Stay with Me by Awesomekristii (jenna bush book club .TXT) 📖

“But why would you grab her like that. That’s not how you work with patients.” I glared at them, pulling Lilah closer to me. They didn’t speak for a while and I wondered where the hell was Steven.

“Why didn’t you call the other guy who was with me?”

“She wouldn’t allow anyone near to her.” I saw the shorter one between them to answer. “Until now.”

I looked down at her, bandage on her head, some scratches on her cheeks and neck. My blood boiled whenever I was reminded of what happened, and I again wanted to plant some more punches on his face.

“How are you feeling?” I bend low near to her ears, speaking as low as possible.

“I'm good now. Can you stay with me here. I was scared.” She mumbled, her voice so low that if I handed been close I would have missed it. Her words pushed a sharp dagger to my chest, guilt eating my inside.

“I will not leave you, sweetheart.” She hummed and was relaxed against me. I saw one of the nurse walked around the bed and reached us. She pulled out an injection before filling up with the medicine and indicating me to hold her to myself more.

I did as she told and saw her pushing the needle into her skin. And soon she passed out, limp in my arms, head pressed against my chest. I laid her down on the white bed, and stood up to have talk with the doctor again.

I followed the nurse out to the doctor's chamber. He was seated on his chair in between his files I walked in with a knock and ‘come in.’

He pushed his glasses down, and looked up at me. I handed him the file the nurse gave me and saw him studying it with concentration. My stomach tumbled with dread and tension of what I was going to hear.

“She was backing herself away from the nurses.” He nodded and sighed.

“I told you this before only. This is going to affect her greatly, and looking into the reports it seemed it also triggered something in her past, and that only worsened the situation.” He looked at me in silent question but I didn’t know anything about her past.

“Did she back away from you to?” I shook my head, feeling the only sliver of light in this gray and dark sky. He smiled at me softly. “That’s a good thing. At least she hadn’t backed away from you.” I saw him standing up from his seat and pressing her palms against the glass slab of the wooden desk.

“She must have found a sense of comfort, familiarity and safety with you. You have to hold up with this more, keeping her closet to yourself, trying as much as possible to keep her away from any other people and their proximity. She had allowed you only and I doubt she will allow anyone else. Despite being a male, she hadn’t backed away from you.” I gulped down the lump in my throat. Trying to be a little relieve with this.

“When can I get her back to home?” He clicked his tongue, tapping the glass thoughtfully.

“Not before tomorrow. We will need to keep her here for a night under our surveillance. You are good to take her tomorrow morning.”

“Okay.” I readied myself to walk out of my room, approaching the door and grabbed the handle when I heard him speak. “How is he related to you?” I ducked my head low, my grip on the handle tightening.

“Everything.” I walked out and moved towards her door when I saw Steven outside holding two packed sandwiches and a water bottle. He looked up at me, hearing my footsteps probably, and handed me a sandwich.

“I brought it from the canteen. You need to eat something.” I didn’t have any appetite to have anything at all, but it was needed so I just unwrapped it and shoved inside my mouth, taking in big bites.

“Did you meet the doc? When will they discharge her?” I gulped down the food and said, “Tomorrow. They needed to keep her under surveillance.” He nodded and took a bite from his food. Silence feel between us.

“She was really scared to see me.” I heard him say after a while, sadness etched in the words. My gut tightened knowing how close they had got. He had found a sister in her. I pressed my palm over his shoulder. “That’s not just you. The doc said she will behave like that for a while.”

He let out a big sigh and nodded. “I understand.” I gulped down half the bottle when I saw the nurse approaching us.

“Sir, will you be staying here with her? Otherwise you have to leave. It’s past the visiting hours.” I nodded at her.

“I will stay.” She looked at Steven in silent question. “He will leave now only.” She just gave us a sharp nod and left. I looked back at him, and found gratitude coursing in me with the every help he did.

“You should get going. I will be staying the night, and…” I pushed my hands inside my pants pocket, “Thanks a lot. You have been a great help. I owe one.”

He punched me lightly on the arms, his face in a small smile. “You owe me nothing. I didn’t come here for you, asshole. It’s for my sister.” And that made me smile at him.

With little more goodbyes, he was gone and I walked inside Lilah's room to find her asleep, an IV connected to her. My eyes went to the heart machine, showing a normal heartbeat, and to the bandaged head. Her hands kept on either side of her.

I walked closer, and couldn’t help myself from dropping a kiss on her forehead. I was grateful she at least found safety in me, but at the same time the guilt couldn’t go away and I didn’t want it to. It was a constant reminder that at some point it was my fault for her this condition.

A tear dropped on the back of her hand while I wiped it away before brushing my eyes. My fingers curled with her as I took a seat beside her bed. I was feeling restless to look at her beautiful vibrant green eyes, and the innocence dancing in them.