The Guarded One ✔

Chapter Thirty-Two

Sam and I slowly walk down the hallway while my headache and dizziness increases drastically. He has his arm wrapped around me, steadying me, as I struggle to walk on my own.

"Jason!" Ducans voice cries out from a distance before he forcefully pulls me into a hug.

I hiss in pain, squeezing my eyelids shut.

"You look like shit" Jess comments from behind Duncan.

"Yeah, it's amazing what happens to a guy when he's shot at" Sam mutters under his breath.

"Shot at?" Duncan pulls away from me fearfully, looking me head to toe.

"You're bleeding" Tyler points out while he walks up from from behind Jess.

All this fuss over me when they're the ones who called me to the hospital for an emergency.

"Thanks, genius" I snap, "now tell me what's going on?"

I then notice Hayden standing beside Tyler, quietly. Something is off about her or perhaps maybe that's just how she acts now.

"That's deep man" Tyler observes my bleeding head.

"It'll need stitches for sure" Sam adds.

Why am I here? Why did they call? They're all here and seem fine.

"Why are we all here?" I cock a brow.

"Jas" Duncan weeps, "it's the baby"

My eyes widen.

Baby?

"There's a baby?" I look over to Duncan in confusion.

"Ayla's pregnant" Hayden rolls her eyes.

"What?" I cry, firming my gaze at Duncan in fury.

Oh God, he's so fucking stupid. He got some girl pregnant? And not just any girl, but Ayla?

"She needs to deliver but the longer they leave it...The more Ayla's harmed" Jess adds.

Deliver? What? How far along is she? Fuck, how long did they keep this is a secret from me?

"How many weeks is she?" I question.

"Twenty-three" Hayden tells me. "The doctors are saying that she has something called preeclampsia"

Twenty-three weeks and Duncan didn't tell me?

I soften my eyes "I don't understand"

"We were at dinner when she fainted" Duncan weeps, "we brought her straight here..."

"It'll be okay, Duncan" Hayden puts her arm around him.

I look over to Sam who stands there bored and annoyed.

"look, Jason needs medical attention before he bleeds to death, so how bout we discuss this when we get back?" Sam suggests in an unamused tone.

Like an animal asserting dominance, Tyler folds his arms at Sam. "And who the hell are you?" He deepens his voice as an attempt to sound threatening.

Sam firms his gaze. "His brother"

With that, Sam guides me down the hallway. I feel their gaze fixed on us, but I don't bother to turn around.

***

"You will be needing stitches for sure" the nurse announces to us, pulling his gloves off his hands.

"See I told you" Sam cocks a brow.

"Sam" I start, "shut up"

I could do without his cockiness, right now.

Suddenly, a doctor enters the room. I sigh in relief when my eyes adjust, allowing me to recognize the doctor well.

Raff looks over to the nurse. "I'll take it from here"

When in trouble, request Doctor Rafferty Marcus. He picks up my chart, examining it carefully.

"You have a concussion hence the headaches so we can prescribe analgesic which should do the trick" he says. Placing the chart down at the end of the bed, Raff quickly slides on a pair of gloves and looks over to my bleeding head. "So, how exactly did this happen?"

"I tripped and hit my head" I lie.

"Uhh Jason, I thought that we were above lies at this point in our friendship" Raff says amused.

Sam smirks while I sigh. "I hit my head on some concrete, okay?"

"Hmmm well you'll need to rest in order to make a recovery" He orders, not believing my story. "Now wait here and I will get you your analgesics"

With that, he leaves my sight just as there's a knock at the door. Both Sam and I look up to see Duncan.

"What did the doc say?" Duncan asks while approaching the bed.

"I need stitches," I admit.

"And he's got a concussion" Sam adds while making his way to the door, "I'm going to the vending machine, I'll get you a soda, yeah?" With that, he leaves the room.

Duncan takes a seat beside me on the bed. "....They told me that Ayla will need to stay overnight for observation..."

Uh yes, I almost forgot. Duncan and I have always had a pact throughout our entire friendship to always be honest with each other — the completely opposite of the pact Hayden and I made.

"Why didn't you tell me she was pregnant?" I lower my voice.

Duncan and I are like brothers. He knows more about my life than anyone of my friends.

I've always wanted to be the one to take care of them. I often felt as though I were the father of the group, keeping my children in line and out of trouble.

It hurts to know that Duncan was able to keep something so big from me without hesitation or regret.

Perhaps I'm not so needed after all.

He shrugs "I don't know...But what does it matter now? I could lose them both if something happens"

"I'm sorry" I sigh just as Raff enters the room.

"I'll do your stitches now," he announces before directing his gaze at Duncan, "are you staying?"

Duncan shakes his head in sadness "no, I'm not...Bye Jas"

When he leaves the room, I look up at Raff in sadness. He keeps a straight face, avoiding eye contact with me.

"What is Sam doing in town? Evangeline told me last night that he's here visiting his mother" he observes.

"So?" I ask while he grabs his equipment.

"So, what trouble have you gotten yourself into?" Raff asks.

"Nothing that I can't get myself out of" I assure him.

He nods, sticking my head with needles. "So how much have you drank tonight, Jason? Don't bother denying that you've had anything because I can smell it on your breath...It also explains why you're bleeding so much"

I roll my eyes. We always request Raff because he keeps us out of trouble as we know he'll never report us if he finds any suspicious injuries. However, with Raff's help always comes the twenty questions.

Suddenly, Sam enters the room.

"I got you your soda" he announces before taking a seat beside the bed.

Raff and I exchange looks. Instead of continuing to interrogate him, he falls silent and stitches up my head.

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A/N

Ayla's pregnant! Did any one see that coming?

I wrote the original version of this book about two years ago and since then have changed a few things with Ayla's story. Please tell me what you think so far :)

Happy reading!!

- Rose xx