Chapter 10 - Merrick
Merrick
When Hailey’s name popped up on my phone screen while I was working out in Station Sixteen’s gym, I answered immediately, setting down the weights on the nearby bench and having a seat while I caught my breath.
Just the sight of her name made my heart jump.
But I couldn’t say it was solely excitement, unfortunately.
She wasn't getting any better, and it was starting to concern me. Weeks were passing and she was constantly turning up to work sick.
Alright, “starting to” was a bit of an undersell. I was worried.
I was doing everything I could to help her: bringing her food, making sure she ate, and taking care of her when I could, but there was only so much she would allow me to do.
“Hey, is everything okay?” I asked as soon as I answered the phone, snagging a towel from my bag to mop up some sweat.
“Yes. No? Well… Can I ask you a favor?”
Confusion swirled in my brain, but I already knew my answer. “Anything.”
I really did mean anything, too, which should have probably been an internal red flag.
But the truth was, I’d come to realize I was hooked, jonesing for any moment with Hailey because I just…loved being around her.
The beautiful omega didn't understand how obsessed I was slowly becoming with her.
Or not so slowly.
She could’ve asked me to pick up her friend from the airport or plunge my balls into freezing water, and I would have done it with a smile on my face.
“W-would you be willing to drive me to a doctor’s appointment? It’s not exactly close, and I still don’t feel a hundred percent comfortable getting behind the wheel.”
I was already nodding, tossing the towel back in my gym bag, but something pinged in the back of my mind. Why wasn’t she visiting her local doctor? Wouldn’t that be easier?
“Of course, do you already have an appointment?”
“They have one for Thursday at eleven, but if you’re working, I totally understand. They’ve prescribed me some stuff over the phone, and I’ve got to go to a pharmacy while out tomorrow as well.”
“No, we’re all good. I’ll be there,” I rushed to say.
Thursday was three days away. I didn’t love that she still had to wait to see the doctor, but at least they’d prescribed her something. It also gave me the chance to finagle work so that someone could cover my shift. That was plenty of time.
I punched the time into my phone quickly, I put it back to my ear and said, “I’ll be there tomorrow morning as well.”
“You don’t have—”
“I want to,” I insisted, knowing I had a bit of free time tomorrow, anyway. “Don’t worry about it. I’m off.”
“Well, alright. I appreciate it. I do want to get the meds as soon as I can, get them working and everything.”
“Of course. Do you need anything else? I’m just at the gym. I can swing by, easy peasy.”
There was a pause, and I looked down at the phone to make sure the line hadn’t dropped. Putting it back to my ear, I probed again, saying, “Hails?”
I could hear her clear her throat, imagining her shaking her head like she did when she was trying to refocus.
“Sorry. No, I’m good for now. I’ll…I’ll see you tomorrow. Thanks again.”
“No problem. I’ll see you in the morning.”
We hung up, and I knew my next stop needed to be Walker’s office now, not the treadmill like I’d planned. I needed to give him as much time as possible to find another guy to come in on Thursday. Pulling on my shirt, I stuffed the rest of my shit into my bag and beat feet for his office.
“Hey, Walker. Can someone cover my shift on Thursday?” I asked, getting straight to the point.
Walker looked up from the paperwork he was reading. “Yeah, that’s doable. Any reason why?”
The words were out before I could think better of them. “Hailey needs someone to drive her to a doctor’s appointment.”
My captain gave me a knowing look that made me squirm. Walker was an astute alpha, and no matter how cool I had played it, he’d probably realized long ago how I felt about her.
“Of course, you can take her. I’ll get Alex to cover your shift.” His smirk disappeared, his brows knitting together. “Is she feeling any better?”
I shook my head. “She's saying she is, but she's constantly pale and shaky. She’s got some meds on standby, and hopefully the doc knows what’s going on.”
“She's stubborn, just like our omega. Honestly, I'm thankful she's willing to go see a doctor at all. She's far too loved around here to get any sicker.”
“Right. No one else will put up with Blaze and Fitz…” I smirked, my thoughts drifting for a moment.
Walker grimaced. “You’re not wrong there. I don’t know what it is about that pair, but they are so…”
“Enthusiastic?” I supplied with a chuckle.
“Let’s go with that. Don’t worry about your shift. I’ll easily get it covered, just make sure Hailey is okay.”
“I will.” I nodded, before turning and leaving his office.
Walker was a good captain, and I was thankful for everything he did to keep Station Sixteen running. He was only working one or two days a week at the moment, while he was technically on paternity leave.
Given that his entire pack worked at the same firehouse, they took turns staying with their omega because losing three firefighters from one firehouse would be a hell of a thing to deal with.
We were lucky to have such amazing coworkers who cared for their team but balanced it so well with looking after their omega.
After all, caring for an omega was an alpha's dream. Our instincts demanded that we take on a caretaker role, and it wasn’t lost on me that I’d already started playing that role with Hailey.
Screwed, Merrick. You are so very screwed.
