Chapter 2 The narrow escape

The very next morning Auston could be seen lying on his back, various tubes running into his flesh, supplying blood to his pale body. His breathing was slow and measured.

In a moment of suddenness he woke up and coughed. No one else was in the room, he looked around with half-closed eyes, trying to make out sense of where he was because this was definitely not his apartment.

He tried to sit up but felt a sharp pain bite into his nerves as though his ribs were cracked out of alignment, he groaned in pain and shuddered. In his bewildered state a nurse entered the room; she had a smile on her face and a medical slate on her left hand.

" Seems you woke up quite early? " she said.

she came closer to scrutinize her patient who lay numb on his back, " So tell me, how do you feel after last night's incursion? ".

" Why am I here, in a hospital?" Asked Auston, his question came as a surprise to the nurse.

She leaned in and checked his impulse, " You were actually brought here by two people last night " She paused and jotted down something " suffering a less acute memory loss I would say".

" Do you remember your name? " She asked, " Yes " Replied Auston sharply.

" Mmm, then the diagnostics is good, you'd be fine in a few standard days".

" You said I was brought here by who? " Auston urged.

" By friends who confirmed you were assaulted by a few thugs " she kept the slate on the table and adjusted the bag of blood " you were checked in with a broken nose, punctured ribs and a lot of bruises my dear, you're even lucky to still be conscious".

Auston thought about the two people, " was it Chris? ". He asked as the nurse was about to leave.

" Who? " the nurse reacted.

" Chris " Auston repeated, " He's a storekeeper, was he the one that brought me here? ".

The nurse thought for a second, " Like a little chubby fellow with stressed eye bags and fat lips? " She described.

" Yes, that's him " Replied Auston, " What about the person? ".

" Oh that, she wore a brown jacket, fishnet stockings, the whole thing was transparent attire and a garish make-up " she paused to think, " She dropped her name actually, uhm, I think she said it's Eve__ or Evelyn or something, I'd need to ask the doctor for that ".

Auston could only afford to nod as his thought came back to him at the mention of that name, it came in fresh as he gradually remembered all that had happened the night before, and once the nurse had left, he struggled up to his feet.

" She can't come here again and see me like this, those guys might come with her again " Auston fearfully thought, With a sudden surge of adrenaline, he yanked out the tubes and wires connected to his body, sending the tray crashing to the floor.

The machines beeped and whirred in protest as he struggled to free himself from the bed, " No, no, no " he tried to hush the machines but that didn't work.

With a great effort, Auston hauled himself up, his legs wobbly and uncoordinated. The metal bedframe creaked and screeched as he pulled himself up, the sound echoing through the room. His legs trembled like jelly, the muscles weak and unresponsive.

" For the love of God, " He cried out as he attempted to stand, his legs buckled, the joints cracking and popping like fireworks.

Auston gritted his teeth, his face contorted in determination. He stumbled forward, his legs dragging like dead weights, the floor creaking beneath his feet as he escaped out of the room.

" should have asked earlier, what would you like to eat... " Said the nurse, her voice trailed away as she came back to an empty bed.

Auston hit the road, dragging and pulling his feeble limbs. He came out of the hospital unsuspected, he always had the skill of sneaking in and out of places when he was still in school and that always comes in handy but once outside the hospital he got confused, he hadn't been around this neighborhood before, he held his aching head and waved at a taxi and when the nurse looked out the window, to her greatest surprise she could see Auston stopping and entering a taxi, she made an effort to run down the hospital and get him but before she came down, Auston was long gone.

After a few minutes, the injured Auston stopped at the mini market and told the taxi driver to " gimme me a minute man; the cash is inside ", the driver scowled, " Don't waste my time though " replied the driver as he left Auston to enterthe shore.

Chris saw him first and instantly wore a worried face, he first pointed a customer to the side and walked up close " What happened? " asked Chris.

" Hey man, can I get a dollar, I've got a cab waiting outside " . Auston groaned.

Chris looked through the glass walls and saw the texi, he brought out his wallet, " Go sit down, I'll handle this " said Chris as he went outside and settled the driver by himself, seeing that Auston was still limping.

He came back inside, hands stretched out as he asked again, "Yo, Auston! What's good? I can't believe you dipped out of the hospital like that! " said Chris.

Auston pulled a stool and sat down, " I had to, Chris. I couldn't just stay there and wait for those goons to come back and finish what they started ".

Chris chuckled, " Goons? You mean the thugs who jumped you? " he said going back to the counter.

" Yeah, them. I wasn't trying to stick around and see if they'd come back for round two, my instincts just told me to run ".

" Damn, that's real. But you're not even supposed to be walking around yet, let alone leaving the hospital. You're gonna be okay, though? ". Replied Chris, " But you realize those guys stay around the corner though, you simply ran back to them ".

Auston nodded, " "I'll be straight, Chris. Just gotta get out of there and lay low for a bit, and I've got work to attend to, i wouldn't happy if in any scenerio i get fired ".

" Work!, you can't endanger yourself because of work man...

" I know what I'm doing " replied Auston.

"Aight, got it " He brought out his wallet again, counted out some cash and gave Chris, " Just be safe aight ".

" Thanks ". Replied Auston, as turned and he limped out of the store.