Chapter 138
+25 BONUS
The following morning, Kris awoke from a deep, dreamless sleep and immediately realized he was in an unfamiliar bed. The sharp scent of disinfectant clued him in he was in a hospital.
Frowning, he tried to sit up but did so too quickly, a sharp pain shooting through his shoulder. It was then he noticed his arm was in a sling, and he was shirtless.
His frown deepened as he looked around the room, realizing he was alone. Almost as soon as the thought crossed his mind, the door creaked open, and Alden walked in, holding a paper cup of coffee.
“Oh, you’re awake! Thank God,” Alden quipped, his tone light. “I thought you might’ve slipped into a coma and I’d have to make the call about pulling the plug.”
He grinned, though he left the door wide open behind him. How are you feeling, man?”
Kris grimaced. “What am I doing here? And why is my arm in a sling?”
Alden took a slow sip of his coffee through a straw before replying. “Last night, you passed out at Thalassa’s place. I called the ambulance, and you were brought here. The doctors said you passed out from blood loss. Fortunately, it wasn’t severe enough to need a transfusion just some fluids. Oh, and they had to perform surgery to get the bullet out, hence the sling.”
“I don’t like it,” Kris muttered, shifting his arm slightly.
“Well, tough luck,” Alden replied with a shrug. “The doctors said your shoulder needs to stay immobilized for a week or two so it can heal properly.”
Kris scowled at the thought of being incapacitated for that long, but another question came to mind. “You came with me to the hospital?”
“Yep.”
“Only you?”
“Yep. And I stayed the night too, in case you’re wondering, Alden added, gesturing toward the small couch in the
corner.
Kris sighed, feeling a pang in his chest. *Of course, Thalassa wouldn’t have cared enough to come.*
Alden, sensing the shift in Kris’s mood, raised an eyebrow. Wait, is that disappointment I hear? I didn’t cram myself onto that tiny couch all night just to hear you sigh at me like that.” He scowled in mock anger, but quickly broke into a grin. “For the record, Thalassa came too, if that’s what you were really asking.”
Kris immediately sat up straighter, his heart lifting. “Really?”
“Yeah. We couldn’t all fit in the ambulance, so she and Luisa drove here.”
Kris’s expression hardened as he recalled the danger Luisa had faced recently. “You let them drive alone?”
“Of course not. Zeke drove them. Have you forgotten he was with us? Anyway, they left after the doctor said you were sedated and wouldn’t wake up until this morning.”
Kris smiled faintly, his heart swelling at the thought that Thalassa had cared enough to come to the hospital.
“Was she… worried about me?” he asked, hopeful.
Alden rolled his eyes. “We all were,” he replied, clearly dodging the deeper question. Kris glared at him, but before he could press further, a doctor stepped in through the open door.
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Chapter 138
+25 BONUS
“Mr. Miller,” the doctor greeted him, glancing at the chart in his hands. “I’m glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Fine, doctor. Feeling quite well,” Kris replied, emphasizing the word *well* a little too strongly.
The doctor looked at him skeptically. “And your shoulder? Do you feel some pain?”
Kris shook his head. “None.”
The doctor frowned. “Not even a little?”
“Like I said, I’m feeling fine,” Kris insisted. “So, you can go ahead and discharge me.‘
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The doctor frowned, clearly unconvinced, and reached for Kris’s chart. “Let me see… you sustained a gunshot wound, lost a significant amount of blood, and refused immediate treatment on–site. We had to remove the bullet with a surgical procedure. Are you sure you’re not feeling any discomfort?”
Kris shifted in bed, his jaw tightening. “It’s I said I’m fine, doctor.”
The doctor’s expression hardened. “With all due respect, Mr. Miller, this wasn’t just a scratch. The wound is deeper than you want to believe which is why it needed stitches and leaving it untreated as long as you did increases the risk of complications–like infection or nerve damage. Why don’t you stay another day so we can monitor you?”
Before Kris could argue, a familiar voice chimed in from behind the doctor, “Because he hates hospitals.”
