Book 4 - Chapter Six

Hallick’s POV

I lean my back against the wall outside of Seona’s room, Noah left hours ago, handing me a slip of paper with his number on in case I need him, making me promise to call at any time if something happens.

The nurses wheeled in a cot about an hour later, I assume for his mother who had ushered her son out of his sister’s room as soon as she returned from the cafeteria, demanding he go home and get some sleep.

It’s silent around me, the lights are dimmed and other than the occasional night staff checking the patients, no one comes near me.

I check my watch, its three am, damn! I shift around in my chair, groaning as my back protests the movement after so long sitting stationery. Standing up, I stretch out my arms a little, rolling my shoulders before tugging out my phone and flicking through the few messages that are in my inbox before shoving it away again.

Soft footsteps sound at the end of the hall and I’m on alert, gaze swivelling toward a young girl in a candy striper outfit who is pushing a small trolley with tea and coffee making items on it.

She smiles shyly at me as she approaches, that familiar wariness in her eyes as her gaze flicks over my features, well the ones she can see. I instinctively pull my hoodie tighter around my face, blocking more of my skin as I nod.

‘HI, would you like a drink?’ she asks quietly, pointing unnecessarily toward her cart.

I shrug, ‘sure, coffee’ I grunt back, retaking my seat as the girl, who can’t be more than twenty, place a disposable cup under the small machine and pressing a few buttons until dark liquid flows out. Asking if I want milk and sugar, I decline both immediately, watching her carefully as she handles the cup.

‘Thanks’ I mutter, taking it from her as she holds it out nervously, but not bringing it to my lips. ‘Why are you here this late?’ I ask her, aiming for friendly conversation, but it’s not one of my strong suits. Normally, I don’t bother to talk with people, preferring to keep my distance, finding interactions uncomfortable. I can’t help thinking it’s strange that she’s here at three am though, and I don’t like strange, my training forces me to check it out, question the unusual to keep my charge safe.

The girl blushes as she toys with the hem of her sleeve, ‘I read stories to the kids on the ward’ she tells me softly. ‘Some have trouble sleeping? Especially if they are new here so some of the stripers volunteer at night to sit with them so they aren’t afraid.’

I nod, taking a sip of my coffee finally, deciding that she most likely isn’t here for nefarious reasons and the drink is probably safe. Call me paranoid, but I’ve seen some s.hit in my life and someone putting something in your drink to take you out is not that uncommon.

I swill the drink around my mouth first anyway, tasting it before swallowing, checking for anything out of the ordinary.

‘Still doesn’t explain why you’re here’ I repeat gruffly.

The candy striper smiles, ‘a few of the rooms have badly hurt people’ she confides, ‘they have family stay with them. The family doesn’t always sleep so we come around in the night just to see if they’d like a drink or a snack. When your loved one is hurt, you don’t want to leave them not even to get some food you know? So we bring the food and drinks to them, it’s just a way to make a hard time a little easier.’

She nods toward the room, ‘would anyone in there like a drink or some cookies?’ she pulls out a basket from underneath her cart, showing small packages containing a few cookies in each.

I glance at the door, not really wanting this stranger to go in but also not wanting to turn my back on her either to check on her behalf. She looks harmless, but so do a lot of people and I didn’t get to thirty two years old by doing dumb s.hit like turning my back on an unknown.

‘I think they are both sleeping’ I tell the girl instead, ‘but if they come out and ask, I can send them down to the main desk and they can ask for you. . . ‘

I wait expectantly for a few seconds before she replies, ‘Maeve, my name is Maeve.’

‘OK Maeve, well thanks for the drink’ I tell her, lifting the cup in a cheers making her blush as she waves to me and starts to walk away, pushing her cart.

I drain the rest of the cup, placing it on the ground next to my chair and continuing to keep watch. Hours later the door finally opens beside me, and I’m up on my feet before Noah’s mother even gets her head out of the door.

She jumps slightly as she spots me, ‘Oh’ she murmurs uncertainly, ‘I wasn’t sure you’d still be here.’

So, it seems she wasn’t expecting me or anyone else to be out here. Like I’d just f.uck off and leave a job! Who the f.uck have these women been putting their trust in?

‘I was asked to guard your daughter, so that’s what I’m doing’ I reply curtly.

She nods, glancing back inside nervously, ‘I um . . I need . . ‘ she tugs at the buttons of the cardigan she’s wearing.

‘Ma-am, you can go about your business, I’m not going anywhere, Seona will be safe’ I tell her, stepping back slightly so she can come out.

