Chapter 317: Sedated-1

Luna did not want to bicker with Zane, anything he said she would just agree with. She was wrong, and she knew it. She had sold out Mina, who considered her a friend, over a man, who was not only oblivious to her affections, but also not the person she thought he was. Had Luna known back then that Tavin had no clue she considered them a couple; she would have said something sooner.

Knowing there was no winner in the 'what if' game, Luna resisted the pull to play. The only thing she could do now was walk away and hope for the best, but even she knew that the best would still not be good enough. The man she had wanted for so long, now felt permanently out of her reach.

----

Zane watched Mina sleep; she did not look peaceful though. Her jaw quivered every now and then, and she would toss and turn letting small sighs escape her lips, as whatever emotion she had been suppressing released itself while she slept.

If Ian had not been his best friend of many years, Zane would have helped Mina escape the man. It was not that he was incapable of helping at the present, it was just that he knew Ian would never stop looking for the girl. It had become blatantly obvious to him that Ian was obsessed with Mina.

What Ian felt was not love, and it had long passed the point of infatuation. What Ian felt was the pure desire to possess and control Mina; something Zane knew that she would rather die than allow. There was no doubt in Zane's mind that if Ian got what he wanted; he would earnestly take care of the girl. The problem to Zane, was how Ian was going about it.

Ian had been secretly manipulating all aspects of Mina's life, down to who she chose as a roommate. He had been planting ideas in the girl's mind through the people around her and had even been working with the woman who slapped Mina. Ian wanted to try and make Mina's experiences within the entertainment circle so terrible, that she withdrew from her contract with Cylus and focused solely on things he approved of.

Ian no longer regarded Oric Lamar as a threat, because he had found out that the man briefly dated one of Mina's close friends. Zane knew that Ian had already planned for Willow West to visit the country to celebrate the coming season with Mina.

Somehow, Ian had sent word, through Wayvair, that the school was hosting an early alumni gathering to apologize to the student, who was negatively impacted by its 'oversight' and to those who had been impacted by the correction.

Mina had yet to receive the invite because Ian had arranged for it to be sent to his address. The move was made to further lend to the story that she was still staying within the Lee mansion.

Zane knew these things, and it was because of his knowledge that he decided against helping Mina run. What he needed to do was help Ian move on, but that did not mean he would leave Mina hanging in the wind.

The physician who was attending Mina, suggested that Mina stay for overnight observation, but Zane planned to take the woman back to his place as soon as she was discharged. He knew that he would have to carefully explain what had happened to Mina to his mother, but he also knew that his mother would not pry much.

Zane's mother was a tactful woman in all ways, and she knew when to press and when to let issues rest. It was where Zane acquired his passivity, and why his personality complimented Ian's. If both men had been headstrong, they would not have been able to develop a relationship.

----

Mina's eyes shot open, and she sat up punching at the air, likely fighting off imaginary attackers. Zane rushed to her side and held both her arms down, preventing her from moving too much. She had been attached to a drip before she slept, and he worried she would pull it out.

"Mina relax, it was just a dream," He said in a coaxing tone, but Mina was still struggling. Zane was at a total loss for what he should do, so he paged a nurse, who came in and sedated the agitated woman. Both she and Zane held Mina until whatever she was given kicked in.

"She will sleep for at least an hour," the nurse said. As she spoke, she scanned Mina's face and gently pressed on some of the more puffed areas.

"What are you doing?" Zane questioned suspiciously. The woman's actions looked painful, and he knew that the only reason Mina was not reacting to the nurse's touch, was because she had been put into a drug induced sleep.

"My father used to beat my mother. I got good at treating these sorts of injuries," the nurse said. Zane did not know how to reply. Sorry did not seem like a good fit, but neither did anything else.

"What does she need to speed up the rate of recovery?" He finally asked, sensing it was the only appropriate thing to say.

"Have you ever seen those cold packs that women put in the freezer?" Zane shook his head. The only woman he lived with was his mother, and he had never seen her use a cold pack on her face. The nurse pulled out her device and searched for something, before showing her phone to Zane.

"It looks like this," she said.

"What does it do?"

"Nothing really, but because of the eye and mouth slots it's more convenient. She should be icing her face for ten to fifteen minutes at least twice a day, but I don't think she has."

"Doesn't this facility have ice packs?" Zane asked quizzically.

"We do, but she didn't allow anyone to administer the packs. Now that she is asleep, do you want to try?" The nurse was not implying anything, but her question did have implications.

Zane would have to sit on the bed beside Mina and hold an ice pack to her face for fifteen minutes on each section. Assuming the ice pack was large enough to cover one half of Mina's face, that would mean he would be lying beside the woman for no less than half an hour.

"I'll do it," came a voice Zane was glad to hear. Although he did not condone his friend's behavior or actions toward Mina, he still valued their friendship enough to not want to use himself as a wedge between the two.

"Good. I will get the ice packs and show you what to do, but it's particularly important that you do not wake her."

"Why?" Ian questioned; almost afraid the woman would tell him something like Mina's heart would stop.

"If she wakes before the sedative wears off, she will be in a highly suggestive state, and she could accidentally hurt herself." Ian did not need to hear anymore to understand. The nurse was basically telling him that Mina would be like a zombie.

"What should he do if she wakes up?" Zane asked. He did not like hearing that Mina would not have her full faculties. That left far too much up to the imagination, and although he trusted his friend, he could not be too sure.