Thirty minutes later we’re finally pulling into the driveway, the gates closing smoothly behind us. It’s felt like the longest half-hour of my life. My knee’s been bouncing the entire ride, my fingers drumming against my thigh, willing the car to move faster. I undo my seatbelt the second the wheels stop rolling and climb out before the engine is even off, boots hitting the gravel hard. Then jog straight to the front doors, hearing the others just as eager behind me, their footsteps quick and urgent.
I stride inside and down the hall until I see Ralph standing guard outside the room where I told him to take Kit. He looks tired but relieved.
“Hey, boss,” he says quietly. “Uh… Doc asked me to tell you not to go in yet.”
I frown instantly, annoyance flaring hot in my chest. “What? Why?”
Ralph shifts his weight. “You know the doc works much quicker without distractions.”
I clench my jaw, but I know he’s right. I pay Doctor Brown for his efficiency, even if it means the man lacks some level of bedside manner… which is funny, considering his profession.
I inhale sharply. “How long’s he gonna be?”
“He only started about ten minutes ago,” Ralph replies. “He wanted to get a proper bed set up for him first.”
I frown deeper.
Ralph sees the look on my face and continues carefully. “After I spoke to you, I rang the doc before we arrived. Told him the situation. He had some guys rearrange the furniture and… well, he’s basically turned it into a hospital room in there. He thinks Kit’s gonna need to rest for at least a few days. When he’s done with Kit’s face, he rattled on about Kit needing all sorts of shit… you know… vitamins, liquids to hydrate him, possibly a drip feed if Kit can’t keep food down.”
I nod, the tension in my shoulders easing just a fraction. “Thanks for letting me know, Ralph. You did good.”
Ralph nods. “Yeah, uh… I didn’t comment on his face in front of him, but… it’s not good, boss.”
I purse my lips, trying to keep my emotions in check.
Selina whispers beside me, “How bad though? Like… are we talking…Armenmight cry?”
Armen scoffs immediately. “Excuse me, I don’t cry!”
Selina laughs softly.
Ralph nods, serious. “Yeah, I’d say.”
Armen’s face drops. “Shit… wait, what… you’re serious?”
Ralph nods again. “I carried him in but… man, I justcouldn’tlook at his face. Finn deserved what Kit did to him. Worse, if you ask me.”
I start pacing behind them all now, rubbing my temples hard, just listening. The guilt and rage twist together in my gut like barbed wire.
Selina asks quietly, “So what’s the doc doing?”
“He’s putting Kit under general anaesthetic,” Ralph answers. “Finn had slapped a load of butterfly strips over Kit’s face, but when the doc took them off I nearly puked… he needsa lotof stitches.”
Selina tries to sound hopeful. “Well, it’ll look better than it did, right? It’ll eventually heal nicely.”
I can’t take this conversation anymore. The images from the video are flashing behind my eyes again. “I need a word with the doc. I need to know how long this is gonna take.”
They all move out of my way without a word.
I inhale sharply, the air feeling too thin in my lungs, then knock once on the door, a single rap, before gently pushing it open. The overhead light is on, steady and clinical, casting sharp shadows across the room. For a moment I can’t see Kit. My eyes dart past the nurse standing on the far side of the bed, her gloved hands busy adjusting a drip, monitors beeping softly in the background.
I say quietly, “I know you don’t want me interrupting, Doc, but I just need to know how long this is gonna take.”
Doctor Brown turns to me with the most sympathetic look I’ve ever seen from him. “I’m gonna need about an hour, Mr. Sinclair. The anaesthetic has onlyjust fully kicked in. I’m just about to start cleaning the wound. I’m not sure you’ll want to see Christopher like this. I understand he’s important to you?”
I nod and swallow hard. “How bad is it?”
The doc sighs. “I’ll do my best, but… he’s going to have a scar for the rest of his life, and it’s going to take about a year for the wound to mature and settle into an atrophic state.”
