Chapter 33: Chapter 33

THIRTEEN

"You're actually using the crutches?"

I scowl at Chase as him and Cody walk into my hospital room. I grab the crutches propped up against the bed, tucking one under each arm.

"I can be reasonable." I retort.

"Doctor finally letting you walk around?" Cody asks me.

"Not exactly," I admit and Cody gives me a pointed look. "I'm not spending another day in this crappy bed. I won't leave the hospital, but there's no way I'm staying in this room doing absolutely nothing for a third day."

My crutches make a clicking noise as I make my way out of the room and into the hallway. Both the boys follow me.

"I'm still shocked you're actually using the crutches," Chase repeats.

"Oh shut it, Chase," I grumble. "Henri's lurking around here somewhere, that's the only reason I'm using them. I don't need to get yelled at by him."

"Henri's here?" Cody questions. "When did he get here?"

"This morning," I reply as I keep walking down the hall. I have no idea where I'm even headed but I don't care.

"Why is he here?"

I grumble a string of curses under my breath. "That was my loving father's doing," I mutter sarcastically.

"Your father called him?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"He's been trying to get on my good side ever since my brother died," I reply honestly. "My brother was always his favorite, and after he died and Lydia disappeared I was his only child left. So he's been trying to 'reconnect' with me."

"So he thought bringing Henri here would get him some points in the father department." Chase states and I nod.

"Too bad for him I consider Henri more of a father than my actual father will ever be."

I let out a string of curses and place my hand over my chest when I turn the corner only to come face to face with Henri.

"Ow!" I cry out when his hand comes in contact with the back of my head.

"Watch your tongue, Miss Kingston." He says in a warning tone before fixing me with one of his death glares. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"That depends on your point of view."

Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say.

"Ow! Henri!" I shout.

He throws me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and grabs my crutches with his free hand. Chase and Cody laugh at me and I glare back at them.

"Put me down." I hiss, but as usual, Henri ignores me. "At least I was using the crutches."

"Yes. That is the only right thing you have done all day." Henri agrees as he deposits me back into my bed.

"Oh come on," I complain. "I wasn't going to leave. I was just going to go for a walk around the hospital."

He's not convinced. "Sure you were." He retorts as he leans the crutches against the wall in the furthest corner in the room. "Miss Kingston, you must allow yourself time to rest for you to properly heal."

"I can rest when I'm dead-Ow! What was that for?"

"Your negativity."

Chase and Cody smother their laughter behind their hands. I shoot them a deadly glare, warning them against opening their mouths.

"Please Henri," I beg. I notice his face soften. He knows I don't do this very often. He lets out a resigned sigh and I know I've won this time.

"Very well." He mutters before fixing the boys with his death glare instead of me. "I expect you two to keep an eye on her and make sure she does not do anything stupid."

"Keep her from doing something stupid? Do you know her at al-"

Cody cuts off Chase with an elbow to the ribs.

"Yeah, we'll take care of her." Chase manages to wheeze out.

Henri grabs my crutches and hands them back to me. I take them gratefully. Never mind that I'm right back where I started, at least I'm walking around and not staying in bed.

"Come on. Let's go." I tell Chase and Cody, making my way out of the room yet again.

"You hungry?" Cody asks me after we've been walking for a few minutes.

"Not really," I reply. "But it'll give me something to do other than walk aimlessly around the hospital. Lead the way."

We take the elevators down to the floor the cafeteria happens to be on. Cody and Chase keep the pace I'm going, and walk beside me rather than behind me.

"What do you want?" Cody questions after we've taken a seat at one of the tables.

I shrug. "Just a fruit cup or something," I respond. He nods and walks over to get food after asking Chase if he wants anything.

I look over at Chase who's taken the seat across from me. "Any change?" I ask softly and he shakes his head sadly.

"The doctor said Jason will be fine once the swelling in his brain goes down but until then it's just a waiting game...and Devin well...he's not gotten any worse or any better."

I nod thoughtfully and run a hand through my hair. "Do you think you two could take me to see them?"

"Of course. After you eat something."

I groan. "You're turning into another Henri. That's not a good thing."

Chase smiles into his cup of coffee he got before we sat down. "Not for you."

I drum my fingers on the table as I wait for Cody to come back with the food...but something's bothering me. Something's been on my mind for the last couple days.

"Hey, Chase?"

"Yeah?"

"That girl, Anna."

"What about her?"

"What did you say her last name was?" I question.

He takes a sip of his coffee. "I didn't." He places the coffee cup back on the table. "She said it was...Marshal, or something like that."

I nod in response and continue to drum my fingers on the table.

"Why?" He asks.

"No reason," I say dismissively.

