HUNTER

TWENTY-EIGHT

“She is gone, dude,” those were Chase’s words as soon as they were kicked out of that room.

Hunter tried to go back.  He wanted to see if they could get Kayla back and somehow keep her there, but the nurse kept pushing him out.  So it turned out, security was already on their way, along with Andrew.

Andrew looked as frantic as Hunter was, yet, he wasn’t mad.  He told the security to back off and as calm as he could possibly be in a situation like that, he asked Hunter what had happened.

Hunter told him exactly what he had told the nurse and doctor, that Kayla fell and was unconscious when he got to her.

“Mr. Gallagher, please let me go in and see her.  Just for a minute.”

Andrew looked as if he was considering it, but the Doctor came out at that moment, ordering MRI’s and a bunch of other tests, and requested to talk to Mr. Gallagher in private.

While the doctor took Andrew to his office, the nurse went to get things ready for the tests, getting another nurse to move Kayla to the test area.  The nurse, who looked as if she had just graduated, walked by Hunter and whispered, “Come on.  I don’t think I will last here another day anyway.  You can see her, but just for a second.”

Hunter looked at her, puzzled, but only for a split second before he was already in Kayla’s room, right by her side.

The nurse was in the room too, so he lowered himself by Kayla’s bedside, putting his hand over hers and whispered, “Kayla, please come back.  You have to fight it.”

Hunter looked up at Chase who was also in the room, but he just shook his head.

The nurse walked near the bed.  “Sorry kid, I really do have to take her now and you need to go before I get into even more trouble than I’m already in.”

Hunter nodded.  “Thanks for doing this,” he told the nurse.

“No problem.”  The nurse paused.  “You know, it must be nice to have found someone you love.”

“I don’t -- She is just a friend.”

“Oh,” the nurse said, looking embarrassed for saying it, but mostly like she didn’t believe what Hunter was saying.  “Okay.  Like I said, you are welcome, but you really need to go.”

Chase followed Hunter into the waiting area, but said nothing.  He just looked as if he was deep in thought.   Hunter sat down, and just wondered how in the world he was going to manage to take Kayla out of there and get her to the academy.

Chase looked at Hunter.  “Sorry dude, I don’t think you will be able to get her out of here without help.  Just go to the Academy and get help.”

Hunter just stared at him.  He couldn’t exactly respond to Chase, not where there were people watching him.  He just shook his head, then got up and walked into the bathroom, giving Chase a look that indicated he should follow.

As soon as the door was locked, Hunter turned to Chase and in a low and determined voice he said he would not leave Kayla alone at the hospital.

“So, you do love her?”  Chase said.

Hunter glared at him.  “We don’t have time for nonsense.  I was supposed to be watching her, keeping ‘them’ away from her.  That was the only thing her dad asked me to do after he basically saved me, after teaching me everything I needed to know… one little thing and I was not able to do it.  I wasn’t even sure what Benjamin was at first…what kind of demon he was…  I suspected, but I wasn’t sure.  I should have known.”

“It is not exactly your fault.  You may know a lot, but you are not exactly an expert on those things.  Besides, how could you have known their little family secrets?”

“What do you mean?” asked Hunter.

Chase sighed.  “Benjamin is Kayla’s half brother.  Before Mr. Daniels and her mother met, her mother was pregnant with the son of a demon.”

Hunter was speechless at first.

“I can’t leave her, Chase.  What if they move her somewhere else?  We don’t even know what the doctor will say, what if Benjamin wasn’t the cause--?”

“We both know he was the cause.  Look, I can’t exactly go back to the Academy, we both know that.  You go and if they move her, I will follow.  I will find a way to contact you if anything changes.”

Hunter punched the mirror out of frustration.  “The Academy is the last place I want to be… that is the last place where she should be.”

“Well, you can always send a message to the Academy...”

Hunter shook his head.  “No, it has to me, she is my responsibility.  Besides, if she goes, I go.”

“Well, then, I guess you better hurry up before they hold you up for more questions.”

Hunter hesitated.

“I will watch out for her, you know I will.”

Hunter gave Chase a nod, and then vanished.