Chris
"Hang on baby," I whisper, stroking her thick, red fur. My chest is painfully tight, making it hard to breathe as I stare unblinking at my wounded mate. Thick, brown blood oozes from under the cloth Mack holds against her abdomen.
Time slows as I focus on her, straining to see her chest barely rise and fall with each shallow breath.
'She's strong,' Cyrus whispers in the back of my mind, but the uncertainty in his voice does nothing to bolster my faith... he's worried.
The truck Derek and I ride in pulls up to the palace's infirmary, where a full complement of medical staff wait for their patient. I have to force myself to let go to allow them to get to work but every fibre of my being screams to hold her.
Jess stirs as they carefully shift her from the truck bed to a gurney, whimpering and earning a warning growl from me. Doc pushes his way in and takes over, checking her vitals and issuing orders as they move her inside.
"Have faith brother," Derek says, laying a reassuring hand on my shoulder as nurses bar our way to the trauma bay.
"She's everything..." I trail off, unable to finish.
"Mack and Mira should be at the archives by now, digging into anything they can find... She's in the best hands now," he reassures me.
Despair grips me as I watch from the sidelines as Doc's trauma team works on her. Everyone moves like a well-choreographed dance, completing their task as quickly as possible and moving to let the next in.
Monitors are strapped to her stomach and tubes strung up while Doc works feverishly to clean her wound and staunch the bleeding. Even with half his face covered in a surgical mask, the look in his eyes warns the situation is dire.
He confers with the royal pack's senior physician and grimaces before stepping away from her. We watch as the man visibly steels himself and makes his way over.
"How bad is it?" I practically snap, feeling my heart hammering in my throat.
He takes a deep breath and shakes his head, making my stomach drop. "It's not good."
"Fuck," Derek hisses beside me as he tightens his grip on my shoulder.
"The good news, if it can be called that, is that her wound is in the best place possible. It missed all vital organs and the pups..."
"But," Derek prompts and a sense of dread explodes in me.
"But... That thing," he says with disdain. "It left something behind that appears to be destroying her red blood cells and lord knows what else."
My blood runs cold as I listen to him. Ignoring his words, the look on his face alone is telling. The outlook isn't good...
"I've sent samples to the lab on rush-"
"There has to be something you can do?!" Derek growls, leaning forward. My legs start to shake and sounds fade, making it harder to concentrate.
"This is uncharted territory," Doc warns.
"Please," I whisper, locking my gaze on his.
"So far it presents like a bloodborne pathogen, there are medications we can try..." he hesitantly replies. There's a guarded look in his eyes that makes my stomach twist.
"That sounds like a hell of a 'but' there, Doc," Derek replies, clearly having picked up on the same thing I did.
"There is," he admits with a sigh. "It's not recommended for expecting mothers..."
"What does that mean?!" I growl, my skin ripples as Cyrus makes his frustration known.
"It means it will likely harm the babies," Chloe answers, joining us from the side. "So far they are stable, but there are no guarantees..."
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" I snarl, glaring at them. "You expect me to choose between my mate and pups-"
"Brother," Derek cuts in, tightening his grip on my shoulder and pulling me back slightly.
"You support this?!" I gasp, throwing his hand off and taking a step back.
Derek has always been there for us, I can't believe he would suggest I go along with this.
"No, fuck no! Goddess above, this is so fucked," Derek curses, shaking his head. "It's a shitty situation, but if this can save her life..."
"If she doesn't have the drug?" I ask, praying for another option.
"The infection will spread..."Doc grimly replies. "I'm waiting on lab reports and hoping it's confined to her bloodstream still."
I feel my temper fade and drop down into a nearby chair, burying my head in my hands.
No matter what we do, there's never any peace for us... Haven't we paid enough?
"It's a terrible choice, but it's yours to make," Doc says, his voice quiet. "I'm sorry I don't have better options for you, but when it comes to dark magic, there's just so much we don't know."
My heart is heavy as I weigh the options.
Just this morning we were laughing and shopping for our growing family and now I have to choose who to save...
"Jess," I whisper, anguish squeezing my chest. Cyrus whimpers in the background but his choice is the same, our mate.
"Understood," Doc solemnly replies, turning to confer with a newly arrived tech.
"There was no other choice brother," Derek says, trying to console me.
"I'll be sure to tell that to Jess when she wakes up and finds out what I did," I spit bitterly, standing up and feeling my anger flare once more.
Several of the waiting medical staff stare at me wide-eyed only, adding to my anger but something is off... Doc hasn't moved, he stands with a troubled expression as she flips through the pages.
"What are you waiting for?!" I snap. Cyrus paces in the back of my mind, looking for an outlet for his frustration.
"T-the lab reports are back," Doc stutters. "Some levels are elevated, others lowered..."
"Meaning it's already spread," Chloe adds, sagging against a nearby counter.
"Okay," I breathe out. "Okay, so what's the next step?" I ask, pinning him in place.
Doc skims the papers, opening and closing his mouth as if to say something but nothing comes out. His lack of action or answer only fires me back up, making my skin ripple as I struggle to maintain control.
"What. Is. The. Next. Step." I grit out, struggling to rein in my temper.
"That was our only step," he whispers.
"Find another fucking way!" I roar, scanning the room.
"I-I, there isn't," he sputters, backing away. "Medically speaking, there's nothing more I can do other than keep her comfortable and try and buy time. Pray that Mira and the rest find something... anything to help-"
I snarl and begin to pace, not willing to accept his prognosis.
We have been through far too much to have it end like this...
