Newly Edited
This is dedicated to Cutiepie16 cuz she made the cover. Thank you again!
“What the hell happened to my father?” I asked Wes as we drove to the hospital.
“We don’t really know. He was attacked in his house earlier today when you mom was at the restaurant. We are still trying to piece things back together but it looks like a shifter of some kind attacked him”. Wes filled me in.
“Yes it obviously had to be an animal but why? My dad was beloved by everyone, who would do this?” I asked Wes. “Unless then something changed while I was gone, did something happen?”
“No, nothing, your father is still liked by everyone. That’s why this doesn’t make sense to any of us, who could have done this?”
I sat back on my seat, taking a deep breath. I was beyond confused and angry and desperately hoping my dad was ok. Wes filled me in that he was in critical condition when the ambulance took on to the hospital and that my mom rode with them.
My mind was racing a mile a minute. Who did this? The animal in me was furious all it wanted to do was grab someone and ripe them to shreds. I have never been this angry before in my entire life.
“We are here”. Wes announced and I was out of the car before it came to a complete stop. I had long ago taken off my heels which is why I didn’t break my ankle, that and my agility, being a shifter and one that shifted into a lioness had its perks.
I took off in the emergency room direction. By passing everyone, people stopped and looked at me weirdly. My hair was disheveled and in a mess with some falling out of its bun and some still in it. My make-up was running. I didn’t have any shoes on and I was wearing an expensive looking skirt with a silk green shirt tucked in. something not many people from this town wore. Since it was a small town that was cozy and warm, people rarely dressed up, let alone wear something that looked expensive and sophisticated.
“James Watson, I’m looking for James Watson”. I told the nurse.
She looked at me sympathetically and said “He’s currently in surgery; you will have to wait along with his wife in the waiting area”. She said pointing down the hall.
I turned and ran towards the waiting area; my mom was there alone, sitting in a chair. She looked so lost and miserable. I ran toward her.
She looked up as I approached. Her eyes lit up telling me she was happy I was here. But then she broke down and clasped in my arms.
“Its ok mom, he’s going to be ok.” I mumbled sweet nothings to my mom. But she just kept sobbing harder.
“No, he can’t leave us, he just can’t”. She kept saying.
“Mom, mom. Listen to me, tell me what the doctor said, tell me what happened”.
“I came home from work to find him. I smelt blood at first, then I found him in the study, he wasn’t breathing, and… and there was so much blood everywhere and… I just lost it, I screamed his name but he wouldn’t wake up and oh GOD!! Gracie, it was bad”. She sobbed holding me tighter.
Tears sprang to my eyes. But then I felt a strong hand on my shoulder, it gave me comfort and I realized I had to be strong for my mom. She needed me right now, breaking down and also losing it wouldn’t be doing us any good.
“The doctor said he had lost lots of blood and that he was in critical condition and he was… he was”. She stopped another sob escaped. “That he was going to do everything he could”. Mom continued.
What she said made me freeze. Dad lost a lot of blood. Then I remembered something, dad had a rare blood type. He was O negative and not many people in the world had it. There were even less people in our small town that had it. In fact I don’t know anyone else except me in this town that had an O negative blood type.
As if on cue, the doctor emerged from behind the surgical doors, he looked tired and sad. My stomach dropped, please don’t tell us that daddy is dead, please I prayed as he neared us. It had only been half an hour since surgery, they couldn’t be already done unless then they lost the patient.
My mom’s sobs escalated and so did my breathing Wes grabbed my mom and hugged her to him as I took a step towards the doctor.
“Gracie, Mrs. Watson, James has lost too much blood and we trying everything we can but significant blood loss is effecting his healing process as well as our chance to try to fix him. We are having a difficult time helping him because don’t have an extra supply of type O negative blood around since it rare which is why I’m requesting that Gracie donates some blood”. The doctor said.
For an entire minute all I could do was stare. So my dad wasn’t dead? That wasn’t the reason the doctor got out of surgery so early?
Then I shook myself out of the daze and realized what he said. I nodded, “yes! Where can I go do this” I asked him.
