Page 85 of Revive
Allegra was on a ward with other patients. Curtains separated the individual bed spaces, but most of them were pushed back to the walls. The whole place made him twitchy, so that he caught himself scratching his head where the line of staples had been. Privacy seemed to be non-existent. A single chair sat at Alle’s bedside, which he drew closer to the bed, so he could sit beside her and hold her hand. There was a canula in the back of one hand, and a pulse monitor attached to a finger. No tubes, though, so that was good. The clothes she’d arrived in were gone, replaced with a surgical gown. Clothes, damn! They’d need to find her some before they discharged her. Maybe Ginny would hit the local shops and find something.
He was surprised to find how serene Alle looked, sleeping like a faerie tale princess, with her red hair fanned around her and her lips pursed like a rosebud. He kissed her gently. “I’m here, Alle. You gave me such a fright. I should have scooped you up in my arms and carried you home like I wanted to. You’re not going to get rid of me now, so I hope you’re cool with that.”
“Spook,” she muttered, though her eyes stayed closed. Her mouth formed a smile.
“I’m right here.” He raised her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles. “And plan on being so for a long time to come. I’m kind of hoping you’re going to wake-up soon so I can take you home.”
He’d been sitting by her side about forty minutes, finding himself drooping towards the mattress and startling himself awake at regular intervals due to the heat on the ward, when a shadow fell over the foot of Alle’s bed. He looked up and found another member of the nursing team.
“I’m sorry, she has another visitor now, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
Said visitor hadn’t waited to be admitted and appeared behind the nurse. Spook caught the shock of red hair and jerked to his feet, right as the man’s bellow hit him full force.
“You!”
MarshallfuckingHutton. What in the name of hell was he doing here?
He lurched towards Spook. “Get the fuck out of here.” Then, seemed to recall himself, and stopped short of physical contact. Instead, he turned to the nurse. “I don’t want him anywhere near my sister.”
“That’s funny,” Spook remarked. “Your sister doesn’t want to be anywhere near you.”
“You don’t fucking get to speak for her.”
“And you think because she’s out cold that you do?” Like hell was he allowing that.
“I’m her next of kin.” Marshall proudly jabbed himself in the chest, like next of kin was a mark of honour.
“You?” That Spook found highly unlikely. Of her four brothers, there was no way she’d nominated Marshall as her emergency contact. There had to be a mistake. Of course, Ewan, the mostly likely candidate, was out of the country. So maybe Marshall was here simply because Ewan couldn’t be. Theo would have been preferable. And as for the possibility of it having been Flynn… His heart ran riot. Seeing Flynn Hutton standing at the end of Allegra’s bed would have been infinitely worse than seeing the man he was currently facing.
“Sir,” the nurse beseeched him. “You have been here awhile. If you could please let the other gentleman have some time.”
“Gentleman,” Spook scoffed. There was no fucking way he was leaving Alle’s side so that Marshall could sit by her and fake being a doting brother. “No.” He planted his arse in the chair again.
“Sir, please. I’d really rather not have to call security,” the nurse pleaded.
“He doesn’t think the rules apply to him. Maniac.”
Somehow, he needed to keep his cool. The foxy bastard was not going to goad him into an explosion.
“I’m hardly going to leave her when she’s out cold with someone so damaging to her well-being,” he explained.
Yeah, you slimy bastard, two can play at that game. And you can glare all you like, I’m not budging.
Their discord brought the ward sister over to them. “What’s the problem here exactly?”
“This bastard shouldn’t be anywhere near my sister.” Marshall spat. “You know he’s probably the one responsible for her injuries, right? They told me on the phone what had happened. Well, here’s your culprit.”
The two women exchanged distressed glances. “I think, maybe it’d be best if both you gentlemen left the ward while we resolve this. We can’t have this level of disturbance on the ward. And I’ll remind you both that visiting is permitted on a discretionary basis. That permission can be revoked.”
Spook raised his hands. “Hey, I was just sitting here quietly.”
“And now I’m asking you to quietly vacate so this man, the lady’s brother can spend some time with her.”
“Sorry, no can do. She hates him.”
“Only because you have her brainwashed.”
“Actually, it’s because you’re a dick.”