The next day, I drove to Hailey’s apartment complex bright and early. I wanted to get there with plenty of time, in case there was traffic.
Hailey opened the door; her face was pale and drawn. Her usual bright smile was gone, replaced with a gray pallor that screamed “unwell” like a neon sign. Her hair, typically shiny and in perfect waves, had a slight frizz to it and was scraped back into a messy bun.
I hated seeing her like this.
“Ready to go?” I asked, plastering a fake smile on my face, trying not to let on just how concerned I was, especially because she’d done what she was supposed to. Hailey had called the doc and was on her way with me now to get her prescription.
“Sure, let me just grab my bag.” She turned back into the apartment, leaving the door open so I could enter behind her.
“Have you had breakfast?” I asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.
“Didn’t have time,” Hailey called out from another room.
I hummed, my jaw muscles working as I folded my arms across my chest. “I thought so. There's an amazing pancake joint on the way to this pharmacy. I thought we could stop by.”
“Pancakes, you say?” Hailey asked, popping her head out of the hallway with a goofy, intrigued smile.
Grinning, I nodded back at her. “The kind that are stuffed with cookie butter or Nutella.”
Hailey's eyes widened. Omegas were notorious for having a sweet tooth, and judging by the mountains of ice cream I’d seen in her freezer the last time I’d been here, Hailey was no different.
“Sold!” She beamed, rushing over to me. “Let’s go!”
“So excited now, are we?” I laughed.
“When I was just going to the pharmacy, I was dragging my feet, but now that you’ve dangled a sweet treat in front of my face? Well, what can I say? I’m a sucker for sugar!”
Hailey bounded out of the apartment and to my truck at a speed I didn’t think she was capable of, given her shaky state. Despite her eager movements, there was still a sluggishness to them. As much as it made my chest tighten, seeing her happy to get some food helped.
And we’re going to the pharmacy. She’s going to get better.
She clambered into my truck slowly before I could even get there and help her, and the sight of her sitting in my front seat felt right, like she was meant to be there. But we weren’t there yet. As much as I wanted to maybe start down that lane, Hailey’s health came first.
For now.
“Who comes to a pancake joint that offers them stuffed with chocolate and orders fruit?” Hailey asked with a scrunch of her nose.
I speared a strawberry with my fork, popping it into my mouth and chewing slowly. There was no way I was going to admit that the fruit reminded me of her scent.
Strawberries and cream filled my dreams, thanks to Hailey Hana, and those dreams haunted my waking hours.
“Fruit is good for you,” I said with a shrug.
There was a certain strawberry-scented something I had a feeling would be very good for me. I shook my head, rolling my lips between my teeth.
Hailey hadn’t opted for fruit, quite the opposite, in fact. The cookie butter pancakes were gigantic, and she was diving into them with ferocity. It was something else.
She’d even added ice cream to the pancakes.
Ice cream. For breakfast.
Though I was concerned about the nutritional value, I was just happy she was eating something. The hollows of her cheeks were beginning to look a bit too sunken for my liking. Not terrible yet, but my mind had a way of imagining the worst.
“God, this is fantastic.”
Hailey went to town on the pancakes, and I nearly forgot to eat mine, watching her with a grin as she demolished them, putting away far more than I thought she’d manage. Sitting across from her, all I could do was smile.
It was easy around Hailey. She was funny, fiercely independent, and had no problem telling you as much. Even more, she was always making time to help other people. She’d been on the phone with Sunny in the truck, scheduling a visit, and I knew she’d gone to see Melody to help out too.
Hailey needed someone to care for her. If she would let me, then I would happily take the job.
After we finished, I paid the check, making sure Hailey got her leftovers packed in a box to take home. She’d eaten the ice cream, saying, “What? It was just going to melt,” and I held the door open for her as we headed back to my truck.
As we got closer, I unlocked it and opened her door, offering a hand since she’d complained about having to leap into the thing.
“Why, thank you.” She smiled, the color back in her cheeks a bit, and I held on to her fingers for a bit longer.
Hailey’s eyes looked down at where I held her hand, and I had to force myself to let go. She plopped down into the seat, and I reached for her seat belt, pulling it forward for her so she could get situated.
Those green eyes flicked up to me as I stood there. I couldn’t get myself moving, transfixed by being so close to her, and then I noticed the small glint on her cheek by her mouth.
Without thinking, I reached out for it, swiping my thumb through the bit of chocolate. “Got a little something.”
Hailey’s lips parted as she looked up at me, silence creeping in. I could feel my pulse in my throat, hear it in my ears, and still, I wasn’t getting behind the wheel like I was supposed to.
“Oh.” She giggled softly, “thanks.”
I took my thumb back, unsure of what I was doing or even who I was, because I put it in my mouth and licked off the melted chip. Those eyes flared wide, and before I knew it, I was leaning in, staring right at Hailey’s mouth.
“The strawberries…” What was I doing? I couldn’t stop myself, though, leaning in, hovering my lips over hers. “...remind me of you.”
And then I kissed her.