“You can come with me”. He said.
I turned to my mom. “He’s going to be fine mom, dad is a fighter he’s going to fight this, I will be right back ok”. I told her. Then I looked up at Wes and I didn’t even have to tell him anything, he looked me deep in eyes and nodded once like he understood.
At that moment I was so thankful to have him as a friend. My mom nodded and grabbed me in a hug. Then I followed the doctor.
Two hours later after they checked me for an illnesses and everything of that sort and I gave three pints of blood I came back to the waiting room.
I felt a little dizzy and couldn’t see well but the nurse told me it was normal. Besides I wasn’t really worried, my thoughts were with my father.
After about six hours of surgery and waiting in the waiting room with my mom’s head on my lap as she laid on the sofa and my head resting on Wes’s shoulder the doctor came out. We all sprang up. Even my mom who I thought was sleeping.
“We have stopped the blood loss and replaced it with the blood Gracie donated, but we are still not out of the woods yet. James’s blood losses combined with his severe wounds are making it hard for him to recover enough to wake up and shift, which would really help him right now. That’s why I’m transferring him to another hospital, a bigger one that will have the equipment that is needed to help him recover enough to wake up and shift”. The doctor filled us in.
“Now before you ask, I have cleared it with a friend of mine that works in that hospital to especially take care of him, a shifter. James is going to receive the best care possible. But I do regret to inform you that only one family member can come along. Who that will be is up to you guys to decide. And I believe the faster we transfer him there the better, which is why I have arrange for him to go later tonight. Whoever is going should pack a bag and come back here to leave with him on the Med Jet”. The doctor finished.
“Thank you so much” my mom said to him with tears in her eyes.
“There is no need to thank me, James is a dear friend and he has done more for me than I can ever repay him back for”. The doctor told my mom as his pager beeped. “Excuse me”. He said before walking away.
I turned to my mom. “See, I told you dad was a fighter, I think you should go with him.” I said to her.
She shook her head. “No you would be better, I mean you are strong and I need to close the restaurant, and….” She stopped as she sobbed.
“Just because I’m not crying doesn’t mean I’m strong mom. You have to go with him; I will stay and take care of things here. Besides we can’t close the restaurant down, we are going to need the money, I’m not sure insurance is going to cover everything. I will call you everyday to ask how everything is going, he will want to see your face when he wakes up, and you are just as strong as I am mom you can do this”. I told her.
“Oh sweetie he will want to see your face too. Did I ever tell you are the best daughter anyone could ever have?” I smiled. My parents were the best, nicest people on the planet and that’s why I was more determined to stay and find out who did this and why? Who was putting my parents through this hell?
“Ok, I will go but I will call you every day to tell you what’s going on, I promise. Are you sure you can do this? I mean I know you can but the restaurant is busier these day and you have been gone for awhile now…” my mom said.
I didn’t take offense. I knew what she was talking about. I have been gone for awhile but my parents taught me everything about running a restaurant and I was more than determined to do this. “Its ok mom, it will fine, you just take care of yourself and dad I will handle everything down here”. I told her.
"Ok I believe in you sweetie”. My mom said to me, smiling for the first time since our lives got turned upside down.
“I will go home and pack you a bag, you stay here?” I asked my mom. I didn’t want her to see the inside of the house again.
“Yeah ok, if you’re sure”. I nodded
“I will take you”. Wes told me. I shook my head I didn’t want my mom to be alone but before I could say anything he said “Luke is coming, he will stay with her or you will go with him but I don’t want you to be alone”. His voice held a note of finality to it. It surprised me but my best friend always knew what I needed.
Just as I was about to agree, when Luke walked into the waiting room, he immediately walked towards me and enveloped me in a hug. I leaned into him. Thanking god for my two best friends, they were always my rock to lean on to. They knew about everything that ever happened in my life. I took comfort in Luke’s arms, his warmth, and his scent. He always smelled like soothing candles.
“I’m so sorry Gracie.” He whispered in my ear. He had to crouch down because I was shorter than him and I wasn’t wearing my heels.
