The brothers and Alex appeared behind the concrete wall that shielded the dumpsters of Charity Hospital. Rile looked up and saw the huge neon sign that proclaimed "Emergency."
He signaled his brothers to follow and they ran to the huge glass double doors, which obediently swooshed opened. The clean scent of bleach and cold air hit them in the face.
Rile grabbed the nearest man in scrubs. "Help her! She was stabbed and can't breathe!" Rile waved at Alex, still in Gabe's arms.
"Put her on a stretcher," the man said and Rile released him.
Gabe complied, gently lowered Alex to one of the many stretchers lining the walls. Rile leaned over Alex as well, eye-ridges knit together in concern.
"No hospital," Alex whispered and more blood bubbled on her lips. Her breath left a sour, metallic taste in the air, warming the air around her. "Take me home to die with you." She held onto Gabe's tunic.
Gabe held her hand but peeled it off his tunic. The man pushed Rile out of the way, whipped out a stethoscope, and listened for a few seconds to Alex's chest. Then he looped it back over his neck.
"I've got a pneumothorax here!" he called out. "Where can I put her?"
"Trauma bay six," someone else yelled. "I didn't see it check in."
"Not checked in," the man yelled back but then told the brothers, "You need to fill out paperwork. Stay right there."
"Let me do it," Gabe said. "I remember from the last hospitalization."
They watched as a swarm of scrubs descended on Alex and pushed her into the trauma bay.
When the paperwork descended next, Gabe painstakingly filled it out, remembering the name of Godeaux, and to blame Morgan. He used the address that Morgan had stalked Alex to as the home address, and the doctor's office as the work address. He listed Morgan's description as the assailant and his first name.
At long last, the forms were filled out. Gabe sent a prayer of thanks to the Portal Guardian for the automatic translation abilities.
"How is Alex?" he asked the unit clerk as he handed in the last form.
"I don't know. I can check," the clerk said.
The clerk spoke to a nurse's aide, who spoke to the licensed vocational nurse, who had to track down the registered nurse, who had to call the operating room nurse.
"She's doing well," the clerk said. "Chest tube is in and lung re-inflated. They explored and sutured some other knife wounds, but other than that, she's doing well. She'll be back in the room shortly, but she's sedated. You'll be allowed a brief visit. Mr. Godeaux, then you'll have to leave. Visiting hours aren't until tomorrow."
"Mr. Godeaux," Rile hissed softly once Gabe sat next to him in the hard plastic chair.
"Shut up." Gabe rubbed his eyes, a weary gesture.
"Let's pray for Alex," Cale said. He was about to recite a prayer for Alex, but couldn't remember it. He looked down into his hands, his fingers ached with the need to paint it onto a scroll.
"You pray." Rile stood up and paced the waiting room with its yellowed tile floors and concrete block walls.
Gabe curled in the chair and closed his eyes. It wasn't long before a woman in scrubs lightly touched his shoulder.
"Mr. Godeaux, you can see your wife now," she said.
"Wife?" Rile hissed.
Gabe ignored him and followed the aide. Rile and Cale tagged after him.
They entered the hospital room and Alex lay on the bed on her back, wires flowing from her body.
Gabe'sexpression hardened into stoicism, his mouth shut. He stared out at her face,his eyes, dark as the night, as if he was trying to read her mind.
"Don't be alarmed: she's sedated," the aide said. "Try not to wake her up. I'll be back in a few minutes but visiting hours start at nine tomorrow morning."
Gabe walked to the bedside. He reached for Alex's hand but Cale stopped him.
"Waking Alex up and having her blast us would cause problems, to say the least," Cale said.
"I remember how much that chest tube hurt. I hope that it comes out tomorrow." Gabe stared at the offending medical equipment. His fingertips neared the cool plastic of the tubing, but he did not touch it.
After a short time, the aide knocked on the door and entered. "I'm sorry but it's time for you to leave."
Gabe turned away and walked out without a word. Rile and Cale exchanged glances and followed.
***
Pain. Knives. Morgan?
Alex awoke, sat straight up in bed, and scanned the room. She slowed her breathing as she took in her surroundings.
Hospital. Get out of here. Now.
The IV came out easily and Alex silenced the alarm with the big blue button that said "off". Alex studied the chest tube.
Sutured in. Fire truck.
Alex eased out of bed and over to the counter, careful not pull any wires or tubes loose. She opened the drawers underneath and searched for scissors.
She found the sterile suture removal kit and smiled. A few snips and the chest tube was loose. A deep breath, a hard yank, a lot of pain, and the chest tube was out.
