Don't Forget

12. Outside the Circle

It was the busiest time for the nurses and doctors employed at the hospital. While there was always someone injured—given the nature of campus—after the Coliseum Battles, almost the entire school had wounds that required tending.

When I rushed in, Shar was leaving. He had a Band-Aid across a single cut on his face and a wrap on his wrist. Otherwise, there were no added injuries. His black eyes landed on my face, expression hard. He looked away and brushed past me, denying any kind of conversation.

And soon after, the exotic angel Viena emerged. She paused to look at me and flashed me an arrogant grin—she had barely any injuries. She made it a point to push into me before she called to the fallen angel and flanked him.

But the health of my friends was more important than figuring out what was going on. So I pushed through the hospitals doors, and froze at the sight.

Nurses, nurses-in-training, doctors, doctors in residency, and volunteers scurried about, tending to the swarms of patients. There were some that were covered head-to-toe in gauze, in critical condition, while others just needed their cuts cleaned.

Panic stirred my stomach, making me nauseated, as I worried that one of the creatures in critical care was a friend.

Just as in the cafeteria, the creatures were sequestered off in separate sections. The vampires were clustered together, the angels surrounded by angels, so on and so forth. The first section housed the super-humans, since their injuries most resembled humans' and could be treated the easiest.

Sitting on a cot and rubbing his temples was Jarek. As soon as I neared, his eyes flashed open and his blue eyes bored into mine. He dropped his hands to his side and nodded, letting me know that he was okay. But I wanted to know more.

He snorted. "Such curious creatures you humans are."

"So, what happened?" I sat beside him, careful not to jostle him too much—I didn't know the extent of his injuries. "I only caught the tail-end of your fight."

His eyes rose to the ceiling. "A witch cast a spell on me that was powerful enough to knock me out."

"And you didn't predict it coming?"

It was hard to surprise a telepath.

Jarek looked at me from the corner of his eye. "Spontaneity is the mind-reader's weakness."

"You mean she didn't plan to use that spell?"

He shook his head. "She didn't plan anything. Completely unpredictable."

To imitate real life, the creatures were instructed to avoid the pills that kept telepaths out. After all, in a real battle, mind-reading would be a benefit for the super-human—so the other creatures had to learn how to defeat it. It seemed this witch figured it out.

"And you'll be okay?" I put my hand on his arm, thinking back to my own hospital visit and how he had been there for me through the entire experience.

His blue eyes glowed. "Yes, Amy. As soon as it wore off, the worst of my side-effects is dizziness. As soon as that passes, I'll be back to my normal self. And I know how much you love my usual self."

I rolled my eyes, but to hear him jeering like this made me feel better. "Well, if you're going to be okay, I'm going to get going." I stood and began to move on.

"Amy," Jarek called. "Your friends are fine."

I smiled. "Thanks."

The werewolves were next, and I finally found Rian in the huddle.