Status: Complete. Any thoughts?
Turning Point
With a bright moon;
“Mr. Mendell?”
The nurse glanced at the four men who stood behind her, ready to assist her when she gave the order. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Mr. Mendell, we need your cooperation, please.”
“You do?” Patrick asked, his eyes barely open. “It seems the men behind you wouldn’t exactly need my cooperation, now would they?”
A frown formed on the young nurse’s face, but she didn’t back down like she normally would. She had been given specific orders, and the man lying on the bed would not intimidate her away from what she had to do.
“They’re here to keep you safe while we escort you to your new room. Think of them as bodyguards.” She smiled at him, believing the words she spoke even while Patrick rolled his eyes. When she took a step forward, though, his attitude changed and he glared at her, freezing her to the spot with the intensity of his stare.
“That’s close enough.” He sat up, pushing the thin white sheet away from his body. “Don’t forget about your safety.”
She shot him a nervous look before waving the four men forward. They took up their own positions around Patrick once he got off the bed. None of them dared look him in the eye, but their stance told Patrick exactly what he’d presumed when he’d first noticed them. If they tried, they might be able to take him by force. Of course, he wasn’t about to let his guard down. No one would take him anywhere he didn’t want to go. Of that, he had no doubt.
The nurse indicated him to follow her, and he smiled. “You wanna bet I can outrun all of you if I tried?”
“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Mendell.”
Patrick turned and smiled at Gabriella, enjoying the way her amber eyes revealed no fear. It was refreshing to be around her, since everyone in the hospital had been unable to so much as whisper his name without a thread of fear lacing their voice. Gabriella never showed fear, even when she spoke to him and they were alone.
“Are you here to take over for the poor little nurse, Gabriella?” he teased. “I seem to have frightened her quite a bit.”
“It’s Dr. Cruz,” Gabriella corrected, trying not to let him get under her skin this early in the day. “And I am here to accompany all of you. I am in charge of you, after all.”
When he didn’t respond, she motioned for the men to give her a moment. Pulling the nurse to the side, she whispered, “You may leave if you want. I will take Mr. Mendell up to his new room with the men.” Seeing the sliver of doubt cross the young nurse’s eyes, she stole a glance at her nametag. “If you want you can follow us, Lisa, but I don’t recommend you go into the elevator. It’ll be crowded enough as it is.”
Lisa nodded and Gabriella took a deep breath, hating herself for not being able to rid the young nurse of her fears. Patrick Mendell might say many things that were meant to scare others, but he was merely lashing out; something that shouldn’t cause all those around him to be terrified of him, but the hospital demanded that she warn others away --- the equality they claimed didn’t include were-creatures.
Shaking her head, she patted Lisa’s shoulder before stepping back into her patient’s room. “Follow me, Mr. Mendell.”
“Don’t call me that,” he growled. She didn’t acknowledge it because she heard his soft footsteps behind her. He tried ignoring the four men who surrounded him, but found it harder and harder to do when the sounds of their breathing competed with the loud clanks of their work shoes on the hospital floor.
“Nice to see the enormous amount of faith you have in me,” he commented, trying to ease the tension between his shoulders. He wasn’t used to the sensation, but was trying to hold it off.
“It was mandatory, Mr. Mendell.”
Patrick’s eyes scanned the hospital, noting the staff that stood a distance away from where they walked. He could smell their emotions, something he found both amusing and aggravating. The disdain, fear, and utter rejection from the staff had a growl crawl its way up his throat.
Gabriella stopped and turned to level an annoyed stare at her patient. “Relax, Mr. Mendell, we’re almost there.”
“Am I going to a basement somewhere or the rooftop?”
His tone was noncommittal, but she knew he was worried. There was no way he could be completely uncaring about what was to happen to him. “Somewhere near the top floor,” she said, pressing the elevator button.
Honey-brown eyes met and held her amber ones captive; the only thing that stopped her from reaching out to place a comforting hand on his arm was the sound of the elevator reaching their floor.
“Don’t let your guard down,” he said when she turned to enter the elevator.
“Of course not,” she said, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. “That would be disastrous.”
“Many people could die,” he agreed.
“No.” Voice firm, she forced herself to meet his eyes and squared her shoulders. “No one is going to die.”
The four men shuffled forward, doing their best to retain their formation while inside the cramped elevator. She hit the floor they were supposed to go to, fighting the urge to tell the men to stop being ridiculous.
Patrick was right about one thing, she couldn’t let her guard down; not tonight.
