Chapter 202: Hospital Saga

"Doctor, how is he?" I rushed up from the sofa I'd been unable to sit still towards Dylan. It was comfortable but I was just too nervous to enjoy its comfort.

"You're still here?" Dylan looked tired and exhausted, but he wasn't my concern at the moment.

"Do you expect me to be somewhere else? Please just tell me how he is." My tone was impatient.

Celine and Miss Nancy rushed to my side, Zion sleeping at home with paid bodyguards stationed everywhere, including outside his door.

A baby monitor also in their possession just in case.

"We've been able to remove the bullets, though it was risky. Both bullets cut close to his heart, he almost flat lined during surgery."

My heart felt heavy. "But he'll be fine?"

"There's a little problem. Are you up for this, Hailey? Or you'd like to go home and have some rest, tomorrow, you can return and we'll..."

"N-no." I was struggling back tears. "Tell me, I want to know." I looked at a agonized Miss Nancy doing her best not to fall apart as she unconsciously caressed her engagement ring, her eyes glued to the door Dylan had just emerged from.

I held her hand and squeezed comfortingly, but she didn't even squeeze back or acknowledge my touch, it was as though she was far from reality. This was hitting her hard, I knew that and it only made me more guilty.

"Please tell us Dylan, we all want to know." Celine put in, raising a comforting hand to my shoulder. She too was a mess.

"He went into a momentary shock during the surgery and it seemed to affect the nerves in his brain, though it's nothing to worry about but we'll just have to be prepared."

"P-prepared for w-what?" I was almost too scared to ask.

Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway, coming out direction. I knew who it was without looking.

He'd been with us until he decided to go check on Zion to be sure he was fine.

"Relax, he won't die, I hope. But he might take a while coming out of his comatose state."

"N-no!" I cried, placing a hand over my mouth.

"His chances of coming awake are encouraging."

"But?" This was from Jared.

"But we should hope it doesn't decline and leave us in the negative."

"Can I see him now?" Miss Nancy asked in a low, quiet tone as though she was scared to speak out audibly.

"We usually don't allow visits immediately after surgery but..."

"But what, Dylan? And who's the 'we'? You're the fucking owner of this hospital." Celine snapped.

"Uh...you guys can go in but don't stay for long." He motioned us towards the door he'd emerged from.

We all filed into the room. I heard Miss Nancy's sharp intake of breath as she shakily made her way to uncle Pete's still body on the hospital bed where he was hooked to tubes.

There was the steady beeping of machine, the only sound in the room.

Tears fell down my eyes as they travelled down the frame of the man that had stood for and by me, fought for and by me. Who had treated me as a daughter.

Six years ago, he was the only person who had been my rock when everyone else were making life hell for me.

I reached his bed, crumbled to my knees and held his other hand. "I'm sorry, uncle Pete. I'm so...so s-sorry."

"Hey, it's okay." Celine stooped to my level, comforting me.

I could sense Jared's gaze on me but he didn't come close.

"I don't want him to die." I told Celine.

Him lying there, unmoving and unaware, brought back painful memories of my daughter. I had hope until she gave up and left me, taking that hope with her.

I didn't want same for uncle Pete. The day I was supposed to reveal my true self to the world and apprehend my enemies, throwing them in prison for life, it had all gone wrong.

The only good thing that had come out of it was having the Russian police team re-arrest Jerome and take him back.

They'd had him handcuffed, nozzled and practically bundled like a criminal all the while he was screaming.

I had seen the fear in his eyes, he didn't want to go back there, his time in Russia had probably been too tough.

Well, he was a bad person and was rightfully back to where he belonged.

Shortly after, the cops arrived and took Denise away, she didn't even scream or beg like she'd done the last time.

That left me Mia, her father and Derek to deal with, and it would be all over.

I just hoped uncle Pete survived this.

Celine offered handkerchief, I took and wiped away tears and snot. I moved to meet Miss Nancy who was sobbing her heart out quietly with Jared comforting her.

She held on to uncle Pete as though she wouldn't let go.

"He'll be fine, Miss Nancy." I said in a hoarse voice. I was keeping my hopes up with my words as well.

She nodded. "He better be. Dear Lord, he better be." Then she looked at all three of us with puffy eyes. She was still in her dress, we all were. "May...may I have a moment alone with him, please?"

Nodding my understanding, I gave her a last comforting hug before leaving, Celine did the same and left with me.

Jared was the last to come out.

"Would you like to go home?" Celine asked, her tone soft and gentle.

I thought of my son, then reasoned he was fine. But then again, I missed him and wanted to hold him in that moment even though asleep.

I looked briefly over my shoulder at the VIP ward uncle Pete was in, I would feel guilty if I went home when the man who took two bullets for me was lying in a comatose with an oxygen mask attached to his face and tubes to other parts of him.

"I'd like to stay a little while." I told her. "You can go if you want."

"No." She shook her head. "I'll stay with you."

That sent warmth coursing through me. "Thank you."

She smiled through sympathetic, sad eyes. "Let's go have a seat."

My head was resting against the sofa chair, my eyes closed — an attempt to keep from thinking too much of today — when I felt someone standing close to me.

"Can we talk in private, please?"

Reining in anger because it wasn't the time and place, I opened my eyes to meet a pair of exhausted, guilty sterling grey staring at me. My heart raced and it was not for love, that was for sure.

I gave him a narrowed glare gritting out my response. "Go to hell."