Jekyll
Iwalked out of Indigo’s room and Bellamy started toward her door. “Not so fast,” I said.
She faced me. “Huh?”
“Indigo wants you to come with me and battle CPS.”
“Oh, Jesus, what happened?” Bellamy demanded.
“Walk with me and I’ll fill you in.”
She followed me to the elevators, and we rode down to emergency. As we stepped out, we heard a child’s high-pitched scream, and I just knew it was Mina. I couldn’t stop my feet from racing toward the sound, shoving the curtain aside so quickly, I ripped it from its rings.
“Ekyll!” she squealed, giant tears sliding down her face.
“What the fuck are you doin’ to her?” I growled and a nurse jumped about a mile as she spun to face me.
“I’m so sorry,” the nurse said. “I was trying to take her blood pressure, but her arm is very tender.”
“Then quit fuckin’ touchin’ it!” I snapped, stepping in front of Mina so the nurse had no choice but to move away.
“Okay, big man, take it down a notch,” Bellamy warned, making her way to the nurse.
Mina sniffed, sliding her tiny hand into mine, and my fury began to ease a little.
“I’m very sorry, sweetie,” the nurse said to Mina, pushing her way back to her, seemingly uncaring that I was standing in her way. “We don’t need to use that cuff again, okay? We’re going to take you to get some pictures of your arm so that we can see if anything’s broken. We’ll take very good care of you, okay?” She glanced up at me with a slightly raised eyebrow, as if to challenge me to snap at her again, before focusing back on Mina. “I’m going to get the doctor. I’ll be right back.”
“I think this goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway,” Bellamy said. “You need to calm the hell down or you’re going to get bounced and banned from this building. This is also a mandatory reporting situation, so you can expect someone from law enforcement will be showing up to take reports.”
“Shit,” I breathed out.
“Ekyll?” Mina rasped.
I faced her. “I got you.”
Bellamy sidled up to the bed. “Mina? My name’s Bellamy.”
She scooted closer to me, and I squeezed her hand. “Bellamy’s a friend, Mina. You can trust her.”
How the hell did I end up here?
Jesus Christ, I didn’t like kids, which in turn meant kids didn’t like me. I was good with that. I had no clue why this little slip of a girl trusted me so much, and I especially had no clue why I suddenly felt an irrational need to protect her with my life. First Leo, now Mina. I seemed to have unwillingly started a collection of stray kids.
Mina leaned her head against my arm. “Hi.”
“Hi, sweetie.” Bellamy leaned down to get eye-to-eye with her. “We’re going to get all your owies fixed, okay?”
Mina whimpered as she looked up at me. “Stay?”
I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth as she blinked up at me.
Goddammit.
