Page 142 of The Wildcard

“Iunderstandthat–”

“Please.”

The nurse huffed again but turned on her heels and walked out of the room without a backward glance. Angel sighed and looked past the two heads slumped on his shoulder, his expression dropping to annoyance as Christina waved at him. She was also dressed in her gown, which was ripped and spoilt from the hem but didn’t look like she was injured. She tilted her head as Angel sighed and slumped back in his bed, aware that the two idiots were still dangerously close to his arm.

“What. Are. You. Doing.” He asked through gritted teeth and frowned when Jack lifted his head and sighed,

“We’re mourning the loss of your hand.” he replied in a painfully calm voice. Even Luke looked up at Angel as thoughhewas the idiot here.

“It’s quite obvious.” Luke continued and Angel rolled his eyes, “You disappear on us for hours after a bomb blast and we get to know you wereshot–”

“In the arm,” Mia decides to add.

“In the bloody arm.”

“Christ,”

“And so, here we are.” Luke said, looking down at the blanket that was covering his bandaged arm,

“Mourning your hand.”

Angel sighed and shoved both of them off his bed with one hand, “I hate both of you.” He stated as the two landed on the floor with surprised gasps. Angel paid them no heed, just turned to Mia with an arched brow,

“How injured are you?”

Jack murmured profanities from the floor and Luke got up smoothly, brushing an invisible speck of dust off his pants as if he hadn’t fallen straight on his ass. Mia didn’t miss a beat, just laced her hands together,

“What do you need me to do?”

“Find Akash for me.” He said and grunted as he sat up.

Christina shot forward but Jack caught a hold of her arm, a rare sort of seriousness flashing in them as Angel ignored them and looked only at Mia,

“He has a tracker on him.”

Mia’s eyes flared in realization, “You did it then.”

Angel nodded and turned to look out the window, “I did.” He said, unable to keep that note of solemness from his voice, “Don’t know what good it’ll do.” He murmured under his breath.

“I’m on it.” She said and immediately turned on her heels to walk out. Angel admired her for it, for not making a big deal out of the state he was in. For being who he needed her to be right now.

“And Mia?” he started, his voice coming out raw. Mia paused at that tone, and knew his words before he said them.

“I saw her.” She said quietly, and yet, and yet,and fucking yet.

That numbness just spread.

“She’s in the ICU, under intensive care. They’re doing everything possible.” Mia continued and Angel shook at her words. Didn’t see Luke and Jack carefully sit on the corner of Angel’s bed with their head dropped. Didn’t hear Christina’s silent intake of breath as she turned away from all of them. Feltnothingwhen Mia continued,

“But in the end, she’s in a coma...”

Angel just stopped listening after that. He was breathing, in and out. In and out. He was breathing,wasn’t he?

Angel looked down at his hands, not shaking, unrelenting. Anddespisedhimself for it.Hatedhimself for having gotten in the way of this mess.

Hated someone else for shoving him into this life so soon.

And hated himself some more for that thought.

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