Page 186 of Stand: Part One

Relief surged through me at the good news. “I should go see her,” I said, scooting my chair back so I could stand.

“No,” Darren said sharply, causing me to pause in place. “You can see her later, after you’ve done what I’ve asked. Clear?”

I bit my tongue to hide my frustration. “Yes.”

“Good. I’ll see you later.” He took off down the hallway, most likely heading for his office.

“Fuck,” I whispered under my breath. Sighing, I leaned forward and placed my head in my hands, waiting for the anxiety in my stomach to settle.

Today was going to fucking suck.

With my appetite now shot, I got up from my seat, Camaro rising from her bed in the corner to follow me down to Sid’s office in the infirmary. I slowed my pace as I neared Katherine’s room, peaking through the window to see if she really was awake. But from what I could tell, it looked like she was sleeping.

Camaro’s claws clicked against the tile floor as we continued on past the cleaning staff, passing a few nurses who were working on a screaming soldier’s bloody leg. And then I instantly wondered where they were keeping Daniel. Shouldn’t he be in the same room as his wife?

I eventually found Sid in his office, his nose buried in a binder of records at his desk. Knocking against the doorframe, I startled him from his seat.

“Dammit, Jaden!” he accosted me, but all I could do was smirk.

“You’re extra jumpy today.”

He huffed his irritation. “Come on, let’s look at that hip,” he said, waving me in.

Stepping inside, I rounded his desk as he went to the sink to wash his hands.

“Lie down, Camaro,” I said, watching my dog find herself a spot on the floor, yawning as she did.

“Okay, let’s take a look,” Sid said as he sat back down in his chair. Lifting the side of my dress for him to see, he furrowed his brows when he noticed the speckled bruises spread over my skin. “Goddamn that man,” he whispered under his breath. “How bad is the pain?”

I shrugged. “A five or six. It just feels a little tight.”

He gently pressed his hand along my skin, feeling the bone and testing the muscle. I winced when the pressure became too much.

“You’re a little inflamed. I’m going to give you a cortisone shot for the pain. It should help bring down the inflammation.”

Opening a drawer, he pulled out a syringe and an alcohol swab. After disinfecting the area, he removed the cap and pressed the needle to my skin. “Slight pinch and a little pressure.”

I gritted my teeth at the “slight pinch” as a weird pressure began to fill in my hip joint. Withdrawing the needle, Sid disposed of it in a medical waste bin, then turned to look at me, his eyes full of scrutiny.

“You look tired. Are you tired?” he asked, raising a brow.

I shrugged. My life was exhausting. Of course, I was tired.

“Yeah, always.” Duh.

Sid swiveled in his desk chair back to the open drawer and pulled out another syringe.

“I’m gonna give you a B12 shot. Give you some energy and put some pep back into your step.”

I eyed him suspiciously but ultimately resigned over its harmlessness. “Sure, why not,” I said. I didn’t think I was deficient, but I wasn’t going to protest if it gave me back a little more energy.

After injecting the shot into my arm, he disposed of the needle and removed his gloves.

“Okay, you’re all set, Jaden.”

“Thanks. Darren told me Katherine woke up. How is she doing?” I asked.

Sid sighed before he coughed into the elbow of his jacket. “She’s in a lot of pain from the burns, but she’ll be okay. She just needs to rest.”