Page 107 of Judas

“Right,” is all I manage to grunt back.

What a shit-show we’ve added to this.

Chapter thirty-seven

Babel

Ihate hospitals.

Soul-sucking buildings that drain your bank account at every turn. Whether it’s through the procedures and costs to be seen, life saving or preventative, or via these fucking snack machines that eat your money and refuse to spit out your chips. Being centered enough to not break things, which is paying off, I glare through the fingerprint smudged glass at the bag of Lays resting in its slot. ‘Thank you for your purchase’ blinks in red on the tiny screen, indicating my purchase was successful. The lack of chips in my mouth is two seconds away from being the straw that broke the camel's back.

Sadie just came out of a four hour surgery and is currently in the recovery room. The nurses told me it would be a little bit before the anesthesia wears off and I should get something to eat and drink to keep my energy up—or something along those lines.

“Sir, please take a walk. We can’t work if you’re hovering the way you are. She’s alive and comfortable. Keep interferingand you’ll force me to call security and remove you from the building.”

Same difference.

Now I’m being antagonized by a damn vending machine. A little boy rushes up to the one next to me, bounding around as he waits for an adult to help him. Hands and face pressed to the glass, at least that confirms where the smudges on the window come from. Twisting slightly, my shoulders turn his way a smidgen, observing his behavior curiously.

“Those, mama. I want the Skittles.”

She steps up behind him, purse hanging onto her shoulder by a single strap. A hand holding the other while she digs through the bag. Completely unaware of her surroundings—dangerous. That’s a problem with the younger generations; so absorbed in their small worlds they forget about safety then end up on a milk carton. Which is why my job exists and won’t be going away anytime soon, from the looks of it.

Hell, I would say the same with Sadie but she comes pre-programmed with an anti-theft device. She still gets picked up but she’s going to take you down with her, two birds one stone you could say. Defeats the purpose, but knowing she’ll fight anyone to stay breathing is admirable. Other girls, like this young mother here, were never taught survival. That’s all Sadie knows.

“Machine takes your money, might want to get your snacks elsewhere,” I interject.

The woman jumps, her head snapping my direction when she hears me. A deer in the headlights look in her expression, typical. My comment doesn’t deter the boy from drooling over the possibility of candy, still glued to the front of the machine as if willing the bag of sugar to miraculously drop.

“Apologies; didn’t mean to startle you. As I said, machine takes your money.”

“I… uhm, thank you. Honey, come on. The man says the machine isn’t working.”

“Ahhhhh, but mama, Skittlesssssss,” he whines. She grabs his hand and walks off, pulling him along with her. Getting one more look at me over her shoulder before they disappear around the corner. This world is ass backwards. Give someone a warning to save them the same annoyance I just experienced, and they look at you like you’re the monster who did them wrong in the first place.

Should have let her put her money in the damned thing.

Returning to the machine, the bag of Lays mocks me behind the protective barrier.

“Next time, fucker. I’ll buy you just to throw you in the trash.”

I need to get back to Sadie anyway, doubt she has roused from the medication. But if she has, I need to make sure she doesn’t bite someone and rip the flesh off the innocent person's body. That would be one hell of a mess to clean up. This job has gone sideways entirely too many times for her to go assaulting hospital staff.

The walk back to the recovery wing isn’t too long, just too fucking quiet. The only thing accompanying me, besides the soft thuds of my boots, is the sudden chirp of my phone. Pulling it from my pocket to see notifications on the small window, a few texts from Mav and a few emails with my next job sit there waiting for me to access them. The Wilson case was supposed to be in and out, but shit changes—shehappened.

I’ll look at that shit later.

Returning my phone to my pocket, I’m finally at the door leading into the recovery wing. A button looms on the right side, embedded in the wall with a note hanging over it that says ‘press me for access.’ A little sad that every action people need to take has to be spelled out to them—let the weak weed themselves out.Stabbing it with my finger, I wait for the low click to tell me the door has been unlocked.

Nurses are still roaming around Sadie once I’m back. The light above her is dimmed but it’s still too bright for her sensitive eyes. Her face is scrunched in pain, both eyes squeezing so tight the skin at the corners crinkle. Fair colored brows, just a shade or two darker than her hair, are furrowed as well. She’s relaxed with her arms likely bandaged and tucked under her blankets to keep her warm.

This vision of her lacks the weight of darkness which sometimes looms over her. Then the peaceful yet annoyed look she’s giving has got to be her true personality shining through—she has her mother’s feistiness. I’ve only witnessed it a brief time or two between moments where she shuts down and hides the person she really is. I’m no doctor, her issues are far beyond where my capabilities lie, but there’s got to be a way she makes it through this—the insanity.

Standing watch outside of her room, a silent sentry forbidding anyone from coming within ten feet of the delicate girl inside, I wait… and wait… and wait. A nurse informed me that I could join her just inside the drawn curtain, seats available for me to choose from, but I didn’t. My duty is out here, keeping her safe from the things I can see, from the shit I can fight. I just hope the things loitering in her head stay put, at least until we get the hell out of here.

“Took your ass long enough to call me. The fuck have you been doing?”

The medical staff just finished wheeling Sadie into her new room when Havok texted me, telling me he was on his way out to grab supplies. There isn’t much that we need, except probably something else to put down on the floor to catch anymore blood he may or may not beat out of Lucien.

---