Rejected Mate

Chapter 36 - "I have, but she's a total weirdo"

Do something today that makes you feel responsible! I know it seems like death, but that's cause your brain doesn't remember it correctly! Just put on some music or something, and get it done! It has no power over you!!!! :)
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(Axel's POV)

"Axel!"
I jumped out of bed, the panic in Jordan's voice waking me.
"Axel!?" He slammed my bedroom door open.
"What? What's wrong?"
"It's scarlet."
We took off running toward the hospital.
I knew I shouldn't have left her side, but she's just so stubborn.
"What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know, they just told me to come get you."
We burst through the hospital doors and I was immediately rushed to a pale Scarlets side.
She was coughing, but I couldn't see if there was any blood.
I grabbed her hand to keep myself grounded.
She was in and out of consciousness as I whispered soothing things to her. With all the yelling and shouting I wasn't sure if she could hear me, but the thought that it was helping her kept me calm.
Right as she was brought to the door, I said one last 'I love you' before she was taken in for surgery.

The next day, I was sitting in her room, just like before, waiting for her to wake up and for the doctors to tell me she had recovered enough to go home.
She would no longer be on patrol, and with the half good reason, half excuse, she would not be doing any work until she was healed completely.
I know I'm not supposed to be keeping her from work anymore, but this time there's a rational reason, and she can go back later, just not for... a while.
Jordan, Thomas and Robert all helped out with paper work, while I sat here.
She had already had two nightmares, and I was starting to wonder what they where about that could make her cry so much. I hated the thought of it.
Somewhere near the end of day two, I fell asleep, and woke up hours later because of a 'considerate' nurse who told me that it was 'one in the afternoon' and 'you shouldn't sleep that late in the day, it could ruin your sleep schedule' ...... thanks lady. I'm surprised I didn't wack her..... maybe I will later.
Maybe if I hit myself hard enough, I'd pass out again. That nurse probably won't be back for a couple hours....
"Hey, I brought you a bag of clothes so you can take a shower." Thomas walked in, tossing the bag to me as he took a seat on the other side of scarlet.
"There's like five outfits in here..."
"Who knows how long it will be until she wakes up again." His smile dropped, realizing what he had said. "Sorry."
"It's okay. She woke up before and she'll wake up again." I  said reassuringly, more to myself then anything.
"Yeah.... so what have you been doing?"
"Nothing. No one has thought to bring me anything except you, so I've been sitting here staring at a mute TV because the nurse muted it and now I can't find the remote."
"Why don't you ask?"
"I have, but she's a total weirdo and thinks it will wake up Scarlet. Even more reason to unmute the TV."
"Yeah."
"You know how I haven't slept, like... at all?"
He nodded
"I finally fell asleep last night just out of pure exhaustion, and at one in the afternoon today... she woke me up because, as she so annoyingly put it 'it would ruin my sleep schedule'."
"Yes, because staying up for days on end doesn't."
"Exactly."
"Well she can't be the only nurse, what about the other ones?"
"She hid the remote, and none of the other nurses can find it."
"Why haven't you got someone to do something about it?"
"I can't leave the room to tell anyone, and the other nurses are toobusy to tell their supervisors."
"Wow."
"Yeah."
"Why not use your phone as a remote?"
"It died yesterday and I didn't think of that before now."
"I'll go get your charger." He stood.
"Thanks."
"See ya."
"Bye."
He later came back with my charger, but had to leave because of some 'paper work emergency'.
My phone did work for a remote. So that was nice.
Day three, I took a shower.
Day four, I did nothing again.
Day five, nothing happened.
And on day six, i was just about to dose off when I saw Scarlets eyes open.
"Ow."
"Are you okay?!" I stood, waking myself up.
"Yeah. Wh... what happened?" She tried to sit up, but for obvious reasons, I stopped her. The action was met with a questioning look.
"The doctors say you shouldn't move."
"Oh..."
I sat back down, all the memories from the last time we talked rushing back.
