Chapter 60
-Farley-
I watched the interaction between Pax and Alder with a smile on my face. I thought that I was dreaming at first, but the fact I was still in my wolf form, and that my father was also there, told me otherwise.
It was heartwarming and it also made my heart drop. I didn't know that he was so good with kids, it made me think about the future with him. Yesterday, I was unsure about whether he, or I would have a future. I had been ready to fight to the death for him. That thought both terrified and excited me. I was sure I would do the same for my pack, but Pax hadn't been a member of my pack. I had gotten closer to him then I had anyone else, within only a few months.
"I can tell you're awake," my father said. I couldn't move to look at him, as he had decided to sit behind me. "It hurts to see you like this."
I didn't know what he was expecting me to do. I felt guilty, but there was no reason for me to feel that way. I could've avoided being hurt so badly, if I had sense in that moment. Though, there wasn't a point in looking back and thinking about what I could've done. If I hadn't done what I did, I might not have experienced that moment just now.
"I just want you to know, no matter what happens, we'll stick by you," my father continued. "I can tell that you love him. Only a lovesick fool would do something as stupid as run into a gun."
I whined lowly. I knew he was right, but I didn't appreciate him saying it so bluntly. They were the thoughts that had been plaguing my mind and stopping me from sleeping.
"We approve, so you don't have to worry about us." His seat creaked. I could imagine him leaning back, his hands on his stomach and his eyes closed. "Let's just hope that it's all over."
I didn't know how much sleep I managed to get that night. There wasn't a clock in the room I was inhabiting. There was only me in here, since it was extremely small. I was grateful for the window which let in the first rays of the day's sun. The walls of the room were a deep blue, and I was sat on what seemed to be a fold-up picnic table. There was a desk, the corner of which was trapped under this table, and a chair to the right. My father had decided to occupy that chair, deeming it comfier than the matching picnic chair which Pax soon took.
There was also a bed, which I had really wanted to point out to both my father and Pax. Though, I supposed that this was werewolf territory. It wasn't polite to go where you weren't invited to tread, or touch what you hadn't been given permission to touch.
"Good morning," the doctor told me as she entered. Her greeting wasn't pleasant, the grimace on her face when she saw me made me choke on air. "How are you feeling?"
I huffed a little and tilted my head. My leg was a mix between numb and painful.
Pax and Alder were still sleeping in the chair in front of me. Pax had snaked both of his arms around Alder and held him close. When I heard about Pax bleeding, and saw the blood which stained the bandages the night before, I wanted to jump off the table and yell at him to lie down, but I had neither the strength or heart to do that.
"I suppose I have some good news for you today then," the doctor said hesitantly. "We are going to work on getting you back into your human form today."
I sent her a strange look. Wolves weren't meant to change back to their human forms whilst severely injured. My eyes darted over to Pax as that thought entered my mind. He had been in his wolf form the last time I had seen him. Did I miss something?
"I know, but we think that this would be best for this situation." She gestured to my leg, which I hadn't looked at since it was bandaged. "We need to take the bandages off and examine the damage first."
A noise from the chair caught my attention. Alder was waking up, struggling to get out of Pax's grip. He hadn't spoken, and his hair was a bird's nest in every way but the literal sense.
I let out a small laugh. It distracted me from the pain which jolted through my body every time the doctor moved my leg. It wasn't quite painful, but it was very strange. It was like having pins and needles.
"Pacs," Alder hissed into Pax's ear. "Pacs, leggo." He continued to struggle.
It was obvious to me that Pax was now awake, but his eyes were shut, and he didn't move. His lip twitched in amusement, I could've sworn I saw his grip get tighter, but I could be wrong.
"Pacs," Alder whined and pushed against Pax's arms with his back. "Lemme out."
After a few more seconds of teasing, Pax gave up trying for a second. Alder fell backwards with a small squeak before being caught by Pax again.
"Good morning," Pax said before gently helping Alder off his knee.
"Mornin'," Alder said back before running out the door. "I'll be back!" he yelled behind him.
Pax smiled a little and rested awkwardly in his chair.
I tried to lean forward to tell him I was awake, but I couldn't reach him. I huffed a little, hoping that would make him realise that I'm awake.
"Good morning, Pax," my father said from behind me. His voice made me jolt and wince in pain. "Good morning, Farley." He moved around the table so that he was at eye-level with me. "What are you doing today, doctor?"
