Chapter 131: Turning a New Page

CALEB. The next morning, the hospital seemed quieter than usual. The steady hum of machines and the occasional murmur of voices filled the air, but it felt like a peaceful silence had settled over everything. Brielle and I sat together, waiting for the doctors to update us on Kyle's condition. I barely slept. My mind had been spinning all night, alternating between thoughts of Kyle and Cynthia. Brielle tapped her fingers on her knee, a nervous habit she had picked up from our mom. Mom. If she was still alive out there, I'd find her. 'I hope they have good news," she said, breaking the silence. 'They will," I replied, more to reassure myself than her. I needed to believe that. After everything we went through, after the sleepless nights and the endless worrying, we deserved a bit of good news. Even though I knew it would be good news. Just then, Dr. Thompson, a tall man with a kind face and salt-and-pepper hair, approached us. I felt my heart rate quicken, despite my attempts to reassure myself. Brielle and I stood up almost in unison, waiting for him to speak. 'Good morning," Dr. Thompson greeted, giving us a small smile. 'I have some news about…Kyle." I held my breath, bracing myself for the worst. 'Is he… is he okay?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. We might have seen improvement but it just felt better when a doctor says it. Dr. Thompson nodded. 'He's stable now. Whatever it was you administered to him seemed to have worked. His vitals are strong, and he's responding well to the treatment." A wave of relief washed over me. I felt my shoulders relax for the first time in days. Brielle let out a small, happy sob and hugged me tightly. 'Oh, thank God." she whispered. 'He might regain consciousness in a day or two," Dr. Thompson continued. 'But we'll keep him under observation. It's best to let his body recover slowly." I nodded, feeling a smile spread across my face. Kyle would probably be awake tonight, at this rate. He was stronger than human, and this doctor probably didn't know that. Regardless, I was happy. 'Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much." 'You're welcome," he replied, giving us another kind smile. 'We'll keep you updated." As he walked away, I turned to Brielle, who was still wiping away tears of joy. 'Did you hear that? He's going to be okay," she said, her voice filled with disbelief and happiness. I nodded, smiling slightly. 'He's actually going to be okay." Maybe we would finally figure out this whole werewolf thing. We sat back down, both of us feeling alot better. I couldn't stop smiling. Kyle was going to be fine. At least, I didn't lose him. But as we sat there, my mind drifted back to Cynthia. The image of her on that stretcher, unconscious and covered in blood, was burned into my brain. I couldn't stop thinking about it. What had happened to her? Was she going to be okay? A car accident, they had said, but something didn't sit right with me. Cynthia was eccentric from what I knew, but she was always aware of her surroundings. It didn't make sense. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts. Now wasn't the time to worry about that. But still, I made a mental note to check on her later. I needed to know what had happened. 'Hey," Brielle said, nudging me with her elbow. 'You're spacing out again." 'Sorry," I replied, giving her a small smile. 'Just thinking about… everything." She nodded. 'I know. But let's focus on the good news, okay? Kyle's going to be fine. That's what matters. And your ‘friend' is going to be fine too. We can rest easy now." I sighed, forcing myself to push thoughts of Cynthia aside. She was in good hands here, just like Kyle. 'Yeah, you're right. Let's celebrate the good news for now." After spending a few more minutes in the waiting room, Brielle and I decided to head back home. I needed to catch up on work, and Brielle wanted to get some rest. She had missed a lot of school time. 'I'll be back later to check on Kyle," I told her as we left the hospital. 'Let me know if anything changes." 'I will," she promised, giving me a quick hug. 'Take care of yourself, okay? You look like you haven't slept in days." I chuckled. 'Because I haven't. But I'll be fine. See you later." I made my way back to my office, feeling a strange mix of emotions. Relief, happiness, and a lingering worry about Cynthia. But I pushed those thoughts away for now. I had work to do. As soon as I stepped into the office, I was greeted by Jessica, my assistant. She was standing by my desk, holding a thick stack of papers that looked like they could topple over at any moment. 'Good morning, Caleb. Long time no see." she said cheerfully, holding a pen. 'I hope you're ready for a busy day. You've got a lot of work to catch up on." I groaned playfully, dropping my bag on the chair. 'Jessica, please tell me that's not all for me." Jeez how long was I gone? She gave me a sympathetic smile. 'Afraid so, boss. You've got a week's worth of paperwork here. Plus, a few meetings to reschedule." I sighed dramatically, flopping into my chair. 'Great. Just what I needed." Jessica laughed. 'Well, look on the bright side. At least it'll keep you busy. Take your mind off things." I chuckled. 'Yeah, I guess you're right. Thanks, J." 'Anytime," she replied, setting the stack of papers on my desk with a thud. 'Just don't work yourself too hard, okay? You look like you could use a nap." I smiled. 'I'll try to take it easy. Thanks for the concern." Jessica nodded, giving me a quick smile before heading back to her desk. I turned my attention to the mountain of paperwork in front of me, feeling a bit overwhelmed. But in a strange way, it felt good to have something to focus on. Something to keep my mind occupied. I started sorting through the papers, signing documents, and making notes where needed. The work was tedious, but it was also a welcome distraction. Every now and then, my thoughts would drift back to Kyle and Cynthia, but I'd quickly shake them off and refocus on the task at hand. A few hours passed, and I was starting to make a dent in the paperwork when Jessica came over with a cup of coffee. 'Thought you might need a pick-me-up," she said, handing it to me. 'Thanks," I said, taking the cup gratefully. 'You're a lifesaver." She was probably one of the best assistants out there. And she She grinned. 'Just doing my job. So, how's Kyle doing? Any news? And how was your long trip to Henley?" I smiled, feeling that familiar warmth in my chest. 'He's stable. The doctor said he might wake up in a day or two. And as for Henley, that's a story for another day." 'That's great news!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up. 'I'm so glad to hear that. And don't worry, you have all the time to fill me in with the details. " 'Yeah, me too," I replied, taking a sip of the coffee. It was just the right amount of bitter. 'It's been a rough few days, but it's finally starting to get better." I was sipping coffee. I hadn't sipped coffee in weeks. She replied with a smile. 'Now, how about we tackle this pile of work together? Make it a bit less overwhelming?" I grinned. 'You're on. Let's see if we can get through this before lunch." Jessica laughed, grabbing a stack of papers. 'You've got yourself a deal, boss."