Falling Star: Book 2 of The Orion Series

Patches

**TRIGGER WARNING** Discussion of depression, reader discretion is advised.

I've waited twenty minutes. It feels like a lifetime. By the time the nurse comes back I'm ready to throw something out of frustration.

"Well?" I ask her expectantly.

She has a clipboard with some pages she rifles through. "Who did you want to know about first?"

"Orion," I say immediately, before she can even get all the words out.

She flips through the papers and I literally hold my breath.

"Orion Bauwens...Ah, here we go. He had foreign object lodged in his right side, which caused a deep laceration to his abdominal wall which required surgery to remove the object and repair the damage--he is currently in serious but stable condition, upgraded from critical, and is being monitored."

I put my head back and shut my eyes. "Can I see him?"

"He's not awake yet. The surgery was long, he came out of it recently. He's still in recovery."

"Oh...well, when he wakes up can I see him?"

"I don't know," she tells me plainly. "You also just got out of surgery. It wouldn't be advisable to see him right away--for either of you."

I hate that answer. "What about Amy?"

She frowns, flipping to the first page. She scans over it and then looks at me. "She had a severe break of her right leg and had gone into shock. She's still in surgery...They're trying to save her leg. I'm sorry."

I think I might be sick again. "W-what?"

"She might lose her leg below her knee."

I close my eyes. "What about Ben?"

She flips through the clipboard. "Ben...Ben...Ben...I'm sorry, I don't have a Ben here?"

"Ben? Ben Hill? Benjamin Hill?"

She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, if he was admitted he's been released already."

Great. More non-answers. Honestly this entire thing is exhausting me. I just want to go to sleep.

"Gloria?"

"Yes, I remember her...She was treated for lacerations to her face, most of which were superficial. She also had some glass removed, but she's going to be fine and only needed minimal stitching. She's been released already."

"What about her eye?" I mumble with a yawn.

"Nothing was said about her eye, so I assume it's alright?"

I nod. "And Jake?"

"He had thirty stitches to his scalp, also released already."

"When can I see visitors?"

She laughs. "You look like you need sleep. Try to get some, okay?"

"Okay..." I struggle to keep my eyes open. "Oh, nurse?"

"Yes Tristan?"

"If Orion wakes up, tell him I'll come see him soon and that I'm alright, please?"

I don't know what she says because I'm asleep.

~

"Go find Amy," Orion says, waving his hand. "Now I wanna talk to both of you, together."

Ben slips out of his seat to go fetch Amy, but Orion stops him. "No, I want Jake to."