My Wolves Can't Help Me Now

Chapter Three

North's perspective

Luke's shallow breathing is all that is keeping me tied to this chair. The Academy hospital is like any other hospital, white, sterile, and smelling strongly of cleaning supplies. Luke rests in the bed sound asleep with tubes and wires surrounding him. The gunshot wound wasn't too bad as it went clean through his shoulder, but he lost a lot of blood on the way to the hospital and ended up needing a blood transfusion. The machines beep at a constant pace showing that his heart is beating. I keep my hand around his wrist to feel his pulse. He could have died, bled out before the doctors could have gotten to him. He is here and he won't go away. He is bound to be asking  for chocolate as soon as he wakes up, but I just can't seem to care. Hell, I might even give him some.

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" Luke's pulse is thrumming, his chest heaving as he breaks into a sweat, but that is not what troubles me most. No, it is the way he screams his lungs out pleading for something I cannot give him that rocks me to my core.

"No! No! No! Come back! Come back! Don't go!" I keep my hands on his wrists to keep him from yanking out anymore wires as the blood already starts to swell on his arm.

"Luke! Wake up!" I give him a shake, mindful of his shoulder. Gabe, who had been sitting on the other side of Luke, holds his legs down to stop his movements all the while trying to keep his own breathing at a calm pace. Now is not the time for a panic attack. Doctor Green comes rushing into the room syringe in hand and sticks the needle into the IV. The sedative works fast through Luke's bloodstream as he settles down quickly. Doc checks his vitals and looks the machines over before turning to Gabe and I. 

"Report," he said. I glance to Gabe to see his unsettled state and take the lead.

"Luke started to break out into a sweat, his chest heaving as he thrashed around shouting for someone, who, I do not know," I said. I plop myself right down on the wooden chair at Luke's bedside once more and resume my position. I leave Doc to Gabe to calm him down as I can't bring myself to tear my eyes away from Luke. Hours come and go as my eyes start to close ever so slowly jerking myself awake before I fall asleep. A Greek giant enters the room. Silas. My brothers have been visiting for a while staying down in the cafeteria to keep the room from overcrowding. 

"Go home, take a shower and come back," Silas said, hand on my shoulder. I go to answer, but Luke does that for me.

"He's not going anywhere before he gets me some pizza," he croaks out. I take the glass from the table and hand it over to him reminding him to take small sips and not whatever he was about to do. I got off the chair, looked at Luke one last time, then went over to the cafeteria to get him some pizza. A veggie pizza, but pizza all the same. Walking through the doors my brothers are all settled at a table in the middle of the room. I jog over.

"He's awake," is all I say before they rush past me, all but Mr. B that is. He just strides out of the room. The cafeteria lady was nice, but chatty. With the hospital pizza in hand I make my way back to Luke. He can barely be seen when I enter the room, pushing my brothers away I set Luke's pizza down. Someone gave him paper because he is drawing. I thought that was Gabe's thing. Luke doesn't stop or falter for a second, intent on finishing what he started. The room is silent except for the scratch of the pencil, not one of my thirteen brothers makes a sound. This is concerning. I look down to see what he draws and only a shadowy figure can be seen hiding in the trees as a wolf snarls after its retreating form. It's raining in Luke's drawing and the shadow and wolf are drenched to the bone. Luke puts the finishing touches on one of the trees then grabs the colored pencils. The red pencil appears in his palm coloring the shadow figure and the wolf.

Luke is known for his daydreaming, but nothing like this. All he dreams about is rainbows and cupcakes. I noticed he has been off since yesterday morning, but I just brushed it off as nerves before his mission. I was wrong.

"What is that, Luke?" Marc asks as his mismatched blue and green eyes stare hard at the paper. Luke stills before craning his neck to the side to look at Marc. He doesn't say anything for a few minutes making everyone antsy. Then, he finally breaks the silence.

"I don't know," is all that he whispers. Turning back he continues to color in the picture with brown, red, green, and pink. A pink jacket hangs high in the trees. Luke colors in silence and my brothers find spots to sit checking schedules on their phones and keeping themselves entertained. Only Sean and Mr. B hold a quiet conversation. I'm looking through Nathan and Corey's report of the mission when Luke stands up pulling his IV along and tapes his drawing to the wall mumbling something about needing more room. Dr. Sean Green keeps his hand on Luke's elbow to help him back to bed. Luke stumbles before slumping into the bed and falling asleep having never touched his pizza. Everyone shares a look and Mr. B calls out for a team meeting.