My Hockey Alpha novel Chapter 362

Nina

Lori and I had been sitting in that sterile hospital waiting room for what felt like an eternity. The seconds dragged by like hours, the minutes like days. We had long since left the cafeteria, having given up on trying to soothe ourselves with bitter coffee.

Finally, the door to the waiting room swung open, and a doctor in scrubs stepped in. Lori and I shot to our feet, our hearts pounding in our chests.

The doctor looked at us with a somber expression on his face, and I felt a lump forming in my throat. I could tell from the look in his eyes that the news wasn’t going to be good.

“Hello. I’m Dr. Anderson,” his voice gentle but filled with a gravity that sent a chill down my spine. “Would you please follow me?” He jerked his head toward the hallway, away from the prying eyes and ears of the waiting room.

Lori and I followed behind the tall doctor, out through the double doors he had just come through and into the hallway where it was a bit more private.

This was a good sign, I thought to myself; he wasn’t taking us into an entirely private room. That was usually an indication that a loved one had passed, so maybe Jessica was still alive. At least I could take some solace in that, right?

It wasn’t long before Lori, her eyes filled with tears, blurted out the question that was on both of our minds.

“Is she going to be okay?”

Di. Anderson hesitated for a moment before responding with a soft sigh.

“Jessica’s surgery was successful in stopping the internal bleeding, but she is in really bad shape. She suffered multiple fractures and injuries from the accident, and it’s going to be a long road to recovery. Right now, she’s in a medically induced coma to allow her body to heal.”

Lori’s shoulders slumped, and she let out a choked sob. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. “How long will she be like this, doctor?” I asked, my own voice trembling despite the brave face I was trying to put on.

The doctor sighed again, his expression sympathetic. “It’s difficult to say. It could be weeks, or even longer. Jessica’s body needs time to heal, and we will monitor her closely. But I have to be honest with you, there is a chance she might not wake up.” Lori’s sobs grew louder, and I could feel her shaking in my arms. My heart ached for her, for all of us. The weight of the situation was crushing, and it was hard to believe that our vibrant, lively Jessica was now lying unconscious in a hospital bed, her life hanging in the balance between the living world and the… well, not living.

Dr. Anderson continued to explain the details of Jessica’s injuries and the treatments she would receive.

I listened attentively, trying to absorb as much information as possible. Assuming she woke up, she would need extensive physical therapy, medication, and possibly even reconstructive surgeries on various limbs.

As a medical student, this all should have sounded hopeful;

Jessica was alive, and that was all that mattered, right? But in fact, it was quite the opposite. All of the medical jargon and future treatments just made my blood run cold.

I didn’t want to picture my poor Jessica hooked up to monitors and machines for the foreseeable future. Would she even be able to walk again?

Once the doctor had left, Lori and I were left alone in the waiting room, the weight of the news sinking in. I held Lori as she cried, my own tears falling silently. I wished that there was something more that I could do, some way to ease her pain and make everything right again, but there wasn’t.

Only time could do that, and that was only assuming that time would be kind to our dear friend.

Eventually, Lori’s sobs began to subside, and she wiped her tears on the sleeve of her jacket. She looked up at me, her eyes red and puffy.

“I can’t handle this, Nina,” she whispered, her voice filled with despair. “I can’t take care of myself right now, let alone make decisions about Jessica’s care. What if she never wakes up?”

I tightened my grip on her, offering whatever comfort I could. ” We’ll take it one step at a time, Lori. We’ll be here for Jessica, no matter what. And as for taking care of yours elf, I’ll help you. You don’t have to go through this alone.”

Lori nodded, her shoulders sagging with exhaustion. “Thank you, Nina. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

I gave her a small smile, even though my own heart felt heavy with fear. “We’re in this together, Lori. Just like we’ve always been.”

It wasn’t long before a nurse came to us, asking if we wanted to see Jessica. I was unsure if it would be best for Lori, but she insisted, and so I followed.

When we stepped into Jessica’s room, Lori broke down again. It was all I could do to keep her from falling, even though my own knees felt like they were made of putty.

There was our friend, our beautiful and vibrant Jessica, laying in the bed. She was hooked up to all kinds of machines, her body covered in casts.

A brace was around her neck, making her face look squished.

Her entire face was covered in bruises and cuts, and her beautiful blonde hair had been shaved so the doctors could check for brain injuries. There was a jagged scar along the side of her head, where I assumed they had cut into her to stop hemorrhaging.

The sight of her almost made me pass out, but I managed to stay upright. I needed to be here for Lori, for my friend.

“Jessica… Oh, Jessica,” Lori wailed, her cries echoing through the entire ICU ward. She took two shaky steps closer, but nearly collapsed again. I was at her side in an instant, there to support her.

