower lashes and falling down fast on my left cheek. Instinctively, I brush it away with the back of my left hand, softly sniffing. "I have to go." I tell Angela as I pull free from her hold and open the door as fast as I can.

As I'm walking with steely determination, she shouts after me. "He's in University College London Hospital!"

I turn my head to thank her with a weak yet grateful smile, not slowing down my pace one little bit. Each hurried step that I take, the more I fill with fearful urgency.

Will Rex be okay?

Is it right that I go?

Is it right if I don't?

My own worrisome questions persecute me with each and every single step that I take to leave the museum swiftly behind me.

I just go onto numb auto-pilot. I get in the car and just keep following the road signs to London. I have no idea where the hospital is. I have no idea of absolutely anything. The only thing that makes any sense at all to me—is the need to be beside Rex.

I don't know what awaits me once I am there.

I just know that it feels right to be going there.

**

Walking into the main reception of the overwhelming hospital, my nerves are by now practically left threadbare. Angela had texted me during the stressful journey, apparently Aidan is already here and that both he and Marion are now waiting for more news on Rex in the Acute Medical Unit. I scan the large hospital map, growing more and more tense with my frustration of being unable to find the place where I so desperately need to be. As that frustration coils me up inside, I suddenly spot where AMU is. I take note of where I am, memorising where I need to go and walk with impatience spurring me on.