The nurse glanced at the four men who stood behind her, ready to assist her when she gave the order. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Mr. Mendell, we need your cooperation, please.”
“You do?” Patrick asked, his eyes barely open. “It seems the men behind you wouldn’t exactly need my cooperation, now would they?”
A frown formed on the young nurse’s face, but she didn’t back down like she normally would. She had been given specific orders, and the man lying on the bed would not intimidate her away from what she had to do.
“They’re here to keep you safe while we escort you to your new room. Think of them as bodyguards.” She smiled at him, believing the words she spoke even while Patrick rolled his eyes. When she took a step forward, though, his attitude changed and he glared at her, freezing her to the spot with the intensity of his stare.
“That’s close enough.” He sat up, pushing the thin white sheet away from his body. “Don’t forget about your safety.”
She shot him a nervous look before waving the four men forward. They took up their own positions around Patrick once he got off the bed. None of them dared look him in the eye, but their stance told Patrick exactly what he’d presumed when he’d first noticed them. If they tried, they might be able to take him by force. Of course, he wasn’t about to let his guard down. No one would take him anywhere he didn’t want to go. Of that, he had no doubt.
The nurse indicated him to follow her, and he smiled. “You wanna bet I can outrun all of you if I tried?”
“That won’t be necessary, Mr. Mendell.”
Patrick turned and smiled at Gabriella, enjoying the way her amber eyes revealed no fear. It was refreshing to be around her, since everyone in the hospital had been unable to so much as whisper his name without a thread of fear lacing their voice. Gabriella never showed fear, even when she spoke to him and they were alone.
“Are you here to take over for the poor little nurse, Gabriella?” he teased. “I seem to have frightened her quite a bit.”
“It’s Dr. Cruz,” Gabriella corrected, trying not to let him get under her skin this early in the day. “And I am here to accompany all of you. I am in charge of you, after all.”
When he didn’t respond, she motioned for the men to give her a moment. Pulling the nurse to the side, she whispered, “You may leave if you want. I will take Mr. Mendell up to his new room with the men.” Seeing the sliver of doubt cross the young nurse’s eyes, she stole a glance at her nametag. “If you want you can follow us, Lisa, but I don’t recommend you go into the elevator. It’ll be crowded enough as it is.”
Lisa nodded and Gabriella took a deep breath, hating herself for not being able to rid the young nurse of her fears. Patrick Mendell might say many things that were meant to scare others, but he was merely lashing out; something that shouldn’t cause all those around him to be terrified of him, but the hospital demanded that she warn others away --- the equality they claimed didn’t include were-creatures.
Shaking her head, she patted Lisa’s shoulder before stepping back into her patient’s room. “Follow me, Mr. Mendell.”
“Don’t call me that,” he growled. She didn’t acknowledge it because she heard his soft footsteps behind her. He tried ignoring the four men who surrounded him, but found it harder and harder to do when the sounds of their breathing competed with the loud clanks of their work shoes on the hospital floor.
“Nice to see the enormous amount of faith you have in me,” he commented, trying to ease the tension between his shoulders. He wasn’t used to the sensation, but was trying to hold it off.
“It was mandatory, Mr. Mendell.”
Patrick’s eyes scanned the hospital, noting the staff that stood a distance away from where they walked. He could smell their emotions, something he found both amusing and aggravating. The disdain, fear, and utter rejection from the staff had a growl crawl its way up his throat.
Gabriella stopped and turned to level an annoyed stare at her patient. “Relax, Mr. Mendell, we’re almost there.”
“Am I going to a basement somewhere or the rooftop?”
His tone was noncommittal, but she knew he was worried. There was no way he could be completely uncaring about what was to happen to him. “Somewhere near the top floor,” she said, pressing the elevator button.
Honey-brown eyes met and held her amber ones captive; the only thing that stopped her from reaching out to place a comforting hand on his arm was the sound of the elevator reaching their floor.
“Don’t let your guard down,” he said when she turned to enter the elevator.
“Of course not,” she said, but she couldn’t meet his gaze. “That would be disastrous.”
“Many people could die,” he agreed.
“No.” Voice firm, she forced herself to meet his eyes and squared her shoulders. “No one is going to die.”
The four men shuffled forward, doing their best to retain their formation while inside the cramped elevator. She hit the floor they were supposed to go to, fighting the urge to tell the men to stop being ridiculous.
Patrick was right about one thing, she couldn’t let her guard down; not tonight.