“Thanks for being here Lukey”. I whispered back, calling him by his nickname that I haven’t used in a long time. With the mention of his nickname his arms tightened around me.
“Do you want to drive her home so she can pack a bag for Dana or should I. she doesn’t want her mom to be alone”. Wes told Luke. Luke’s arms dropped around my shoulder but he still held me to him with an arm around my waist.
"I will drive her". Luke said.
"Ok I’m going to stay here and take the statement from Dana before she has to go.” He said mentioning to my mom who went to the bathroom to wash her tear stricken face.
Wes nodded; then he pulled me from Luke’s embrace and hugged me. “It’s going to be ok, Gracie, we are here for you”. He whispered to my hair.
I nodded then followed Luke but not before sending a worries look over my shoulder at my Wes, worried for my parents.
As we made our way outside the hospital after I put my shoes back on, I made a mental note to call our insurance company and ask them some important questions. I needed to know if they were covering my dad’s hospital bills so that if he any issues were to come up I could chime in and pay for anything else.
I certainly had the money for it. After I graduated college with a major in law and a minor in business, just in case I wanted to take over and ran the restaurant business one day, I became a lawyer in one of largest law firms in the country. It was big and divided in multiple divisions and I worked in the shifter division. Working with and on shifter problems, our people had people like us everywhere. We had our own doctors, lawyers, politicians, everything that the human world had. Which is why we were able to coexist with humans as normal as possible.
All in all, I was paid a very satisfying amount monthly both due to my cases and the fact that I was partner in my firm.
Speaking of work, I would need to call them and tell them about my situation. I wasn’t really worried about that, Parker would understand and I was long overdue for a vacation anyway.
“Gracie, do you want to get something to eat first”. Luke asked.
I frowned in confusion, “what why?” I asked.
“Because you just donated blood and you haven't rested or eaten anything.” Luke told me in a disapproving tone.
I knew he was just looking out for me but this pissed me off. I had bigger problems to deal with than food at the moment. “Food is the last thing on my mind, and I’m fine”. I told him, my voice came out bitchier than I intended but it was true.
I felt bad instantly, I open my mouth to tell him sorry but he interrupted me, “It’s ok, I get it.”
Luke pulled in front of my house and turned the car off. I sat there silent, looking around but not really seeing anything. Now that the crowd and the policy were all gone it was deathly quiet. The house looked normal too from the outside that’s if you ignored the yellow police tape.
“We have to be real careful in there; there might still be evidence that was missed.” Luke informed me.
I nodded. Then I got out of the car and went toward the back door. It was easier to get to the bed rooms if you went this way. Something I realized whoever attacked my dad must have known because before Luke opened the door with his gloved hands, I noticed there wasn’t any forced entry. The lock looked just the same as ever. I kneeled down to look for the rock that had the key to the door in it, it used to be the 7th rock from the bottom among the rocks the lined the walkway.
But once I found it and looked inside, there wasn’t a key in there. There was however I scent. One I didn’t recognize. It smelt familiar but I could place it.
I handed it to Luke but he shook his head too.
“It smells familiar”. I told him.
His eyes widened. “You recognize the scent?” he asked. I nodded, “No, but it smells familiar, except I can’t place it”. I told him.
He nodded. Then he pulled out a bag and placed the rock in before he sealed it shut. “I will take it in to forensics and see what they can find”. He told me, I nodded then we headed inside.
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I watched as my mom boarded the helicopter with my dad and the medical team. It brought tears to my eyes but both Luke and Wes’s arms around me gave be strength.
I stifled a yawn as we turned around and made our way from the hospitals roof. It was now almost seven hours since I found out what happened and flew down here.
“Come on let’s go home and get some sleep”. Wes said.
I nodded and borrowed deeper into Wes’s shoulder, it has been a long day, I just wanted to close my eyes for a second.
I felt myself get picked up bridal style by one of the guys, I didn’t know which. I wanted to protest but I couldn’t. My head was hurting, my eyes were drowsy, I felt dizzy and light headed and for once I wanted someone to take care of me. Just this once, just until tomorrow.
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