Instinct » Liam Dunbar [Book 3]

23

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE » RETRIBUTION
"There's going to be hell to pay."

☽

There was a faint ringing in my ears.

I slammed the palms of my hands against the hospital doors, bursting through into the busy corridor. I froze still for a moment, the whirlwind of sounds around me all beginning to blur into one.

My heart pounded and my dizzy head spun as I started to make my way through the corridor, eventually finding the crowded waiting room. Once there, I instantly spotted my brother in the distance, standing stoically beside Malia.

"Scott?"

His head turned at the sound of my voice, and I began to rush towards him, soft cries tumbling from my lips before I could hold them back. Scott quickly brought me into a hug, wrapping his arms tight around my back.

"What happened?" I choked out hoarsely, taking a handful of his sweater in my grip as I attempted to stop myself from falling. I looked up at him desperately. "What happened?"

My brother pulled me in closer, placing his hand on the top of my head as I pressed my face against his chest, muffling my shallow breaths. "They shot at the house," he told me a few moments later. I pulled back slowly, wiping a hand over my face. "Mom and Dad are awake. Mason and Lydia are both in surgery."

I let out a shuddering breath at the news, as Malia stepped towards me, placing a firm hand on my shoulder. "They're gonna be okay."

I nodded slowly, glancing up at Scott again to meet his eyes. "Mom and Dad, can we–" I swallowed thickly, my voice wavering. "Can we see them?"

"Yeah," he said, sparing a look down the end of the corridor. "They're gonna come and get us."

"Okay," I breathed out, nodding along at his words. "Okay."

Malia looked up at us both reassuringly, her softening eyes full of sympathy for us both. She kept her hand placed on my shoulder, but I also watched as she reached down to take Scott's trembling hand with her other.

The three of us remained silent as we waited to be called. No more words were spoken. Nothing else needed to be said.

~

"You have about a minute before the sedative kicks in," the nurse with the kind smile informed. "Let her rest."

Scott nodded understandingly as the woman moved past us, closing the door shut quietly behind her. I stepped further inside, my ears picking up on the sound of heart monitor beeping continuously.

Mom lay helplessly on the bed, tubes and wires surrounding her fragile, pale frame. A weak smile pulled at her lips, as her tired eyes shifted over us. "Hey kids."

Scott moved to stand beside her bed, as I hung back slightly, taking my time as I made my own way over. My brother let out a heavy sigh, as mom's eyelids seemed to flutter shut momentarily. "We'll go wait outside."

"No, wait–" she cut off, her voice sounding a lot firmer than the exhausted, hoarse whisper she'd managed earlier. I swallowed thickly, slowly moving to stand beside Scott. My stomach churned, a heavy lump rising in the back of my throat. Weakly, mom reached out a trembling hand, placing it over mine before glancing up and meeting Scott's eyes. "Listen to me." She took a sharp intake of breath, squeezing my hand tighter in her cold grip, yet her eyes remained on my brother. "You shouldn't do this."

"But I'm responsible, mom," Scott responded quietly. He paused for a moment before shifting. "You need to sleep."

"I just need to–" she cut off, her eyes falling slightly as she took another deep breath. Scott and I shared a concerned look. "Tell you."