Accidental Surrogate for Alpha novel Chapter 269

Sinclair

The doctor knocks gently at the door then. I slide my eyes to him, annoyed to have another person in the room. Is this best for her, all of these interruptions?

“How is she,” the doctor asks, coming to Ella’s side. Cora moves to stand at Ella’s head, making room for him.

“The same,” I murmur, returning my eyes to my mate’s pallid face. “No changes.”

“What does that mean, doctor?” Cora asks, wringing her hands.

“Well,” the doctor replies, leaning down to study Ella’s face. “I can’t say that I’m encouraged by it. I think that if she were getting better, she would have woken by now.” He moves away from her and over to some of the machines, lifting the tape they’ve been printing for hours to read the report. “But,” he murmurs, studying them. “It doesn’t seem like she’s getting any worse.”

“Is there anything we can do?” Cora asks, looking at him with pleading eyes. She, like me, wants to do something, anything.

“Go home,” the doctor says frankly. “Get some rest. There’s nothing you can do for her here. So go home, prepare yourselves.”

“Prepare ourselves?!” Cora gasps, her eyes going wide. “For –“

“For whatever’s next,” the doctor interrupts, meeting her eyes evenly. “It’s not going to do any good to panic. If she survives, she’s going to need you, all of you.” He glances around at the rest of us as he says this. “She’s going to need you to be strong for her, so it doesn’t do any good to stand around her worrying. I would recommend that you go home and let us care for her here.”

Cora nods anxiously, but I can’t help the anger that builds in me.

“I am going nowhere,” I snap, my eyes fixed on the doctor, who comes back to the bedside now.

“I understand,” he replies, meeting my gaze. “But you two,” he says to Cora and Roger, “I don’t recommend that you stay.”

“All right,” Cora murmurs, steeling herself and nodding. Then, she looks to me. “But we’ll be back tomorrow. And if anything…”

“We’ll keep you informed,” the doctor replies bruskly, heading out of the room without another look at me. “Leave your number at the nurse’s desk.”

“Abrupt, that one,” Roger says, frowning a little as looks at the empty door through which the doctor just passed.

“I kind of like him,” I mumble begrudgingly. “He’s no coward.”

Roger just shrugs as Cora moves to his side. “Sinclair,” she says, her voice serious. “How long have you been awake?”

I just glare at her. What a stupid question.

“Seriously, Sinclair,” she insists. “The doctor is right – we’re not doing Ella any favors exhausting ourselves. When she wakes up, she’s going to need you at full strength.”

I just shake my head. “I’m not…I can’t rest. Not when she could…”

I can’t finish the sentence. Can’t even think the thought.

Cora nods, seeming to understand. But then she starts, suddenly blinking rapidly.

“Wait, Sinclair,” she rushes. “Ella told me, once, about how you…you meet? In her dreams?” I snap my head, looking towards her. “Can you…” she waves a hand towards Ella’s still form. “Can you do that? Can you meet here there? Maybe…give her some hope? Some encouragement?”

I shake my head slowly, grinding my teeth. Why the hell hadn’t I thought of that? But still…

“No,” I growl. “Not without her invitation. She has to bring me into the dream, and I don’t know…” I lean forward to look at her. “I don’t even know if she’s dreaming, let alone in a state to offer me…”