Alex kept the ECG monitor wires on. Those would wail if she took them off and she didn't know how to turn them off. She opened the bureau and found her reptile patterned jumpsuit.
So it wasn't a dream or drug hallucination. I was on an alien planet.
Alex slipped on the jumpsuit to her hips and over her arms. Its color flowed into a mournful blue like waves from a river entering the sea.
Time for the ECG to go.
She un-clipped the wires and the monitor protested. Alex closed the jumpsuit over her chest and shot out of the room.
Thanks for saving my life, medical personnel. Thanks for nothing, in other words.
Alex entered the nearest elevator and took it down to the ground floor.
I love New Orleans. No one questions a person wearing a jumpsuit in a reptile pattern. Heck, I'm more modestly dressed than some of the other people here.
Alex strolled out the emergency department exit, walked behind the concrete divider concealing the trash bins, and then speed-burst from the pavement.
Now where? Home sweet home? No. I promised Rile I would break it off with Gabe but then he used the four letter "L" word. I won't destroy their family with some stupid rivalry over a suicidal psycho like me. I better mess with a drug deal and end this.
Alex felt wetness on her side. She looked at her fingers: blood. The scent of her blood brought back searing memories, which she tried to ignore. It smelled like sweat and hot metal combined.
Fire truck the chest tube site. Forgot to tape it up. Home for gauze. Maybe the reptile stalkers will be asleep. I want to die, not be dragged down and raped in vigilante activity gone wrong.
She landed on her stoop and realized that she didn't have a key.
This night just keeps getting better and better.
In defeat, she walked down the steps and knocked on the brothers' door.
"I forgot my key," she said when Gabe opened the door. His brothers stood behind him, swords at the ready.
"Alex!" Cale pushed past Gabe to hug her.
"Ow, watch the chest tube site," Alex said, but patted his back gently. "Can I have my key back, please? I'm tired and want to go to bed."
"I've been praying for you." Cale released her and fished in his pocket for the key.
"For what? For me to go through hell? Thanks a lot. You can stop praying now." Alex held out her hand for the key.
"For you to realize that The Creator of All is always with you." Cale looked at his hands that had held Alex and the metallic scent ofblood filled the sensitive nostrils of all the brothers. "You're bleeding. Get inside and let me take care of you."
"You're sweet as always but I have gauze upstairs. Night. Please get some sleep. I am." Alex turned away.
"Fire truck that," Rile said. "I'm coming to watch your back. Cale will dress your wound."
"I'm coming, too," Gabe said.
"Please don't be stalkers," Alex said as she climbed the stairs. "I'm really tired."
"Team leader," Gabe replied.
"Team members," Cale said.
"Whatever. We're here with you," Rile said.
Alex unlocked the door and stomped into her bedroom. "Wait in the living room." She snatched the gauze from the bathroom cabinet.
She flung it on the bed and rummaged for her pajamas. but instead selected the black sweats from Wal-Mart. They were cheap and could be thrown away if they became bloodstained.
She peeled off the jumpsuit, and after considering it a moment, rolled it up and stashed it in a drawer.
I was a hero. There.
Alex put on the sweats, grabbed the gauze, and called to Cale to come in.
"Where's the cleaning fluid?" Cale asked, looking around the room.
"Don't bother yourself with it," Alex said. "I came straight from the hospital and you must be tired."
"You left the hospital and went into the street. You were wearing that jumpsuit from another world. I want the cleaning fluid." Cale waved a warning claw in her fac.
"Bossy," Alex retorted but Cale smiled at her.
"I'm guessing it's in your bathroom. Please don't get up."
"Cabinet over the sink," Alexsaid with resignation. Her voice was low and hard like a sword edge, cold like death.. "It's called Hibiclens. Pink bottle."
Cale returned with the bottle and soaked gauze with the fluid. He dabbed the chest tube site and Alex winced.
Once he was satisfied the wound was clean, he placed the gauze over it with ease. Then he pressed the gauze firmly against the skin.
"Where's the tape? Same cabinet?" Cale asked. At Alex's nod, he said, "Hold the gauze. I'll be right back."
When the gauze was taped in place, Alex lowered her shirt.
"Please tell your stalker brothers that I'm going to sleep. Y'all curl on the couch and keep each other warm." Alex slid into the bed and pulled the covers to her chin.
"Creator of All, watch over Alex tonight." Cale placed a gentle hand on her head. "Grant her rest and healing."
Alex rolled over, jammed the pillow over her head, and tried to forget everything.
***
A/N
Are things back to the way they were now?
Do you want them to be?
Dedicated to:
charlottemallory
Her wonderful Lycan book is #1 in werewolf on the new Kindle Vella!