“Yes, can I help you?”
“Mr. Asher?” she confirms again, wasting my time while my mate is getting farther away.
“Still yes. How can I, Mr. Xander Asher, help you today?” I grind out through clenched teeth.
“Oh, ok, well, I need next of kin information for Mr. Jackson Asher, we don’t have anything listed on his paperwork, and he wasn’t the most helpful…he just kept asking for you.” Her eyes keep bouncing around the room, not wanting to hold my own, which are furious.
“I’mhis next of kin, I’m his mate.” I pull my shirt collar to the side exposing his claiming mark.
“Oh, yes, but you’re both…and…we saw the mark on his neck…and…isn’t there a pack lead or an alpha we can talk to?”
I don’t even know what the fuck this bitch is babbling about now, only that my mate has been rolled into an elevator and is now gone, and I give it less than five minutes before he goes ballistic on everyone around him without a familiar face to calm him down.
Putting on the best version of my easy-going persona that I can, I hold my hand out towards the elevators.
“Walk with me will you, I don’t want Jackson to be left without family nearby.” I march purposefully towards the elevator, and she can either follow me, or fuck off, because I’m beingserious when I tell her I don’t like him to be without his family. She trots to catch up with me, calling loudly.
“If I could just speak to your pack lead; I just need to get his paperwork filed, and I need to know his next of kin, and who will be responsible for any medical expenses. We don’t have any insurance on file for him.”
Ahh…there we have it, the vulgar topic of payment. “Just mark me down as responsible. I’ll take care of whatever bills he can’t cover.”
I’m spamming the up button on the elevator. I saw the display stop on floors three and five after he got on, so I can check the nursing stations at both of those if I need to.
“But, Mr. Asher, we really need a card on file, or some sort of insurance.” And poof…there go the last of my fucks, right up in goddamned smoke.
Breathe Xan…you won’t be here for Jacks if security kicks you out.
Fuck
I spin on my heel, still pumping the elevator button.
“Ms….” I look down at her nametag.
“Ms. McGinnis.” I try for a charming smile, but I can’t guess at what it really looks like when she backs up a step.
“Ms. McGinnis. If you have something for me to sign, some document agreeing to pay whatever fees your hospital has…I will gladly do so. One of my pack members is being treated for smoke inhalation, my mate–who you refuse to address as such–is being admitted for several injuries, not the least ofwhich is a concussion, my omega is missing, which, coincidentally is how my two pack mates were injured, trying to protect her. My lead alpha is missing after going to the police to file a report and I am slowly losing my ever-loving fucking mind…so if you have something for me to sign, please give it to me now, before I lose all sense of decorum, and have to be forcibly removed from your facilities. Do I make myself clear?”
The elevator finally arrives, and I am about to turn towards it when Ms. Mcginnis takes another step backwards. I hear Jacks giggling, and turn towards the sound. He’s standing in the elevator, in nothing but his hospital gown. “Xan!” He slurs staggering towards me, he’s holding up a IV bag in one hand, but it’s not doing much good since it is connected to the tubes coming out of the hand holding it.
“Excuse us, Ms. McGinnis!” I say loudly, taking Jacks’ elbow and leading him back into the elevator.
“I do hope you’re not causing problems my love, now, what floor did they have you on?” Jacks holds up five fingers.
“Right, up we go, hold on then.” The door slides closed as I hold the button down for the fifth floor, my arm wrapping snugly around his hips.
“By the way, your ass looks really good in that gown.” I smile up at Jacks, and he leans heavily against me, as we head back up to his room–hoping like hell there is no path of destruction to follow and he just slipped out after they got him situated.
Luck seems to be on my side as we get up to the fifth floor. The nurses all look our way as we stumble off the elevator, butno one stops us. Jacks hobbles down the hallway with a purpose, so at least they got him settled into a room before he escaped. He checks door numbers and finally pushes into 553 half-falling inside. The sooner I get him back in bed, the better.
I barely have time to take in the slightly burnt smell and the sheet that hangs as a room separator before Jacks yanks it back, stumbling into the side of the bed. Leo is there, his face pink and shiny, bandages on both hands, and tubes running up one arm.
“C’mon….Leo…ge’ up!” Jacks looks at the bandaged hands and then grabs Leo’s arm instead, carefully avoiding all the wires and tubes attached to our big alpha. He yanks a few times, but Leo only lets out a pained groan.
“C’mon, go’a go!” Jacks gives up on pulling and tries to push Leo out of the bed, but he barely starts to roll before Jacks drops to the ground, grabbing at his busted side.
The pain seems to have snapped him out of it, at least temporarily, and he looks up at me with tears in his eyes.
“Xan?” I help him stand up and limp over to the unoccupied bed. I get him stretched out across the covers and press the nurse call button. Nobody bothers replying, but a few minutes later a severe looking older nurse appears in the doorway.
