Bedmates Soulmates
CHAPTER 450

"You don't look so good, man, Jesse ventured. "Will you just let me take a look at your face?" There could be mon injtes, less visible than the bruises and cuts and scrapes on Austyn's face.

Jesse was worried about internal bleeding.

Austyn would need an endoscopy and an X-ray, the sooner the better

"How are you feeling? Jesse plunged ahead despute Austyn's silence. Do you feel dizzy? Any other part of your body hurts? How about your stomach? I should get you to the Austyn!" Austy swayed on his feet, then he collapsed.

The dog days of summer were gone.

The sun was out, but its scorching power had waned.

O Green leaves rustled in a gentle moming breeze.

The air was fresh and the flowers were booming.

But no one at the hospital was in the mood to enjoy the scenery.

Martin hurried back to the ICU, carrying coffee and ham & cheese sandwiches.

Gideon had come out of surgery two hours ago.

He was transfered from the operating room to intensive cate.

Doctors said he had been lucky.

The bullet missed his vital organs,

The wound was through and through

If it had landed just a fraction of an inch to the left,

left, it would have punctured the left ventricle of his heart and no amount of surgery could have saved him.

Martin's knees almost gave out when he heard this

Young Master had sneaked into the warehouse from the tunnel when he saw uniformed officers moving out.

Martin followed him, wattled.

They'd come unarmed.

They both saw the stand-off from the second floor

Mart in tried in stop him, but Gideon tossed all thoughts of his own safety aside when he saw Kira being held hostage Thinking of this, Maitin sighed again.

If only he'd been strong enough in pull Young Master back

The doctors said Gideon was not out of the woods yet

He'd lost too much blood and must stay in the ICU for at least another week

The surgery had lasted all night.

Kirasat on a bench outside and never moved.

Martin approached her slowly. 'Miss Hewitt, you should eat something.'

If it were up to him, he'd want nothing to do with the woman who almost caused Gideon's death, albeit indirectly.

yat

But Martin kaew Gideon would be angry at him if he didn't take care of Miss Hewitt.

Kira didn't appear to have heard him.

Her eyes were trained on the door of the ICU.

The upper half of the door was a transparent glass panel.

She could see Gideon's head and part of his body from here.

He was lying motionless in bed, with all sorts of tubes sticking out of his nose and mouth

There was almost no discernible rise and fall of his chest.

Kira fastened her gaze on his face, willing him to open his eyes.

Martin sighed quietly,

At least Young Master didn't save an ingrate.

Martin set down the paper bag on the bench next to Kira

He wasn't in the mood for food, either.

The two of them waited in silence.

Loud and urgent footsteps came towards them.

"Martin, how's Young Master doing?' Gwen sounded out of breath. Martin stood up. "Miss Repes

Gwen was a victim and material witness to the incident last night.

Since she appeared to be unhurt, the police took her back to the

station to take her statement.

They would have taken Kira too, but she refused to leave Gideon's side and Captain Luca vouched for her.

Gwen rushed straight to the hospital the moment she left the police station

She had been so anxious and so afraid.

What if Gideon didn't pull through?

But when she saw Martin outside the ICU, she was slightly reassured.

At least it wasn't the morgue.

Martin brought her up to date. 'Young Master's operation was a success, but he needs to be kept under observation for the next couple of days. Doctors said they're worried about infections. If his condition stabilises, he can be transferred out of the ICU, Gwen breathed out, relieved. That's good."

She

pressed her face against the glass.

Gideon's eyes were closed

'The anaesthesia hasn't wooft, Martin said. 'The doctors said Young Master should be able to wake up sometime in the aftempon

Gwen nodded.

She walked back to the bench and fouled Kira to her feet.

Then she slapped Kira hard across the fare,

It's All Her Fad

The loud sound stopped everyone dead in their track.

Martin stared, mouth agape

Nunes hovered nearby, unsure if they should intervene.

Kita just looked at en blankly.

Her body was trembling with the effort of keeping her emotions in check.

be bad wanted to do so much more than just slap the woman.

Kita Hewitt was the reason Gideon was lying unconscious on a hospital bed right now:

When Gwen saw Gideon appear on the second floor of the warehouse, she had been so thrilled. He came!

When she activated the tracker, she hadn't been some that dron would actually show

He might send Martin to retrieve her, but he himself would probably be busy with finding his treaser,"

Owen couldn't describe the elation she felt when she saw Gideon's face.

Hur codeon didn't even see her in the cage.