I didn't want to be mean, but I still wasn't over it I guess.
I shook my head to clear them away, remembering I needed to tell her what happened. "The doctors said you were moving a lot in your sleep, and because of the pain killers, you didn't feel enough to wake up, so you ended up tearing open several external and two internal wounds."
".... and how long ago was that?"
"Almost a week."
"And how much of that did you sleep?" She asked.
I didn't answer, knowing it might lead to another argument where, this time she couldn't kick me out, and things would get awkward. I don't like awkward.
I could feel her eyes on me, trying to make me tell her, but I couldn't.
She sighed after a moment, giving up.
"I'm sorry."
I looked at her.
"I shouldn't have reacted the way I did and I shouldn't have kicked you out...."  if she could look down, she would have. She genuinely meant it. Of course I don't think she would apologize if she didn't mean it, but something about it told me it wasn't as much an apology as it was understanding and accepting the truth of what I had said.
".... I forgive you." I smiled.
She returned the expression. "Thank you. Now how much of that week did you sleep?"
My smile faded as I was reminded of how exhausted I was. "I got around twelve hours two days in."
"And it's been how many days since?" She pushed.
"Four." I sighed, rubbing my tired eyes.
"Okay, now I'm kicking you out to get some sleep." She pointed to the door, her face scrunched like an angry child.
"..... you can't." I chuckled at the expression.
"Why?"
"The doctors also said I can't leave. If you have another nightmare, I'm the only person who can be here to keep you from reopening your wounds; all the staff are helping other patients, and I can calm you down easier."
"I won't have another nightmare." She said confidently
"You've had eight in the past six days." I said, my deadpan expression emphasizing my point.
"...oh..."
"Yeah...."
"But you need sleep."
"I'll be fine." I waved it off.
"You need to at least trim your beard."
"What?" I self-consciously stroked my face.
"Have you seen a mirror? It's three times the size it was before this happened." She giggled.
"I have. Is it bad?"
"It needs a little brushing and trim, but other then that, it's nice."
"Really? You like it?"
"I like the look of it, Yeah, but I think it should be shorter."
"I'll work on that." I grinned at the thought.
"Have you showered?"
"Two days ago, I was gonna shower again today."
"Do that."
"What? Wow!" I laughed.
"What, you'll be more comfortable if you shower!"
"Alright. Fine." I reached into the bag Thomas had gotten me, and pulled out some clothes. "I'll be back in a few minutes." I stood and walked into the bathroom attached to the room.
While I was in there, I found some scissors and decided to trim it like she said.
I wonder how short she meant...
Once I had trimmed it, hoping I hadn't cut it too much, I hopped in the shower.
A few minutes later I was dressed and walking back into the room.
"Hey." I made sure to stand where she could see my face.
"You trimmed your beard."
"Yeah. I found some scissors and thought, why not?"
"I was right, I like it better this way."
"Thank you ma'am." I bowed, hiding the smirk of satisfaction.
".... hey, come here."
"Okay?" I walked to her.
"Sit down." I was about to sit back in my seat, but she stopped me. "No. Sit down here." She patted the spot next to her in the bed.
"Why?" I sat.
"Cause. Get a little closer."
"What's happening?"
She stayed silent as she moved some of my hair to the other side of my face.
"Um... what are you doing?"
"Your hair was parted wrong and I fixed it."
"Why did I have to sit down for that?"
"I can't move, remember?"
"Yeah, but I could have done that." I started to get up, but she grabbed my arm, keeping me there.
"I wanted to do it, plus there's something else."
"What?"
"A magic trick." She did little jazz hands.
"What?"
"Just listen."
"Okay....?" She was acting weird. Maybe it's the pain killers.
"Close your eyes." I did. "Now lay down and count to one hundred, and when you get there I'll give you the next instruction."
"What? No." I opened my eyes, slightly panicked at the thought.
"You said you'd do it!" She whined.
"..... Fine."
I laid down next to her, making sure I wasn't too close to her and closed my eyes.
I lost count at ten.
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