Luckily Cody chooses that moment to grace us with his presence. He takes the seat next to mine and slides the tray of food into the middle of the table.

"Thanks," I mutter as he hands me a fruit cup. I take out a piece of melon and pop it in my mouth.

"So what exactly happened after I left the club?" I question, both Chase and Cody wince as if the memory itself brings them physical pain.

"There was a sort of hostage situation." Chase starts.

"And Anna made it a tad bit worse before she made it a whole lot better," Cody adds.

"But things may have gotten just slightly out of hand-"

"That girl has a lot of pent-up anger," Cody interjects but Chase continues on.

"Not to mention she's extremely violent. She may have ended up cutting off Elaine's head with your dagger."

I choke on the piece of fruit in my mouth. Cody pats my back as I continue to choke and offers me his water. I take a few slow sips.

"What?" I finally ask when I'm done choking.

"She cut off Elaine's head."

"And then proceeded to have some bubble gum," Cody adds in and my eyes widen in surprise.

Chase opens his mouth to say more but I hold up my hand to silence him.

"Don't say anymore," I order. "I'm already not going to be able to finish my food for the day. You tell me anything else I won't be eating for the week."

"So I take it you're done with this then." Cody states as he takes the half-empty fruit cup from me after I was eyeing it like it was the most revolting thing in the world. I just nod in response.

"Want to go up and see Devin and Jason now?" Chase asks and I just nod mutely. The picture of a headless Elaine filling my head. I shudder.

Cody and Chase pick up the table and hand me my crutches as I get to my feet. We make it out of the cafeteria and into the hallway.

We're about halfway down the hall when I hear the clicking of heels from behind us, but before I can turn to look, my crutches are kicked out from under me and I fall.

I brace my fall with my hands but it still does nothing to keep the pain from spreading all over my body. I groan.

"Anna what the hell?!" I hear Cody growl out.

"Oops sorry." I hear her sarcastic apology. "Didn't see you there. Maybe you should wear a big neon sign. Though it's doubtful that would help. I wouldn't notice you either way."

Both Chase and Cody seemed shocked by Anna's attitude towards me. But it takes one look from me at the blue sundress wearing 'angel' to confirm what I already knew.

Cody helps me to my feet and I notice him take a step towards her. I grab hold of his arm and pull him back, placing a hand on his chest as if to tell him I can handle this.

"Didn't realize the hospital let the patients lacking a heart out of the morgue."

She laughs in a sadistic kind of way. "Me? Heartless? That's rich coming from you."

She twirls a lollipop in her mouth as she stares me down. Her eyebrow's raised, daring me to say something else. Anything else.

"Alice right?" I question sarcastically and she glares at me. "I'm pretty sure there's a breeder somewhere missing his best mutt, so why don't you run along and stay out of my sight."

She glares at me and she continues to twirl the lollipop around in her mouth. Her fingers tapping the side of her leg. Her glare doesn't let up and neither does mine.

I can hear Cody shift nervously on his feet and Chase coughs lightly as if to try and break us apart. That ain't going to happen.

She launches herself at me and I hear the boys' sharp intakes of breath.

Her arms wrap tightly around my neck and shoulders, squeezing the point I can't breathe anymore. But I don't push her off me and instead wrap my arms firmly around her.

"Don't you freaking scare me like that again." She grumbles into my shoulder and I can hear the pain in her voice.

"Only if you don't do the same to me," I reply with a smile and she laughs, pulling herself away from me and wiping at her eyes.

"Look what you did." She complains. "You ruined my make up." She wipes at her eyes some more before fully facing me. She tackles me into another hug before I can say anything else.

"I just got you back and I'm not losing you again." She mumbles so only I can hear. She pulls back again and smiles at me before facing Chase and Cody.

"They look like they've got something stuck in their throats." She says simply, waving her hand with the lollipop in it at Cody and Chase. "Go ahead spit it out, boys."

"You two know each other," Chase states, pointing between the two of us. I smile and nod.

"Though I think it'd make more sense if she gave you her full name," I reply, smiling at her. "And ditched the 'angelic' look."

She grins before handing me her lollipop. "Hold this." She says simply.

She brings her hands up into her eyes and rips away the blue colored contacts. She then rakes her hand through her hair, pulling away the curly golden wing and letting her natural long hair cascade down her back.

She faces the boys and I hear their gasps as their eyes settle on the shimmering emerald green eyes and the hot pink dyed straight hair. She smiles crookedly at them and tilts her head to the side, she reaches her hand out for them to shake.

"Name's Lillianna, you can call me Anna...or you can call me Lily."

She gives them a wicked and devilish smile before pointing to her hair. "I'm told this isn't my brother's color, but I think I rock it pretty well."