Runt [ManxMan]

Chapter Seventeen

She was pushed aside by the healer from the night before, and Mason found he liked the woman. She was not very nice, but she was very honest and even though she was an omega, she didn't have the same submissive nature Mason had seen from the other omegas in the pack.

With the doorway now clear, she entered the room, ignoring the other occupants to come check on Mason. "Aren't you supposed to be a leader?" she said, sparing only a glance for the woman still standing by the door. "You should know omegas are weaker than other werewolves, and that includes our immune systems. It's still not common, but yes, even adult omegas can catch human illnesses. Especially Mason here, as he didn't get the chance to build immunity to them as a kid like the rest of us did by being around humans or even other werewolves. It's really no surprise he caught something on his first encounter with the humans, though luck was not on our side that he got the flu instead of a simple cold. Regardless," she turned her glare to the alpha, "the healers should have been consulted before he was allowed to encounter humans. We could have warned you of this possibility."

Dax, unruffled by her ire, nodded. "Of course. From now on we will keep you informed." This seemed to satisfy the woman, as she nodded and went about sticking the thermometer back under Mason's tongue—he didn't like it, but it didn't hurt and didn't taste bad so he allowed it—and checking his pulse and breathing.

Tala now appeared more confused than angry. "But he didn't come into contact with any of the humans," she said. "He was surrounded by werewolves the entire time we were out. I was the one who found clothes and even paid for them."

"The kid," came Chase's sleep voice. They all turned to find him rubbing his eyes with a yawn. "A kid ran into him as we were getting up to leave from the food court," he explained. "He must have already had the flu and just hadn't been showing symptoms yet. Which wouldn't have happened if we'd gone to the little store I wanted to go to and been in and out in an hour or two instead of being there long enough for us to be too hungry to make the drive home before eating." He glared at Tala as he spoke, but she waved his concerns away.

"It wasn't anyone's fault," she said. "No one could have predicted the omega would happen to run into one kid who happened to have the flu, or that his immune system would suck enough for him to actually catch it from that brief contact. It was a freak accident."

Mason didn't know a lot of things, and he still had trouble understanding a lot of words, but he had heard the healer lady say she would have warned them he would get sick if they went out, and he had. So it seemed to him someone could have predicted this would happen, it just hadn't been Tala. And Chase was right, they had only been in the big store because Tala decided to go there so in a lot of ways it was Tala's fault he was sick. He didn't blame her as she certainly hadn't intended for this to be the outcome, and seemed to have been honestly trying to help.

"How are you feeling this morning?" the healer asked, her voice softer and kinder than when she had been speaking to Tala. Mason turned his attention to her as his brother continued to argue with the woman behind him. "Better?" she asked when he made no move to answer, and he nodded a little. "That's good," she said. "I have the Tamiflu I promised you last night. This should help you feel better a little sooner."

She held out a couple of tiny ovals, similar to the ones she'd given him the night before. He took them from her and put them in his mouth but, having learned his lesson, waited for her to hand him a glass of water to wash them down before swallowing them.

"Enough," the alpha's voice boomed. The waves of dominance coming off him along with the loud, irritated voice, especially at close proximity, should have frightened the omega, but he found himself unaffected by the alpha's anger. His brother and Tala were not as lucky, and they quieted immediately. "If you wish to argue, you may do so elsewhere. This is an infirmary, for God's sake, and you should both be ashamed of yourselves."

Chase looked properly scolded and sank back into his seat with his head bowed. Tala seemed equally cowed, sending the alpha—or possibly Mason, it was difficult to tell—an apologetic look before turning and leaving without a word.

"Well, that was all rather dramatic and unnecessary," the healer said cheerfully. "In any case, Mason is feeling a bit better, which is good news. The Tamiflu should help, but he's far from out of the woods yet. He'll have to stay here for observation, and he probably shouldn't move around too much. Lots of rest, lots of fluids, and keep me updated on his condition, hunter, got it?" Chase nodded immediately, looking a little fearful of the tiny omega healer. Satisfied, she nodded and left, closing the door behind her.

Dax sighed, the air ruffling through Mason's hair. He didn't like the sound of that, nor did he appreciate his human pillow starting to move, depositing him on the bed as he moved to stand. Mason whined, already missing the loss of warmth, and reached for the man, but Dax pushed his hands away and instead pulled the blankets up near the boy's shoulders, which solved some of the problem but not the way Mason had wanted it solved.

He pouted but Dax's stoic expression had returned, and Mason doubted he would be swayed by the omega's cuteness, which was a shame because he had rather enjoyed using his cuteness to get him things in the days since he discovered its uses.

Dax turned to address Chase when he spoke, though his eyes flitted to Mason as well. "I have to get to work. I know I don't have to tell you this, but keep an eye on him, and let me know if anything changes, for better or worse." He left no time for argument; by the time he was done speaking, he was already heading for the door. He gave them one last look from the doorway, his eyes lingering longer on Mason with some hint of an emotion in his expression Mason couldn't place, and then he was gone.

Chase sank back into his chair with a sigh, turning to stare at Mason like he was a puzzle to be solved. He did this rather often, so Mason was unbothered, though this time felt different than the others. He had to wonder if it had something to do with Dax. A suspicion that was confirmed when the hunter spoke.

"I want you both to be happy," he said, resting his hand over his brother's, though the blanket separated them. Mason remembered him saying something like this before, but he wasn't sure what it had to do with anything that had just happened. "I know you don't really understand yet, but just... be careful, Mase. Dax is very careful with his heart. Don't push him too much."

Chase was right, Mason didn't really understand what any of that was supposed to mean. He knew he felt safe with the alpha, and he felt empty now that the man was gone. The alpha made him feel a lot like his brother did, but somehow... different. He didn't need his brother's warnings. He knew this was something important, and he intended to be very careful.

Posted: 3-16-2021

Word Count: 2082

I keep thinking I'm getting ahead and then I'm like oh yeah it's Tuesday and I need to post that chapter I just finished yesterday oop. Anyway, have a great week! :)

<3Koda