Harlow grunted. “Pretty much.”
“You mentioned the case being a trap?”
“The case itself wasn’t a trap…I think those vampires were very real. Just dead when we got there. Someone found out about the case, and used it to get to us.”
“Do you think it was targeted, or would any hunter team do?”
Harlow sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe Foxx noticed something I didn’t. The woman…looked shocked when the illusion broke.”
“Illusion? Then she was older.”
“Yes. Honestly, my mind is too tired to think right now.” Harlow went to say more but the door opened and a doctor stepped out, removing his surgical cap as he moved closer. The man was older, probably near Tony’s age.
“Are you Harlow Blackmore?” the doctor asked.
“Tony, the doctor just came out. I’ll call you back.”
The man grunted and Harlow hung up.
Slipping his phone back into his pocket, he stood. “I’m Harlow.”
“Dr. Tim Thorp. I performed the surgery on your partner, Foxx Honeywell.” The man held out his hand. He really didn’t want to touch him, but Harlow shook it anyway to move this along quicker. “Surgery concluded well enough. Once we got in, we found significant damage to his right atrium, and the pulmonary and tricuspid valve. We repaired as much as we thought necessary in order for his body to begin to regenerate and repair itself. I placed a few rings in to support the damaged valves. Otherwise we did have to wire three of the surrounding ribs, as well as part of his sternum, as they had shattered. But both materials should dissolve without causing any issues in about a week. On top of the damage to his heart, there were a few other fractures on his rib cage, but the compression wrap we placed around him should help those heal quickly on their own. Lastly, we had to set his right arm and cast it. That should come off in a week. For now, the rest is up to his own body. We do want to keep him at least two to three days so we can monitor his healing, to make sure no more intervention is needed. After that, he should be good to go home.”
“How long will it take him to recover from this?”
“Based on what we know of his species’ healing process, I’d say he should be fully recovered and good as new in about three to three and a half weeks. Give or take. After release, he is going to need help taking care of his needs, at least for the first few days. I’ll give you a full plan of action and list of do’s and don’ts when it’s time for him to be released.”
“Where is he now?”
“He’s been moved to a room. But we have strict visiting hours in the Paranormal Ward, and they unfortunately ended about an hour ago.”
Visiting hours are over? It literally wasn’t even five yet. “Yeah, so this is how it’s going to go. I will be staying with him, in and outside of visiting hours. So go have someone fetch a cot or whatever and set it up in his room.”
“B-but, sir, visiting hours are from 10am to 3pm. We have—”
“I don’t give a damn about your policies. A dangerous fugitive escaped last night. I’m not leaving him alone here unprotected,” Harlow lied.
Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. She was dangerous, and she had escaped. Harlow just seriously doubted she would be brave enough to track them here. There had to be a reason she tried to blow them up, instead of trying to kill them outright.
The doctor paled. “I…” He cleared his throat. “I-I’ll have someone set it up.”
“Lovely,” he drawled. “Now, what room is he in?”
“I can—”
“No need. Just remove this IV and I’ll find it myself, after I gather some things from my car.” He held up his arm with the IV in it.
* * *
Harlow readout each room number in his head as he passed. Saying, “Room 603,” aloud with a sigh of relief when he finally reached Foxx’s.
He pushed inside with Foxx’s large, colorful duffle bag, and his own in hand, but stopped at the sight of Foxx in the hospital bed. The vampire looked pale still, and sickly. There were bags under his eyes, and he was hooked up to tubes and all sorts of monitors.
Fuck…Foxx looked so small.
Harlow couldn’t say the room looked much different from the rest of this side of the hospital. More gray walls and floors. At least the hospital bed and medical equipment seemed to be exactly the same as what had been on the human side…except…
He frowned. Was that…metal cuffs on Foxx’s wrists? His eyes narrowed, and then widened on realizing they were covered in scripture, and attached to chains that hooked onto the frame of the bed. Based on the bulkiness under the blanket near his feet, they had bound his ankles as well.
