Hell Bound (The Immortal Balances- Book 1)

Chapter Five: Honestly Evil

"Where is she?" Jake asked anxiously, rushing down the long pristine white corridor of the Emergency Wing to where I was sitting. I didn't get up to greet him, and instead just stayed put, hands clutched together as I leant forward. Faint beeping could be heard down the hall, and the smell of cleaning alcohol and medicine was enough to constantly remind me that I was in my first ever hospital. Jake finally reached me, panting from running, yet before Jake could repeat himself, Rachel's nurse came over to us.

"Which one of you gentlemen is Caleb?" She asked, looking from me to Jake. I got up in answer, and she told me to follow her. Jake tried to bombard the nurse with questions but she simply waved them away, explaining how she'd return after she'd taken me to see Rachel.

We reached her room and I honestly felt legs turn to jelly. Lying half dead in a simple hospital bed was Rachel, her arms are legs bandaged in white, tubes hooked into her skin from machines and containers. She looked like a lab experiment, and I just wanted to go up to her and cradle her in my arms.

"The tubes are supplying her with more of her own blood type since she lost a lot from the cuts," The nurse explained sympathetically, gesturing to the tubes. I nodded to show I understood. "And the tubes are just feeding her a little since she was an unhealthy weight."

It was true. Since Rachel had been forced to stop working, she'd had to cut back a lot on what she ate to be able to afford other things like bills and school. I'd tried giving her money myself, obviously money I'd stolen, but she wouldn't take it, despite not knowing its source. When I could I'd cooked her dinner, but she felt as if she didn't have time to eat and would study instead. Still, I felt like this was my fault. Whoever the new reaper was, they were not messing around. They knew that I'd have found Rachel and gotten her to hospital, which showed that whoever it was, they wanted to play games.

I didn't mind a bit of evil fun, but I didn't want Rachel caught up in the midst of if all.

This was mine and the new Reaper's fight. Not hers.

The nurse left us once I was sat in the chair next to Rachel's bed. She was so fragile, I just hadn't realised before. And finding her in that state, in a puddle of her own blood with slashed legs and slit wrists had made me realised that I cared for her, even if I was a heartless bastard. It had taken me less than a few minutes to call and demand medical services to her house, and it had been at least three hours since I'd been allowed to see her. The whole time though, I'd been all out of sorts. I didn't know how I cared for Rachel, but I knew that if she had died, I would have never forgiven myself. Only now could I understand that simple Living feeling.

I barely had a minute alone with her when two officers came in, notepads in hand. They greeted me, looked at Rachel and then back to me. "Good evening," the tall one said.

I didn't really look at their faces, just that one of them was notably taller than the other. Officer Tall and Officer Small.

They both dragged a few chairs over to where I was sitting and sat down. Clearly, they were here to ask me some questions.

"You're a friend of Rachel's I presume?" Asked Small formally. "Her boyfriend, perhaps?"

I shook my head. "Just a friend." I didn't tell them that her actual boyfriend was just down the hall going out of his mind about Rachel. I didn't see him as important enough.

"Can you tell me how you know Rachel please, erm...?" Tall struggled for my name, then looked to me for answers.

"Caleb Charm. I'm staying with Rachel at her place, for personal reasons," I told them, not wanting them to know anymore about me than that. I had to keep a low profile.