Chapter 130

Margot’s POV

The doctor froze mid-reach, his gloved hands hovering over the drawer for a fraction too long before he spoke again.

“I can’t tell you much, I’m afraid,” he began carefully, his tone shifting from casual to cautious as Coban’s stare blazed through him. “Confidentiality applies to-”

Coban cut him off before he could finish, his tone firm. “Don’t start with that shit. I’m the one who stepped in to save her life, you know? Held the girl whilst she was bleeding out? I think the trauma from that alone entitles me to know if she’s even still breathing, don’t you?”

The doctor’s mouth opened, then closed again in thought.

For a second, he looked like he might argue back. His gaze flicked toward the door – as if expecting one of the guards to suddenly appear, to tell him off – before they landed back on Coban.

I could feel the shift in the air as I watched the encounter, breath held and palms beginning to sweat.

Coban wasn’t shouting, but his tone carried a pressure that filled the room. It wasn’t just a question anymore; it was a demand.

The doctor hesitated, the silence stretching painfully long before he finally exhaled hard through his nose. His shoulders sagged, and he began to peel off his gloves one by one, the sound of latex snapping off his wrists out loud amongst the stillness.

“The girl…” he started, pausing again, his expression heavy. “She’s alive, yes.”

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until it burst out of me, my chest collapsing forward as my lungs caught up.

Alive.

She was still alive!

But before relief could fully bloom, his next words came like a cruel aftershock…

“But only barely,” he added softly. “They’re doing everything they can to keep her stable. That’s all I know right now.”

The walls seemed to tilt in around me. My fingers gripped the edge of the patient bed so tight that my knuckles went white and my skin pulsed in need of blood flow…

Alive but barely.

It echoed in my head like a bell tolling at a funeral that hadn’t happened yet.

Barely…

Meaning she wasn’t in the clear, not yet…

My vision blurred as my throat tightened painfully against the pressure building inside me. I clutched my chest, right over my heart, trying to ground myself.

But at least right now, she was still here.

Still fighting.

That was all that mattered…

“Oh my God…” I whispered, my voice trembling with something between relief and heartbreak.

Beside me, Coban’s expression stayed unreadable, but I caught the faintest flicker in his eyes – it was a flash of something softer, like pity or maybe guilt.

But it was gone before I could name it…

“When possible,” he said suddenly, his voice steady again but quieter this time, “can you arrange for Margot and her friend Cara to have a visit with her?”

My head snapped toward him in surprise. He hadn’t even looked at me when he said it, but the request itself hit me straight to the heart.

He made sure to ask if we could visit her.

The doctor blinked, clearly thrown off himself by Coban’s subtle act of kindness. “A visit?”

“Yes.” Coban’s tone left no room for debate. “They were her friends. They deserve to see her if she wakes up. The girl deserves the comfort too after what was done to her…”

The doctor’s brows pulled together, his hesitation returning as he rubbed a hand along the back of his neck. “That’s… an interesting one. It’s not usually permitted…”

“Not usually permitted amongst prisoners… these girls aren’t prisoners, don’t forget that! I’m sure you can make an exception.” Coban squared himself out a little, not liking that he hasn’t yet agreed.

But he had a point there. We weren’t prisoners, especially when it came down to things like this – to an innocent girl’s life…

Coban’s voice wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be. It was the kind of tone that made people listen to him.

He stared back at Coban for a long, tense moment before his shoulders slumped again, another weary sigh slipping out as he caved to his power once again. “Yes… yes, of course,” he muttered, clearing his throat. “I’ll… see what I can do; it would only be fair to the girls.”

Coban gave his nod of approval, and for a moment, nobody spoke.

The sound of the air conditioning filled the silence instead, becoming an unsteady hum that made the room feel awkward.

“Are you going to wrap up her neck again?” Coban glanced over me before he spoke, stepping forward, his body language relaxed, but his eyes were still razor-sharp.

The doctor nodded again, fumbling to put his gloves back on as if the conversation hadn’t just peeled away the last of his composure.

“Yes, almost forgot about that! Let’s get more cream on that before we get you wrapped up.” He forced a smile, as I attempted to return it, not quite feeling it reach my eyes.

Coban moved closer to me then, his hand brushing against my arm just long enough to steady me. It was brief, but I felt it.

Solid, grounding, real.

The doctor’s gloved hand found my neck, making me jump a little, as the cold cream went over the area like a cooling gel….

He placed it down on the bed, seeming to forget about the tube, as he turned his back to fetch a fresh bandage.

As quick as I could blink, Coban’s hand shot across my lap, snatching the cream from beside me without a single sound, slipping it into his waistband with a cough as though nothing had happened…

Eyes wide and lips parted, I began to panic that the doctor would turn back and immediately notice… but he didn’t.

Instead, the bandage was stretched around my neck, his placement careful and precise, before he stood back and dusted off his hands.

“All done here! Same again, just come back tomorrow if you need more pills.” He announced, seeming bored with our presence now.

Oh, I’m sure I won’t need anymore now… thanks to Coban!

“Thanks doctor, come on, Bella,” Coban said, helping me down from the bed, his tone slightly urgent.

I nodded, my legs shaky as I couldn’t decide whether it was from the nerves of watching him steal supplies or from the update on my friend’s critical condition…

But I didn’t look back at the doctor as we both left.

My head was too full.

“Thanks for doing that…” I whispered up at Coban as soon as we were away from the area.

“He has plenty of shit; he won’t miss what I took.” Coban shrugged, as I shook my head, a small smile pulling at my lips.

“No, not the stealing… I still can’t believe you managed to take all of that without getting caught though!” I laugh a little before going on, “But thanks for asking how Sarah is, and if we can visit,” I explain, as he nods slowly now in understanding.

“Anything to make you feel better, Bella.”