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“Sir,” the nurse began in an understanding tone, “I understand your concern, but until we get her assessed, you’ll only be in the way. I need you to wait here.”
“Loch, man, c’mon.” Asher had shown up and was drawing him back by the arm.
“I can’t just leave her.” His gaze was locked on the doors she’d been taken through.
Standing back, he listened to Asher and the nurse, but he refused to move from his spot only a few feet away from that door. When someone came out with news, he was damn well going to be waiting.
“Come sit down, bro.” He heard Asher speaking to him but couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge the man. Nothing mattered but Sage. “I’m gonna call Nox.”
It wasn’t until his brother arrived sometime later that Loch realized he still hadn’t moved. “Lochlan, what’s going on?” Nox’s voice was worried.
“They hurt her.” His own sounded broken, even to his own ears.
“Who?”
Turning his head, his eyes cleared as he answered. “Her family.” Hearing the swoosh of the doors opening, his body stiffened in hopes someone was coming to update him.
“Loch!” Nox’s firm command had him continuing on.
“I went to check on her. I just wanted a glimpse of her.” Christ, did he wish he’d gone to her sooner. “I watched her father toss her out like garbage on the front lawn. He hit her. She’s so fucking weak, Nox. Soon as I was in front of her, she passed out.” His eyes glazed over remembering the look of desolation in her light blue eyes. “They fucking broke her. Snake bites everywhere. Cuts, bruises. Who does that?”
Lennox’s arm wrapped around his shoulder as Loch’s emotions got the best of him. Not understanding how her family could hurt her so deeply. “I don’t fucking know, Loch,” Nox responded.
“Mr. Hogan?”
Whipping around at the nurse’s voice, Loch asked, “How is she?”
“She’s stable.” The woman looked down to the chart in her hand. “Infection has set in from the bites and open wounds on her back. She has a high fever that we need to monitor. Her heart rate is dangerously low, and that’s our biggest concern for now.”
“Can I see her?” He was eager to see the rise and fall of her chest for himself.
“I’m afraid that’s not possible right now.” Pity shone in her eyes.
“What do you mean not possible?”
“Her family has asked that no one be allowed in to see her. They want her isolated.”
His head spun from the information. Her family wasn’t even there. How could they pull that?
“I want to see her. I won’t leave until I do.” His words were resolute.
“I can’t let you back there, Mr. Hogan. I’ve already broken protocol telling you her condition.” She walked away before he could argue further.
“Loch, maybe you should sit down for a minute.” Nox tried to coax him away from the woman.
“No. They did this to her. The nurse told me I could see Sage when she was done being evaluated. I need to be with her, Nox.” Loch felt like his world was imploding.
She was right there, yet so damn far away. His need to hold her body in his arms overrode any self-preservation as he ignored the people around him and walked through the doors when another nurse came out of them.
Searching each room until he found her, he wouldn’t give up. Opening the sixth door, he finally spotted her. Her whitish hair seemed even more faded with her complexion appearing translucent. Her eyes and cheeks were sunken in like she hadn’t slept or eaten in weeks. Her body looked lifeless with so many wires and machines surrounding her. The persistent beating of a heart monitor the only signal she was even alive. The rise and fall of her chest were barely visible.
“Sage.” His voice was soundless as he dropped to his knees beside her bed. Too afraid to touch her for fear of causing more damage, he rested his hands on the mattress against her body. “Oh, Angel.”
“Sir, you need to leave,” someone said from behind him, but he didn’t care. They didn’t feel the way his heart was shattering seeing Sage so broken. They didn’t know how it felt to hold someone you barely knew but cared more about than anyone else in the world collapse in their arms.
They didn’t know anything.
“I’m not leaving her side,” he asserted again.