“She’ll be okay, Lori,” I reassured her, although the words felt hollow even to me. “She’ll be okay…”

We were still sitting in the hospital room, looking at Jessica’s sleeping body. The rhythmic beeping of the machines had become oddly comforting at this point, as though it was a reminder that despite everything, our friend was still alive.

I had my phone in my hands. There was a text from Enzo on the screen asking if I was back in the supernatural realm yet, but I hadn’t answered. Truthfully, I didn’t know if I had the energy to tell him yet.

Not only was it upsetting just to talk about what had happened, I also knew that he would push me to go back to the supernatural realm, and I couldn’t just leave my friends here. Not like this.

“Hey, Nina?” Lori’s voice broke me out of my trance. I shut my phone off and looked over at her. Her face was red and swollen from crying, but the tears had long since stopped. There was a bottle of pills in her hand, prescribed to her from one of the doctors to help her sleep. I figured she would need it, at least tonight.

“What’s up, love?” I asked, reaching over and rubbing her back instinctively

“Could I… Could I maybe stay with you tonight?” she asked. “I don’t want to go home, and I can’t stay here. And, if I’m being honest..” She looked down at the pills in her hand, and let out a sigh. “I’m not sure if I should be alone.”

I nodded emphatically without a second’s hesitation. “Of course you can stay with me tonight.”

“Are you sure that’s okay?”

“Of course,” I replied. “I’m here for you as long as you need?”

Lori managed the weakest of smiles. “You’re sure you don’t have anything else you need to do? 1 figured you came home early for a reason…”

Her words gave me pause. Of course I had other things I was supposed to do; I should have been back in the supernatural realm by now, but there was no way in hell that I was going anywhere until I was certain that Lori was stable.

“No,” 1 lied, shaking my head as I returned my attention to Jessica’s sleeping body. *I don’t have anything else I need to do.”

“Promise?”

Mila adjusted the settings and started the treadmill. “Just go as fast as you can for five minutes,” she instructed.

I began to run. In a way, it was helpful for clearing my head. I cranked the speed up on the treadmill and began to sprint, not even breaking a sweat. Back at home, I could tun far faster and further than this; but today, I didn’t bother putting in one hundred percent. Maybe eighty percent at the most.

After a few minutes, Mila motioned for me to stop, a confused look in her eyes. I reduced the speed, then hopped off the machine as it came to a stop. “Good?” Tasked.

She scoffed. “Good? Enzo, you’re like a running machine.” I laughed and feigned being out of breath, not wanting to give her cause for concern, seeing as how I was very much distinctly not human. “Well, it’s a bit different when it’s only five minutes,” I said.

I was just about to walk past her, however, when she stopped me again — this time with her hand on my arm. “Wait, just one more thing,” she said. “I need to test your heart rate after you run. Can you take your shirt off?”

Hesitated, feeling a twinge of discomfort. “My shirt? Is that necessary?”

But Mila’s tone was reassuring. “It’s all standard procedure, Enzo, and it won’t take long. Just a quick test.”

I sighed, deciding to go along with it to get the whole thing over with. I removed my shirt and handed it to Mila, who took it with a professional demeanor.

As she attached the medical device to my chest and her hands touched my skin, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth spreading through me.Some paragraphs are incomplete if you are not reading this novel on Jobnib.com. Visit Jobnib.com to read the complete chapters for free. Her fingers grazed my muscles, and I tensed involuntarily. My wolf bristled in response, recoiling from the touch of another woman who wasn’t Nina

Mila noticed and stepped back, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. “I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable, Enzo. It’s just for the test.”

I nodded, trying to regain my composure. “It’s alright. Let’s just get this done.”

Mila continued with the test, her fingers moving deftly over the equipment. I watched her work, curiosity gnawing at me.

When she was finished, Mila removed the device and returned my shirt.

“Here you go,” she said, holding my shirt out to me. “That wasn’t so bad, right?”

I shrugged as I pulled my shirt back on over my head.

Truthfully, I felt oddly exposed in front of her, but I wasn’t about to let her know that. “Not at all,” I replied, keeping my tone neutral.

Mila said nothing more, so I took that as my cue to leave. I was just brushing past her, however, when I saw the way her eyes were scanning the tablet in her hands, her brow furrowed. “Hm.

Interesting…”

I paused, unable to ignore the puzzled look on her face. “What is it?” I asked.

Now, she was the one who shrugged. “Oh, nothing. It’s just strange…

“Strange how?”

She was silent for a moment, tapping on her tablet screen, before she turned it around so I could see. “Your results,” she said, her voice lilting ever so slightly. “They’re very…. fascinating.

Are you sure you’re a human, Enzo?”