Red Phoenix

legs hung over the edge of the bed. ‘I want to go home.’
    I gently lowered myself onto my feet. Leo held my arm. I couldn’t help it, I leaned on him. I was as weak as a kitten. ‘All I did was break my arm. How come I’m so weak?’
    ‘Wait till you’re in the bathroom, you’ll see why,’ Leo said.
    I pushed him away and tried to stand by myself. I couldn’t. He jerked forward to catch me before I went down.
    ‘This just isn’t good enough,’ I growled under my breath. ‘I have to get out of here.’
    ‘What’s the big hurry?’ he said, gently amused. ‘My thesis is due next week.’
    Leo didn’t say anything. He held me up and guided me towards the bathroom. The IV bag followed on its little wheeled stand.
    ‘You don’t have to do this,’ I said quickly, realising what he was about to do. ‘If you’re uncomfortable, we’ll just call a nurse.’
    ‘Oh, come on, Emma, you’re like a sister to me. I’m a Retainer. What about the attack in Guangzhou when you helped me? Besides,’ he said, his grin gaining an evil edge, ‘I want to see your face.’
    ‘What?’
    He guided me through the bathroom door. There was a mirror directly in front of me. I saw my face and his grip tightened as I nearly fell over with shock.
    ‘Holy shit,’ I said softly as I looked at myself.
    My entire face was a swollen purple mass of bruised flesh. My eyes were barely visible. I had stitches on my forehead and across my cheekbones that I hadn’t even been aware of. Now that I knew they were there I could feel them. They weren’t painful, they were more like unpleasant pressure across my face.
    ‘Have to take a photo of this when we get home,’ Leo said with amusement. ‘What a good job. I think you deserve a special prize.’
    ‘You put a camera anywhere near me and my chi is out to get you,’ I threatened fiercely. I tried to pull myself free of him. He held me. ‘Let me go. I want to see if I can stand alone.’
    He gently complied, ready to catch me if I went down.
    A wave of weakness hit me as he let go. I fell into his arms. ‘Damn.’
    He didn’t waste any more time. He swept me up and carried me like a child. ‘Let’s get this over with and get you back to bed.’
    ‘I want to go home,’ I said fiercely the next time I came around. The IV was gone; they must have taken it out while I was asleep. ‘Meredith can fix most of this, but I can’t just walk out of here a hundred per cent. I have to get home first.’
    Leo understood. ‘Do you think you could walk if I helped you?’
    I nodded and my head exploded with pain. ‘Ouch.’ I turned carefully on the bed and lowered myself. I tried standing. I could do it. ‘Whoopee,’ I said quietly, ‘I’m up and around.’
    Leo moved to help me but I waved him away. ‘Let me see if I can walk.’ I gingerly tried a few hesitant steps. ‘Call Ah Yat. Tell her to bring me some clothes. Let’s get me out of here.’ I turned back to the bed and climbed to sit on it.
    Leo pulled out his mobile and called home. ‘Tell her to materialise carefully,’ I said, and he nodded.
    Ah Yat came bustling out of the bathroom like a mother hen. She shooed Leo out of the room and helped me to dress. She was strong enough to hold me by herself. When I had the clothes on, the three of us called a nurse and told her we were leaving.
    The nurse looked stiffly at me then turned and walked out without saying a word. Gone to find a doctor.
    The doctor came in. He was in his mid-thirties, overweight, cheerful, and smelled of cigarette smoke. ‘You should stay overnight for observation,’ he said over his small, stylish glasses.
    ‘I want to get out of here,’ I said firmly. ‘I want to go home.’ I thought quickly and gestured towards Leo. ‘My boyfriend is a registered nurse, he’ll look after me.’
    Leo snapped me a quick, astonished glance, then spoke to the doctor. ‘I’ll look after her. She’ll be fine.’
    The doctor acquiesced reluctantly. ‘Go downstairs and sign out first,’ he said to Leo. ‘Any signs of altered state, lack of perception, bring her back. You know what to look for.’
    Leo nodded. ‘Nausea, dizziness, dilated pupils, visual disturbance, altered state, I know.’
    The doctor nodded, satisfied. ‘Take care.’ He watched as I walked out by myself, Leo carefullybehind me ready to catch me. Ah Yat wasn’t there. Must have already gone back to the Peak to prepare for me.
    Leo gently helped me into the car. ‘How did you