Lone Werewolf

Mate

"I found solace in the strangest place
Way in the back of my mind"

The buzzing in my ears wouldn't quit. I frowned, disturbed from my sleep. I turned my head towards the noise but  a white light blinded me behind my eyelids.

Disorientated, I blinked, but it hurt. My headache lessened when I closed them again.

Groggy and confused, I ran a hand down my face blindly, frowning as my hand met a plastic tube under my nose. I fiddled with it, eyes still closed – too afraid to see where I was. Or what it was.

A hand came from nowhere and tugged my own away. Startled, I slapped it away harshly. The fog clouding my mind cleared instantly and I shot away, eyes opening to a blur as I ripped away the offending plastic. Avoiding the reaching hands I scrambled to the other side of the room, sinking to the floor with my hands above my head protectively.

I should not have hit them. They would hit me worse. What have I done?

I didn't take note of where I was, too afraid to look up. The floor felt clinically clean and smooth, I could see the bright light shining off it. I couldn't move, even though my hands were hurting in this tense position and my body was shaking. My neck strained and screamed for me to look up.

Everything ached but I didn't dare move.

"Dad...." I heard someone say, a girl, voice unsure.

"I'll get the doctor, stay here." He replied, it was surely a man, and one I recognised although my memories were jumbled in my mind. Their scents weren't familiar. In fact this whole room smelt foreign, I panicked more. Why am I here?

Soft footsteps treaded lightly toward me and I whimpered, clutching my head tightly, almost ripping out my hair.

Please don't hurt me.

"Hey," she said, voice soft, but she was too close. She reached out a hand to pry my own from my hair but I reacted violently, flinching away to smack against the wall. I clutched my legs tighter to my chest. My breaths were picking up as she hovered, preparing for punishment for my actions.

I ran away. Oh god. I ran away.

I felt sick.

They were going to kill me.

But I ran.

Into new territory.

They'd take me back, or punish me themselves. I gasped for air like I was drowning, I remember the feeling well. There was a lake, nearby the pack, they threw me in. Panic surged forward even further in recollection, reliving my panic, my pain.

"Hazel, I'm going to need you to step away, she's having a panic attack and she needs space." A woman asked, her voice calm and collected. I couldn't look up, my neck was stiff with tension.

The girl stepped away, her feet shuffling against the floor, the sound only alarmed me further.

"Thank you," the calm voice said, "Okay. Do we have a name?"

"No." A male voice replied. I took note of their feet through a gap between my knees and arms. There were three people here. And metal legs, lining the walls, I assumed they were beds but I didn't try to seek confirmation.

"Alright," the lady said, "I'm a doctor, and I'm here to help you." This part seemed to be addressed to me. Why?

"You're going to need to calm down and take deep breaths."

I tried, I really did, but I couldn't calm. It made me panic more, my head spinning dizzily. I've had panic attacks before and they always ended the same way, with me passed out. The pack never minded it.