Chapter 7
Awake
"Think she'll survive?" a voice asked from above me. Damn right I'll survive, I thought, despite the fact I couldn't feel anything. Or reply for myself. Hell, I couldn't even open my eyes.
"Possibly," another voice replied, sounding a bit nervous. For once, I wished I could smell her, to see if she was human. But something wasn't letting me breath on my own. For some reason, this didn't bother me. I wasn't choking, so it must have been fine. "It was a vicious attack, remember. In addition to the cold and rain, I'm surprised she was brought here in time to try."
A grunt answered the doctor, and I felt something touch my cheek. I could myself blink in response, a slight twitch of eyelid that went unnoticed. Comas still allowed for some small muscle spasms. Too bad the eyelids were one of the few areas to do such.
"We've done all we can for her," the doctor said again, her voice quiet as a presence settled itself onto the bed next to my legs. I wanted to give some sign of life, something other than the mechanical breathing I felt, or the beeping of my pulse from a machine nearby. With the body finally closer to me, I swore I could almost smell him, but my nose wasn't working yet. Damn it! "I can hear you!" I wanted to scream at them, but all I managed was another eye twitch. How effective.
But an odd itching hit my throat. After feeling nothing but vague sensations of pressure, the itch was a foreign thing. But I couldn't scratch it as the feeling increased. My arms wouldn't cooperate. But suddenly, the itching became something entirely different. Had my ears been able to get past my panic, I would have heard my pulse skyrocketing. My body heaved, trying to reject whatever was causing the pain in my throat. I couldn't breathe. It felt like I was drowning. Hands pinned me back against the bed, holding my head still with my chin up. Something was pulled from my throat and as soon as I could breathe, I collapsed back, shivering with exhaustion. I took a deep breath through my nose. And I understood suddenly why the doctor was so nervous.
She was human. But not even that realization could keep my damning mouth shut.
"I'm not dead yet."
The words were scratchy, rough, and took much more effort than I wanted to spend, but my throat felt it deserved at least one statement after a tube had been shoved down it for who knew how long. I could feel the presence beside me return as someone braced my head and shoulders up on a pillow. Someone gripped my hand tightly. Gingerly, I forced my eyes to open, squinting at the whiteness of the room. This time, it was a hospital room that met my gaze, instead of darkened hardwood. I took some relief in that. I breathed again, proving to the nurse and doctor that I could indeed do so myself. I was not about to have another tube shoved down my neck.
"I think she's going to live, Doctor," the male voice said again. Was that amusement in his voice? I couldn't turn my head to look at him, so I did my best by moving my eyes. A very small smile touched my lips. Alex. He noticed my gaze. "You look like shit," he said oh so gently, his hand smoothing back my hair.
"Thanks," I managed after a deep breath. I could see Alex return his eyes to the doctor.
"I can take her from here, Maria," he told her firmly. And since the doctor didn't protest, I didn't either.
"Wolves," my sharp ears heard from the doctor's mouth. Alex heard it too, there was no doubt, but he made no move to acknowledge the mutter as he settled beside me. My eyes were closed, so all I could see was the red glow from the lights around me. But I could feel other wolves enter the room. I couldn't smell them, but she knew they were there. My wolf always knew when others were around.
"We're taking you home, Sam," Alex's voice settled in my ears. "You'll be safe there." At an unseen gesture, I felt the wolves in the room draw near. Opening my eyes the slightest bit, even I knew what their color would be. It did not make things easier. Hypersensitive, I felt the pack sit me up and remove the blanket. Never before had I been so thankful for the paltry sack called a 'hospital gown.' I tried very hard to ignore the bruises covering my flesh, and the fresh pain in my injured shoulder as the wolves settled me easily into a wheelchair. I had always wanted to ride around in a wheelchair. I was rather disappointed by the lack of giddiness I felt. Granted, it was very hard to feel giddy when my wolf was so close to the surface. She wanted out. She wanted to rip apart the hospital piece by piece, and tear the closest human limb from limb. She was not happy. Trembling with the effort of controlling her, I settled back into the chair, trying to imagine myself someplace else. Like Florida in the summer. Yeah. Summer. When the air was warm. I hated winter.
The ride out of the hospital was rather inconspicuous. Or rather, as inconspicuous as four very tense wolves could get when escorting an injured packmate through a building filled with injured, bleeding, and dying humans. In the wild, they would be prey. The wolf side rarely listened to modern reasoning. I could smell some of their sweat. And my wolf wanted out. She was hungry. Clenching my eyes shut, I tried to ignore the smell of warm blood around me. I have never been so hungry.
The shock of sunlight was startling after the filtered light of the hospital. And wearing nothing but a very thin gown was not helping with the warmth issue. No matter how much I imagined myself in a Florida summer, the air had the courtesy to remind me it was still winter in Tennessee. Thankfully, Alex had the foresight to bring more than just the wolves guarding me, since a big muddy SUV just pulled through the covered awning of the hospital entrance. Instead of allowing me the dignity of entering the vehicle myself, Leo exited the driver's seat and opened a rear door.
"I don't even get shotgun?" I managed to croak out, despite the tension I could almost taste hanging in the air. I heard Alex's characteristic chuckle from above me, and two bodies lifted me from the chair. The concrete was extremely cold on my feet, and despite my sense of indecency, I was very thankful for the assistance into the car itself. I hadn't realized how exhausted I actually was until my head hit the edge of the middle seat. Even with the odd angle, it was still more comfortable than having needles in my hands. Leo took the seat beside me instead of driving, and Alex took the other. It took the both of them to pry my hand from scratching at the bandages covering the IV ports. They would remove those back at the cabins, where only the other wolves could witness the near immediate Change afterward.
As the suburban pulled out of the hospital, I felt exhaustion taking over, even with my wolf so close. The welcome heat of the car lulled my eyes closed and my head rolled to the side. I don't know whose shoulder I ended up sleeping on, but it was thousands of times more comfortable than the flimsy hospital pillows. I don't know how long the ride took, but I know I did fall asleep. Because when I next awoke, it was my wolf in complete control.