Blooded Mate

Chapter 56 - Infirmary

The wolf relished the unintended caress, and he limped closer to his mate whenever he felt a breeze pass between them.

As they went deeper into the training facility, shuffling nails on concrete and sniffs followed them as the pack's curiosity overcame their fear and hostility.

The infirmary was the first door off the cavern and half as big as the main hall. Like the rest of the facility, it was a room built with thick concrete and no windows. Open cabinets lined two walls, and a third was covered by metallic cold storage units. Almost all the shelves carried vials, bottles, and air-tight boxes.

Three neat rows of hospital beds run down the room, interspersed with writing desks, carts, and equipment. Though arranged for medical efficiency, this was not built as a fully functional clinic. Instead, it specialized in treating and stabilizing combat wounds before being transported to better-equipped facilities.

Some of the beds were filled, and a dozen nurses and doctors whisked about to attend to them. Ethan's mishap was not the sole injury of the night, but he was the only one who came with a possible cause of disaster: an irate vampire.

All movement ceased when the duo entered the infirmary, followed by Zyga, Eric, and Ethan's team. Hovering over a bed further into the room, a nurse froze when her eyes landed on them. The forgotten roll of bandage she was wrapping around a familiar face slipped and knocked her patient on his head. But Booker did not seem to notice.

His wide eyes were fixed on the vampire walking next to Ethan, and his slack jaw was about to break off.

Should have knocked him out, Ethan griped, seeing that the angry slash across Booker's face was already knitting over.

Another nurse left her cart and started backing away from the door, clutching at her breast.

"Dr. Sanders, please, we need your assistance," Eric called out.

A rotund white-haired man with glasses gasped, fumbling with the red-stained lapels of his lab coat.

"The wolf, Dr. Sanders. The wolf," Eric clarified.

"Uh, yes, Beta," the old man croaked. He shuffled over, hesitating on every other step. "Can you help him onto a bed?"

Ethan limped to the closest bed, but with his injured leg, he had to accept Jan's help in climbing onto it. Once the surprise wore off, his friends may never let him forget this moment.

The doctor wavered at the foot of the bed, his watery eyes glancing up at the watchful vampire.

"Dr. Sanders," Eric urged.

"Uh... y-yes." The doctor shuffled closer, reaching out trembling hands to part the wet fur.

Ethan's heart went out to the unfortunate old man who had probably not expected to have to face a red-eyed vampire when he woke up this morning. Unfortunately, Jan's chilly attitude was also not making the task easier.

His mate had taken post next to the bed, with arms crossed. Though he did not glare, his unwavering gaze settled on the doctor while tapping an extended talon against his white sleeves. His cold, menacing aura was a twitch away from slicing someone to shreds.

Noting that, Ethan held himself still and clenched his jaws to avoid jerking or whimpering while the doctor prodded the site. He did not want to set Jan off on the old Lycan.

"Uh... muscular laceration... in the rhomboid major. It will require stitches, but I see nothing that will hinder a full recovery, " Dr. Sanders muttered over Ethan's shoulder.

A commotion at the door drew their attention. Beyond his team, several curious Lycans, both in wolf and human form, had crammed their heads in the infirmary door, scrambling to see what was happening. Some had climbed over others, and one unfortunate soul at the bottom had collapsed under the weight, bringing the whole pile down.

"Out!" Eric yelled. "Unless you have an urgent medical need, I want you out of here."

There were a few whines and grumbling but none too loud in their beta's presence. Soon, the doorway cleared.

"You too," Eric said, referring to Brent and the rest of Ethan's team. "Go take a shower. Your watcher will be ready with your results by the time you come back."

His team filed out to obey their beta. So did Zyga, leaving him Jan and Eric.

Despite his rattled nerves, the doctor worked swiftly, calling a nurse to help him out. They numbed the area, cleaned it out, and patched him up. And Ethan had to commend them for performing the entire operation from one side of the bed since no one wanted to ask his mate to move.

"Will he be able to walk soon? He has more training scheduled tomorrow," Ethan asked when they were done.

Before Dr. Sanders could answer, Jan interjected. "I think he needs to rest."

"You are not doing him any favors by shielding him," Eric replied.

Ethan agreed, letting out a pitiful whimpering whine. He did not want to miss out on more training than was necessary. The vampire heard and ran a hand over his head. Ethan's wolf leaned into the palm, flicking a tongue over his mate's fingers.

"Dr. Sanders?" Eric prompted.

The doctor cleared his throat, pulling his eyes away from the show the two were putting on. "It's a full moon. A good night's rest should heal him up nicely. Uh... The-the area might be tender, so I would not recommend combat. But the obstacle course later in the day should be fine."

"Thanks, I'll make sure he takes it easy," Eric said, and the doctor and his nurse made a quick exit to the other side of the room.

A/N

Hi lovelies, thanks for reading.If you loved it don't forget to vote, comment and add to your library.

I would love to hear your feedback on the story in general and this chapter in particular.

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Next chapter is already being edited. I will post it in a couple of days.

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