"For now, I'm just going to check if the wound is actually healing. I was consulting some of my colleagues last night, and we think he could switch back today."
Colleagues? What kind of a doctor is she? Surely werewolves didn't just have a private medical service. I realised then that I didn't really know a lot about werewolf society and how we all got together in the first place. We really should have a meeting after this, all of us.
"That's wonderful news," my father said with more excitement than I think I've ever heard from him. "I'm going to tell your mother; I'll be back soon." He swept down and placed a kiss on my forehead before hurriedly leaving the room.
"Good morning," Pax said quietly. He kept flinching whenever he breathed. He even spoke slower. He lifted a hand to rub his chest and then flinched. "I'd nearly forgotten about that."
I laughed. I didn't know how it would be possible to forget about being shot in the chest. I also didn't know how on earth he managed to sit up. Maybe last night was a cause of adrenaline and distraction, but he was going to regret it soon.
"Pax," the doctor said, grabbing his attention. "I want you to be lying down more. You're not doing anything good for your blood circulation and strength by sitting up."
Pax looked very confused, like he didn't know what exactly to do. After a while he sunk to the floor, sliding off the seat he had once been sitting in. He lay down with his hands clasped together on his chest. He looked dead with his eyes staring at nothing and his posture so stiff.
"Farley, I need you to try and move a little."
I didn't know what the doctor meant, but I tried to move onto my back instead of on my side. The complete right side of my body was numb from lying on it for who knows how many hours. It hurt, and my tail got caught pretty uncomfortably behind me. My front paws were up in the air, as well as my back left leg. My right leg wouldn't move, it was still spread out painfully, as though I had lost all control over it.
Seeing it made my eyes water and tears to pool down my face.
"It's alright, Farley. We need to see what it's like in your human form before making conclusions." The doctor moved to the other side of me, so that she wasn't trampling Pax as she worked. "I need you to relax. You've turned into your human form many times, but this one is going to be the most difficult."
I tried to frown. I remembered when I was younger, I used to get stuck in my wolf form for hours on end, not being able to turn back into my human form. I had learned how to control it by the time I joined school when I was five, but it still wasn't an easy thing to grasp control of.
I tried to shift back, giving a few minutes of relaxed concentration and effort, but it was useless. I was too nervous about turning back. I was afraid that I would never be able to walk again. I was scared I would lose my wolf forever and I would be kicked out of the pack. My family would be there to support me, but if I wasn't a wolf, I was useless.
"You're not relaxing," Pax said.
I turned my head, not being able to see him because of the table.
"You need to clear your head from the worry," he continued. "Think about the dates we are going to go on, the movies, the bowling place. Think about the blanket forts and the desserts which you stole from Iris."
I couldn't help but chuckle at his wording. The desire wasn't very obvious, but it was there. He wanted more times like that, and I had to admit that I did too.
I did as I was told and began to relax. I thought back to our first date night, seeing Pax highlighted in pink from the lights and the blankets. Lying with him on the floor as we watched movies and ate delicious foods. We laughed and talked all throughout the movie and we had to rewind it several times.
Then pain shot through me. I whimpered and my mind was brought back to the present. My eyes, which I didn't realise I had shut, opened with the sudden shock. It hurt so much, even more so than when I was actually shot. At least back then I was distracted by making sure Daphne was taken care of and Pax was safe.
"Ah, I see," the doctor muttered before she shifted my leg again. "It seems that something is irritating more of your nerves when you try to shift back. But it's impossible for me to see whilst you're in your wolf form."
My breathing came out in short huffs, wavering each and every time. I knew what I had to do. I closed my eyes again and continued thinking of the time in the woods where I took a photo of the stream. I thought back to the time in the park when Pax had run away, and the time where I showed him the gym for the first time.
The pain came again, but I was expecting it this time. My face scrunched up and I tried to hold my breath as I waited for it to stop. My arms made contact with the cold table, making me shudder. I was grateful for the blanket which went from my waist to my knees.
"Perfect," the doctor said. "Well done."
I almost didn't hear her as I moved my arms from the cold table. I was far too big for it now, but I didn't want to sit up and end up staring at my leg. I wasn't the best patient when it came to seeing my own injuries.
