“Yeah, I think—I know I need to take responsibility for my actions. I don’t blame you for anything I did, Meg—not the serum, not the car accident.” Cole took a slow, deep breath before continuing. “The problem is inside me. You have every right to love whomever you want,” he pressed his lips together forming a stern, straight line before continuing, “and so do I.”
Meg tried to read Cole’s emotions, but felt a wave of dizziness as punishment. She was still too weak.
“I can’t read you, Cole. Are you sincere or is this just a front?”
“I wish you could read me. I’m very much sincere. Now, don’t get me wrong, I still have feelings for you and I probably always will. But I can’t blame you or anyone else for my actions. I can’t make you love me the way I want you to.”
Meg felt each of his last words like stabs of a knife. She actually flinched.
“So I just wanted you to know. Thank you for helping me get released from this place. I know my dad was really worried about people asking the wrong questions, but once I’m recovered, I’m leaving.”
Meg’s eyes whipped up to watch Cole. “What do you mean leaving?”
“I’m going to be seventeen in a couple of months. And we both know that after you’ve become—what we are, you grow up even faster. I’ve been working with my dad on this plan. He’s helping me get set up at his alma mater. My scores were high enough to get me accepted into Baylor University in Waco. I want to study medicine.”
“You’re going away to college?” Meg was shocked.
“Yes, I’d like to be a pediatrician. I’ve always loved kids, and I really want to do something good in this world.”
“Wait, what about everything…”
“It’s not my battle. It never was.”
“I can’t believe you’re leaving,” Meg’s voice was distant.
“It’s the right thing to do. Most kids our age are looking into colleges,” Cole shrugged, and then flinched at the attempted movement of his broken collarbone. “Maybe after you’re done saving the world, you’ll find time to be a college kid, too,” Cole offered softly.
Meg scoffed. “My dye has been cast. I was turned into a metahuman when I was a baby, the first to survive the process. I will be fighting to right the wrongs for the rest of my life. I have no options.”
“Of course you have options, Meg,” Cole frowned. “Life is full of choices!”
“Can a dolphin choose to walk on land? Can a coyote choose to leap into the air and fly?” Meg was tired, frustrated and alarmingly upset at the idea of Cole leaving, but she was trying very hard to stay calm. It was a hard thing to do when she was feeling goaded. “I am who I was designed to be. I am a fighter.”
Cole nodded, giving up for now.
A knock came at the door.
“Come in,” Cole called.
“Well, Mr. Andrews. It looks like Dr. Mastiff thinks you’re ready to go home today.” A nurse with cartoon characters on her scrubs came breezing into the room, still staring at what Meg knew to be the doctor’s signature at the bottom of the discharge papers in her hands. She shook her head and frowned a little before looking up at her patient. “How do you feel about that?”
“I think it’s great news,” Cole managed a wide smile, though Meg knew he was playing it up for the nurse.
“Did I just hear you’re to be discharged, son?” Dr. Andrews flew into the room at just that moment pretending to be happily surprised by the news.
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you feel like he’s ready to leave the hospital?” The nurse asked Theo. She was obviously feeling uncomfortable with the decision that had been made without her input.
“Didn’t Cole’s attending sign his discharge paperwork?” asked Dr. Andrews.
“He did, Dr. Andrews, but we have a protocol at this hospital where a patient’s attending physician discusses their opinions as to when and where the patient is to be discharged. Dr. Mastiff did not follow protocol. I’ve been trying to get a hold of him, but he’s not answering his page and his office door is locked. I may need to pull another doctor in to ask his opinion before we make any moves to release your son.” She was watching the clock as she spoke, her fingers on Cole’s wrist. She must have been content with his heart rate because that earned him a tight-lipped smile.
“I appreciate your concern, but I would still like to take my son home.” Dr. Andrews was losing his cool. Meg could see the redness of anger crawling up his neck.
Meg knew she would have to tap into her reserves to help matters, and though she feared having to stand to approach the nurse, she couldn’t think of any other way to make this work.
“Nurse…forgive me, what is your name?” Meg asked politely.
“Stacy,” the nurse said briskly. Her hands were busying themselves checking Cole’s vitals and marking down their readings on his chart. The frown in her forehead was deep.
“Stacy, I wondered if you would take a look at my stitches while you’re here. They’ve been bothering me and I’m worried about the redness around them.” Meg pushed her will carefully toward the nurse who looked up from her tasks and watched Meg’s eyes closely for a moment before blinking.