Page 44 of Protective Love

We've stuck to the same routine all week. I spend most of my shift with him and without a doubt, every night, I end my shift sitting in his room as we ask each other a couple of questions and then I read whilst he falls asleep, exhausted from the exercises he's been doing in bed during the day to help strengthen his muscles.

I had the day off yesterday, and although it's wrong, I have to admit that I've missed him.

He makes the days fly by.

When I'm with him, I'm distracted from the worries that usually cloud my mind, and I'm not crippled by a million anxious thoughts whizzing around inside my head.

Everything is calm and peaceful when it's just us in his room, as if we're in our own little bubble.

He makes me laugh with his strange questions and out of pocket comments.

His soft tone and his gentle touch makes me feel comfortable and safe.

I feel free when I'm around him.

I feel like the Aurora that I used to be, before all the pain and the trauma.

With a smile stretched across my face, I walk into the staff room, and put everything in my locker.

I double check that my Kindle is in my handbag along with the pack of rainbow belts that I bought last night, knowing now that they're Jaylen's favourite sweets and he's been craving them, especially since his aunt refused to bring him some when he asked.

"Morning!" Lola says, rushing into the staff room and hurriedly stripping out of her coat.

"Morning," I reply, closing my locker. "Lunch today?"

"Yes, definitely! How could I refuse? Especially with you smiling like that. You look like you might have some juicy gossip to dish out."

I shake my head, chuckling as I walk towards the door.

"No gossip at all, just happy today."

"I wonder if that has anything to do with the man that's been stealing you way from me recently?"

A nervous laugh escapes me and my cheeks burn.

"I'm sorry, he's been making amazing progress lately and we've been working hard on his exercises and his strength, so I've been running over into my lunch break."

"Don't apologise! If I was you, I'd never leave that room," she says, winking at me as we leave. "Catch you later!"

I watch her speed walk down the hallway and then I take a quick peek at my phone to check the time before I head over to Jaylen's room.

I smooth my hands over my hair and open the door, but when I find his bed empty, my stomach drops and the smile on my faces falls away.

My eyes dart around the room, focusing on the items still scattered across the table beside his bed, the bag of clothes that his aunt brought with her a few days ago still on the floor by the window, and the unmade bed.

Okay, his stuff is still here, so he hasn't miraculously gotten better and been discharged, but where the hell is he?

A cold sweat takes over me and I shiver as the door thuds closed behind me.

I can feel myself starting to spiral as I assume the worst.

A barrage of scenarios infiltrate my mind, all of which include Danny finding out about how close I've started to become with Jaylen, and in one of his manic, aggressive episodes, he's done something to harm him, hoping that it'd hurt me.

I stumble backwards, my back pressing against the wall opposite the hospital bed.

Tears cloud my vision, and I take deep, heaving breaths in an attempt to calm myself down, but it feels like my throat is closing up, and my lungs are restricted.

There's too much pressure.