My hand was grasped firmly. I recognised the hand without even looking at who it was. It was Pax. His skin was soft and still had many scrapes and scratches which left their marks for the past few years. He could tell me where he got each of them, from where he fell over tree roots, to when he accidentally cut his hand with a knife.
"Well done," Pax whispered.
I turned my head and opened my eyes. He was still on the floor, but now he had his hand reached out and holding mine.
"Are you hurt?" I asked. I couldn't put any force behind my words. I hadn't really drunk too much the past few days, and my throat hurt from crying.
Pax tilted his head, as though to look at his shoulder. "A little." His voice sounded ashamed, as though it was his fault that he got hurt. As though he could've done something to stop it. "How are you feeling?"
I inhaled sharply. I didn't know how to answer that. How was I feeling? I was in pain, yes. I was grateful that we were here and safe. I felt love for him and my family. I felt hatred for Daphne and anyone who worked for her. I felt adoration towards the fighters and the scene I had experienced last night.
"I'm fine," I answered. "My leg's a bit busted though." My voice wobbles. It was the first time I had comprehended it. I might not be able to walk, at least that's what I overheard. I won't be able to run for a long time, if ever. I knew how serious the situation was, but I also knew that I was stubborn. I would try and try until I could walk again. I had already made the promise to myself that this wouldn't be the end of me.
"That's one way to put it," the doctor muttered. She hadn't really been helping my confidence the past day. She seemed far too pessimistic to be in this line of work. "But this is promising. Do you want to try to sit up?"
"Yeah," I answered. I squeezed Pax's hand before trying to lift the upper part of my body.
"Careful now." The doctor rested an arm under my shoulders, I assumed it was so that she could stop me from falling backwards and hitting my head, which was pounding. "I should've asked for someone to come in."
"I can get someone?" Pax offered. He started to sit up, a pained expression flashing across his face.
"If you sit up, I'm putting you on bedrest," the doctor threatened. "You two were the only ones shot. The others had broken bones which were easily set, or gashes which were stitched straight away."
"No need to make us feel guilty," I said with a huff. "We know, we're using a lot of your time." I did mean for it to sound bitter and snarky. We were the ones who had been shot, I was aware of how stupid my actions were, but that doesn't mean that she should remind us about how bad it is.
Pax lay back down, his hand still in mine. It was getting slightly uncomfortable because of the angle, but I wasn't letting go anytime soon. "So, everyone's okay?" he asked slowly. "Save for...those." His gulp was audible. The room became stiff. It was obvious what Pax meant, the people who had died fighting.
"Mostly everyone. I know some packs are planning to go home today. You know what it's like, werewolves not being the most comfortable in other's territories," the doctor explained.
I didn't quite know the feeling. I had only ever been in my own pack's territory for more than a few hours. I had heard that it was something to do with feeling anxious of doing something wrong. I believed that slightly, but I hadn't focused on that since being here.
"Yeah, that's understandable," I answered. "It's a shame though. I hope that they know how much they did to help." At the time, I felt like it was only natural to want to protect an innocent. I thought that it would be in everyone's best interest to go against Daphne, who seemed to be targeting packs one-by-one. Yet, I now felt like I had inconvenienced and used them. They had lost members of their pack and travelled miles for a single fight, for a single person. And I still ended up being the one to put a stop to her.
"I'm sure that they all understand how important it was. Besides, they were also undergoing illegal auctioning. That is more than enough reason for some of them to come and fight. I know that my alpha hates things like that."
I would've asked which pack she was from; had she not twisted my leg at an angle which caused me to grunt in pain.
"Sorry, I'm just trying to see how well your nerves are responding. It's tricky without the proper equipment." I still couldn't look at what she was doing. "I think I've gotten every intruder out."
I snorted a laugh. "Is that the medical term?" I asked with genuine interest. I had heard of something similar, but I didn't think they were called intruders.
"Yes," she answered simply. "I'm going to dress it properly now. It might hurt."
Today was going to be a long day.
Hello lovelies!!
I hope you're doing well and not stressing about the return of the school season :D
The question of the chapter is; who is your favourite superhero?
I have always loved Thor, whether it be because of the mythology geek in me, or the fact that i love his long hair...-yeah some scenes in Thor disappointed me significantly to do with his hair :')- But I also really like Hank from X-men!