The Hunt: The Final Chase (3) (Edited)

Chapter 38

"Samuel? Sam, Sam, wake up," a quiet voice called. Samuel slowly opened his eyes to a squint, then saw C.J. sitting on the foot of his bed. "He's awake, Marcy!" C.J. called, as he got off the bed. Samuel slowly sat up in the uncomfortable bed, and the smell of medicine and bleach filled the room. The window revealed the midday light, and a small vase full of white and red roses were on the long window sill. Marceline walked inside the small room that was covered in white walls, blue tiled flooring, and a water-damaged ceiling. She sat on the foot of Samuel's hospital bed, wearing a baggy t-shirt and pants provided by the hospital. "You alright, Samuel?" she asked, as she looked at Samuel with concern, but relief, seeing him awake. "Where are we?" Samuel asked, as he looked around the room, seeing that he was wearing a loose and baggy hospital gown that went down to his knees. Marceline looked Samuel in his bright blue eyes and said, "We're in the Winchester Bay ER." "Oh, I thought we were dead for a second," Samuel joked. She rolled her eyes with laughter, "Yeah, Jeff thought that too. How you feeling?" Samuel shrugged as he sat up straight in the hospital bed, "Okay I guess? But I feel a little numb and oddly tired." "That's because you had to be given some laughing gas to keep you asleep during surgery," Marceline said. Samuel looked under the sheets frantically, seeing if he still had all of his limbs, he moved his legs and feet and only saw a few bruises and scratches, but nothing was missing. "Thank Jesus I have all my limbs, how are the others?" he asked, as he sat on his knees. Marceline shrugged, "Well, Alex got her stab wound stitched up, C.J. had a broken wrist, but he'll be alright. Jeff had a few burns but he got those taken care of, Isaac broke his left hand, Bailey had a few bruises and burns, and Clancy had a stab wound in his back, but he'll be alright." "What about you?" Samuel asked with concern. "Dislocated my left foot, but the doctors popped it back into socket and they set me off with an ankle brace to keep in in place." Samuel smiled with relief, "That's good to hear."

They talked for a few more minutes, until Isaac walked into the room, saying, "Hey uh, the doctors said that he needs Marcy for a second. Mind if I steal her for a while?" "I don't care, Isaac," Samuel said, as he looked out the window and watched the cars go by on the nearby road. Marceline walked out of the room, and asked Isaac, "What's going on?" "I don't know, but the lady at the front desk said that someone's here to see us," Isaac explained as they walked down the long hall to the front desk. Once they got there, a tall man with grey hair and green eyes, holding a folder with papers walked over to them. He wore a sharp suit and had on black dress shoes. "Are you Marceline Connor McLoughlin?" he asked, as Marceline stood next to Isaac and Jeff. She nodded, "Yes sir." "Okay good, you're all here," the man said, as he pulled out a paper from the folder in his arms. He looked at Isaac and asked, "You're Isaac Scott, right?" Isaac nodded, "Yeah, what do you want from me?" "Nothing, but are you related to Davies Scott by any chance?" the man asked, as he examined Isaac. Isaac nodded with a disappointed face, "Sadly, yes." "He and his wife moved out of Utah, which you told me that you lived with them, didn't you?" the man said, as he read off the paper. Isaac nodded, "Yeah. But them moving doesn't surprise me. They never liked Utah in the first place." The man looked at Jeff and Marceline and said, "As for you two teenagers, you're guardians wanted me to give you this. Once they heard about where you were the sent me to give you this letter immediately." The man handed the letter to Marceline, who read aloud:

"Dear Marceline, Jeff, and Isaac,
We're sorry that the news of you three coming out as innocent back at the juvenile camp didn't come sooner. But from what we've heard, you're all three okay. Marceline, this is your Granna writing to you. I just wanted to say that you've always been a good kid, despite you being suspended twice for things that you didn't do, and getting framed for crimes you didn't commit. But the real criminal was Grant Steele, he had been doing things to try and get all three of you in trouble. But the hunter became the hunted, and he'll be in prison for a while for what he'd done. And Marceline, I do hope that since you're in Winchester Bay, that someone up there will take care of you. And Granddad and I miss you dearly."