Chloe lays her small hand on my arm and stops me dead in my tracks. "There is something you could do."
"What?! Anything!" I practically beg.
"Be with her... Jess needs to fight and she needs her mate. If anyone can beat the odds, it's her," Chloe offers, guiding us towards the triage ward.
"That will certainly help her spirit," Doc murmurs in agreement. "I'll work on setting up blood donors, perhaps if we keep her on transfusions it can help buy some time-"
The doors slam open and Willow storms in, her regularly pale complexion is tear-streaked, puffy, and red.
"Where is she!" she yells between sobs. "Where?!"
"Baby girl," Kane calls, running in after her. "Now isn't the time to-"
"Wait?!" She snaps, cutting him off. The timid mouse of a Luna is on the verge of hysterics as she glares at her mate. "I can help!"
"'Lo," he sighs out, gathering the reluctant woman in his arms. "You've already done so much today..."
Willow looks up at the hulking Alpha, her blue doe eyes full of tears and bottom lip quivering. "But I have to try... please..." she trails off.
I stop breathing, straining to hear his answer. I know Kane's right, she no doubt used a lot of energy bringing that piece of shit back, but I want so desperately for her to try.
"Please," she whimpers once more.
"Fuck," he hisses, reluctantly opening his arms. "But when I say enough... That's it!"
Willow is unfazed by his words, if they even registered. The first moment she can, she bolts to the gurney.
The infirmary falls eerily quiet as everyone waits on bated breath for a miracle. Willow's choked sobs are the only sound along with the beeping of the monitors as she slows before Jess.
Her trembling fingertips barely brush Jess' fur as she slowly glides from her neck down over her chest before pausing over the wound and grimacing. Eventually, she hovers over the swell in Jess' lower abdomen before hovering at the minor wound on her flank.
"What a mess," she mumbles to herself. "But you're still fighting... and your pups are so strong."
Overhearing her whispered words to Jess breaks the last of my resolve. I wipe away unshed tears before they fall, struggling to put myself back together so I can help.
Willow stations herself at the top half of the gurney before laying both hands on Jess' chest. She closes her eyes and a sort of calm falls over her as she knits her brows. Willow rocks slightly as she works and before long I make out the quiet melody she hums.
Chloe tugs on my arm and urges me to the opposite side of the bed. Even in the harsh lighting, Ember's fur practically glows. I look at Willow for a moment and she nods as if she can read my mind.
Focusing on Jess, I brush my knuckles along the sleek fur of her jawline before laying my open palm on her plush neck.
"Stay with me baby," I whisper, pulling up a chair and starting my vigil.
I only shift to the side when Doc comes over with the first bag of blood for transfusion. The bright crimson liquid is in stark contrast to the dark brown blood seeping from the bandages.
"Here," Derek offers, holding out his hand to Willow. She looks up briefly and shakes her head.
"'Lo," Kane warns. "You're pushing yourself too far."
She huffs but reluctantly takes Derek's hand. Derek tilts his head to the side to hide his grimace and Willow doesn't even bother to look up, instead refocuses her attention on Jess.
"Just a little longer," Kane adds, pursing his lips. "You need to rest too."
Looking at Jess, whatever Willow is doing is working. Her breathing is no longer so shallow and laboured and she appears more relaxed.
Kane shuffles over and lays his hands on Willow's slender shoulders. "That's enough 'Lo," he whispers.
"Just a little more," she mumbles, her eyelids hooded from exhaustion.
"Willow," he says more sternly. "Baby girl, you need to stop."
"But I couldn't fix it," she whimpers, turning her teary gaze to him.
"You've already helped her so much," I assure her. "He's right, you need to keep your strength up or you won't be any good to her."
Willow's shoulders slump but she nods and pulls back her hands. As she goes to leave, she pauses and fidgets with her bracelet before taking it off. She gently lays it over Jess' free wrist and whispers, 'For luck... I'll be back soon.'
Kane guides his reluctant mate away and, shortly after, Doc is back with a new transfusion. He changes her bandages and the medical team carefully shifts her to a fresh bed before wheeling her into a private room.
"Whatever the Crescent Falls Luna did it did wonders to stabilize her... for now at least..." Doc sighs and rubs his forehead. "We can only hope she can keep it up until we find the answer."
I nod, ticking my jaw. "Thanks Doc, I know you and your team are doing everything you can."
"Whatever it takes," he assures me before leaving us alone.
With everyone gone, the room looks strangely large and empty with just the bed in the middle and a couple of chairs along one wall. I drag over one and take a seat near the head of the bed.
Soft knocking on the door draws my attention. Jude stands in the doorway, looking extra pale as he looks at me for permission to enter.
"I should have known you'd be first in line," I mumble, nodding at his bandaged arm.
"I'd have given more but Doc and Chloe seem to think I need to keep some," he replies with a forced chuckle. He's putting on a strong face for my benefit but his blue eyes swim with worry.
Jude shuffles up in a chair next to me, his gaze locked on Jess and sighs.
"We've been here too many times hmm," I say, watching her chest rise and fall as the steady beeping chorus carries on in the background. She's hooked up to fluids, the transfusion lines, and monitors for both her vitals and the babies'.
"Not gonna lie, I look forward to the time we're sitting here gawking at babies instead of bandages," Jude says as he runs his fingers through his dirty blonde hair. "This is Jess though... Queen of trouble and tough as nails. Don't count her out yet."
"Never," I whisper, turning my attention back to her. "I'll be waiting right here when she wakes up."