His eyes were locked on Kira Hewitt.

He followed Ronald silently down the stairs, ready to incapacitate him.

Gwen clamped a hand to her mouth to prevent herself from making a sound...

Godeon was bere

She would be saved.

But Gideondkn't notice her

When Ronald tired his gum, Gideon threw himself into the path of the bullet meant for Kira Hewitt.

Back at the police station, we had made up her mind.

If Gideon died, she would make Kira Hewitt suffer for the rest of her late

"It's all your fault!" Gwen snarled. 'If it weren't for you, he wouldn't have..

She raised her hand again.

One slap wasn't enough.

Hunting Hewitt physically wasn't enough

Gwen wanted to obliterate the woman's existence in this world and erase her from Gideon's mind. Martin grabbed her wrist. That's enough, Miss Reyes.!

Genstared at him in disbelief. "She's the one who got Young Master shot. How can you take her side?"

"I'm not taking her side, Martin said. "Miss Hewitt is just as upset. A fight isn't going to solve anything."

Owen shook off his hand angrily. "She's upset? She's the one who should be dead!"

Gwen wouldn't have been kidnapped if not for Hewitt.

Gideon wouldn't have been shot if not for Hewitt.

It Gwen kwwhrill-considered act of kindness would drag Gideon into the mess, she would have stood back and watched Kira be taken at the hotel Martinstood silently next to Kira. wenglared at him, then she plonked herself down on the bench, exhausted.

She hadn't closed fireyes for the past thirty hours.

'She's right."Kira's voice was hoarse and low,

Her lett cheek was white as a sheet while her tight cheek, which bore the br

t's all my fault. If it weren't forme, Gideon wouldn't have been.

Hervoice caught.

Gwen just said what everyone else must be thinking.

Kira wasthe reanonibleon got shot.

brunt of Gwen's slap, wasted and swollen.

When the Heught about tiden lying in the room less than ten feet awer, bathing through a tube just like her father, the couldn't help but blame herself shehoug her head and buried her fare in her hauls.

212

Anyone who got close to her would get hurt-first Dad, now Gideon,

The entire night had been a nightmare.

She was numb, her brain overloaded with information.

Owen's slap shocked her back to reality.

Kira's shoulders sagged.

All her strength was drained from her body.

Martin saw tears flowing from between her fingers.

He didn't know what to say.

Gwen gnashed her teeth and tumed away.

Kira's mind was a mess.

She was overwhelmed by a flurry of emotions: anxiety, fear, guilt, and..confusion

Miss Reyes' concern for Gideon was genuine, and Martin obviously knew her.

Who was she?

How did she know Gideon?

Why did she look so much like Kira?

But Kira knew she wouldn't be able to get any answers out of Miss Reyes, who must hate her guts

The only important thing right now was for Gideon to wake up.

'Miss Hewitt, the doctors said Young Master is going to be tine. I'll stay here with him. Why don't you go home and get some rest? You've been through a lot." Kira took several deep breaths and blinked away the tears. 'I'm fine. I can't leave till Gideon wakes up." 'I'll call you it there's any news.'

Martin didn't want his young master to wake up to a confrontation between Miss Reyes and Miss Hewitt.

That was not going to do him any good.

Kica shook her head, "I'm not leaving."

Seeing she wasn't going to be talked around, Martin tumed to Gwen 'Miss Reyes, you should go home, too. You've had a long night. Why don't you-

"I'm fine,' Owen cut him off. "Don't worry about me.

Martin glanced from Kira to Gwen and then back.

In the end, he had to shrug and give up.

Jesse's shift was over hours ago, but he couldn't leave the hospital, not while Austyn was still here.

He downed the rest of the bitter blackcoffee, balled up the Styrofoam cup and tossed it into a rubbish container

Wiping away the sleep from his eyes, he headed back to the ward.

The door was pulled open

A nurse came our, looking miffed,

What's wrong?

She closed the door behind her. 'Dr Chase, forgive me for saying this, but your friend is being a very difficult patient. He refused to let me take his temperature, clared at me like I owed him a million bucks and when lided to approach him, smashed the thermometer to bits."

She looked up.

Her eyes were red. "You can dock my pay, but I'm not going back inside.

Jesse sighed. "Don't worry about it, just go back to your station. I'll handle this."

Thank you, Doctor. The nurse sounded relieved.

No problem!

Jesse was about to go in when he ought

something. "Did a

them while

el was gone?!

Twins?

These shook her head "No, no one