“I only see flashes of the outcomes a few seconds before they unfold since the future is dependent upon our choices, but yes, effectively, when I use my gift to concentrate on a specific person, I can see what is about to happen around them. You are, of course, the exception, given your own gifting, but I was able to work around that while you were in the company of others. I could see your future through their eyes.”
Alex lingered on his words for a moment before she released an accepting sigh. “So you’re saying you knew we’d all make it out of there okay? And that’s why you didn’t intervene?”
“As I said, I can only perceive events within a short span of time, but I was watching closely, Alex. I knew you would save Kaiden. I knew you’d survive your fight with Aven. I knew you wouldn’t suffocate. If I’d seen anything causing a legitimate threat to your lives, I had a plan in motion to get you out. All of you.”
“And that plan was?”
“Irrelevant now, since it wasn’t necessary,” Hunter said.
Alex thought that was a copout response, but Hunter was nothing if not mysterious, so she was willing to let his non-answer slide and simply trust he was telling the truth.
“For the record, a little warning would be nice next time,” she said. “Or at least reassurance that you’ll be around to help if required.”
“My only justification is that you needed to see what you saw and hear what you heard,” Hunter said. “And as much as I wish it wasn’t the case, you needed to fight Aven like you did so you’d know exactly what you’re up against.”
Alex frowned at him. “I’ve gone head-to-head against Aven before. I didn’t need a repeat of that to remember how far out of my league I am when it comes to him.”
“You haven’t fought him physically before tonight,” he pointed out.
“I barely ‘fought’ him at all,” Alex argued. “I thought I was holding my own at first, but it turned out he was playing with me.”
“Which only shows that you have more to learn,” Hunter said. “You’ll find a way, Alex. And in the meantime, you’ll just have to apply yourself to your training.”
“Because I’m such a slacker?” she asked wryly.
Hunter smiled at her fully this time, and the expression softened his whole face, highlighting how handsome he was when he wasn’t looking all menacing-assassin-like. But he didn’t get the chance to confirm or deny her statement as the curtain was pulled open and Fletcher stepped into the small space.
“Time to get you fixed up,” the doctor said.
Hunter took that as his cue to leave her bedside, but when he reached the door, he said, “A slacker never would have made it through my first task, Alex, let alone the rest.”
She felt an unexpected rush of warmth from his words— and the tone of approval in them—before she resigned herself to letting Fletcher prod and poke away at her body. He checked her injuries for traces of poison and infection before he healed her cuts and eased her bruises—but not without causing her even more discomfort.
No pain, no gain, apparently.
“If I had my way, you’d be staying here overnight,” Fletcher said, handing her a vial of pain reliever.
Alex groaned at the thought, but when the doctor narrowed his eyes, she quickly wiped the grimace off her face and swallowed the contents of the vial.
“Fortunately for you, I don’t think there’s reason enough for me to keep you under observation when what you really need is a good night’s sleep,” he said.
“Does that mean I can go?”
He handed her a rehydration toffee, one of the few medicines she recognised, having studied them in her Med Sci class. “Only if you promise to suck on this until it’s finished and head straight to your dorm to rest.”
“Oooh, I love these,” Alex said, eagerly taking the candy-like medicine from him and popping it in her mouth. Within a few swirls of her tongue she began to feel her hunger and thirst disappear.
“Off you go, then,” Fletcher said, but when she jumped off the bed and made to leave, he stopped her and removed his lab coat, handing it over.
She looked from the coat back to him with a questioning look.
“It’s not curfew yet,” he explained. “This might help you avoid some curious glances. And it makes you look like you’ve come straight from a Chemistry lab rather than been attacked by a pack of wild animals.”
“Oh.” Alex pulled the coat over her shredded dress. “I guess you’re right. Thanks, Fletcher. I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”
“Just as long as you’re dropping it off and not coming as a patient,” he said. “No more injuries for a while, okay?”
“I’ll try my hardest.”
“You always do, Alex,” he told her with a disgruntled sigh. “You really need to try harder.”
She grinned at him and left the Ward, almost walking straight into Jordan who was waiting outside.
“What are you still doing here?” she asked.
“You didn’t think I’d leave without you?”
“Well… yeah,” she admitted. “That was kind of the point of getting Fletcher to let everyone else go. I’m not the only exhausted one.”
“But you are the only one who can barely stand without assistance,” he said. “And rightly so, considering everything you’ve been through over the past two days.”
“Jordan—”
“We’re not arguing about this,” he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist to help support her weight again. “I’m going to escort you to your room, with or without your permission.”
“Fine,” she huffed, grateful for his help but not wanting to say as much out loud. “But you have to promise to go straight to bed afterwards.”
“Sure thing, Mum,” he said, his voice dripping with false sincerity.
She shook her head in amusement and let him lead—and half carry—her to their dorm building. When they reached her empty room, Jordan helped Alex over to her bed where she sat down and finally kicked off her heels, wiggling her toes with relief. She found a note on her pillow from D.C. saying that she and Bear were in the Rec Room, but there was no way Alex had the energy to meet with them. She would just have to bring them up to speed about everything tomorrow.
“In you go,” said Jordan, pulling the covers down so she could slide in under them.
Alex didn’t care that she was still fully clothed. Now that she was lying on her comfortable bed, she wasn’t going anywhere. But she did at least have the presence of mind to remove Fletcher’s coat and drape it over her bedside table.
Lying back with her eyes closed, Alex felt Jordan lean across to tuck her in. When he was done, he bent down and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“Love you, Alex,” he whispered.
Her eyes snapped open and Jordan burst out laughing.
“Calm down,” he said between guffaws. “I don’t mean love-love. But you’re one of my closest friends—you’re my family. Of course I care about you.” His tone quieted as he admitted, “You really freaked me out tonight. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”
She was almost brought to tears by the emotion in his eyes. “Love you too, Jordan. In the same way. And I’m sorry I scared you.”
He reached out and squeezed her hand before a mischievous grin spread across his face. “Speaking of the ‘L’ word… What’s going on with you and Kaiden, huh?”
Jordan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Alex couldn’t stop the blush she felt spreading across her cheeks.