Indecisiveness wars on her face as her gaze flicks from me to inside the room and back again, the older woman biting down on her lip as she struggles to decide.

‘I work for the Cadell’s and I’m friends with Noah, Ma-am, your daughter is safe as long as I’m here’ I sigh, dragging a hand down my face, the whiskers of my overnight growth scraping my palm.

Relaxing slightly, the older woman nods, stepping out completely and shutting the door behind her.

‘Nora’ she tells me, extending her hand, ‘that’s my name.’ She smiles softly, ‘you keep making me feel old calling me Ma-am.’

I nod, taking her hand awkwardly in my own, engulfing it as I shake it quickly before letting go. ‘Hallick’ I grunt back, shoving my hands deep into my pockets to stop her trying to touch me again.

The older woman nods, ‘Hallick . . ‘ she repeats, ‘well thank you Hallick, I appreciate what you did for my family last night. I’m going to use the ladies room and see if I can’t find some decent coffee, I’ll be back as soon as I can.’

She turns and walks away, reaching the end of the corridor, glancing back at me before disappearing around the corner, out of my sight.

I retake my seat, scanning both ends of the corridor before checking my watch again. Five thirty, I’ve now been awake over twenty four hours. I don’t know what time Noah is coming back, it doesn’t really matter, I’ve done many operations that involved being awake for fifty hours or more.

Since I left the Army, those days should be behind me, but honestly, it’s rare that I get more than a couple of hours sleep at night.

Soft crying has me on alert, and I scan around me trying to find the source of the sound until realising that it’s coming from inside the room I’m guarding.

I stand up, hand going to the door before I register what I’m doing, dragging myself to a halt as I scowl. Not my job, her mother will be back soon, I need to stay here.

The soft sobs become slightly louder, more anguished, my hands fisting the doorhandle as I fight against myself. I’m here to guard a victim, nothing else, getting distracted is a short cut to a FUBAR situation.

‘Sit your ass back in your seat Soldier’ I tell myself sternly, ‘let her mother deal with whatever s.hit is going on.’

A fearful wail hits me and I instinctively shove open the door, striding in the room on high alert as I check every corner of the room for danger.

The room is empty apart from the hospital bed and the small cot set up next to it. In the bed, Seona’s small frame is curled up tightly, her head almost completely covered by the blankets as she shakes harshly, soft whimpers leaving her.

I check behind me, knowing I should leave, she’s not in danger, but the anguished cry I hear has me instead shutting the door behind me. Placing a chair under the handle so it will alert my if someone opens the door, just in case her asshole husband or anyone else tries to sneak up on me, before moving toward the bed slowly.

Seona sucks in ragged breaths, her hair mussed around her face, her eyes screwed tightly shut as she whimpers. I reach out and touch her arm through the covers, stepping back as she cries out in fear.

‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry’ she whimpers, ‘please! I’ll do better . . ‘

‘Seona?’ I call softly, not daring to touch her again, ‘Seona wake up.’

The woman continues to cry, eyes shut and for one of the first times in my life, I don’t know what to do. Problems, those I can deal with, every problem has a solution, I just have to think about it, but this? I don’t know what to do about this, how to make it right.

‘Seona!’ I say louder, stepping as close to the bed as I can, hoping I can get her to hear me without actually touching her, ‘you’re dreaming.’

Seona mumbles softly in her sleep, a trembling hand coming out from under the covers and suddenly latching on to the hem of my hoodie.

‘I’m sorry’ she murmurs, ‘don’t be mad, I’ll clean it up, I swear.’

Her knuckles are white as she grips me tightly, holding onto me as though the physical contact will somehow save her in her nightmare.

Looking down at her anguished face, my heart suddenly feels heavy as I take in the fragile nature in front of me. Not just physically but emotionally broken, like me.

Placing my hand gently on hers, I rub my thumb over her soft skin, ‘you’re OK Seona’ I tell her roughly, ‘I’m here, I’ll protect you, you don’t need to be scared anymore, no one is going to hurt you ever again.’

My words seem to register in the sleeping woman’s mind as she sighs softly, her brow smoothing out and she slowly releases my hoodie, her hand falling back to the bed.

Backing up, I pull the chair from the door and step outside, checking before stepping out and retaking my seat. I suck in a deep breath, staring at my hand, the one that held Seona’s only seconds ago. I don’t know what is going on with me, but I do know that I’m not walking away from the woman. This isn’t just a one night job for me anymore, I’ve got to protect her, no matter what.