The Brothers and I

Chapter 25

Curled up on the floor of the shower, the pain finally flowed out. I cried to the heavens, my body convulsing with loud sobs as the water gently cascaded down my coiled form. There was only one other time when I had turned to a higher power for guidance and help and that had been a long time ago. A time when I was still a little girl trying to survive a world bent on stripping away my innocence. And right now, I felt like that same girl who I had left behind.

Lost, confused and helpless.

I stayed there until my tears had run out and my body had turned numb, both from the pain and the prolonged exposure to water. Unwrapping myself, I leaned my back against the wall and tried to stand up, my legs cramped and wobbly, I balanced my weight against the cold tiles while I turned off the shower and dried off. And all the while, I refused to look in the mirror that stood over the sink for the fear that I might catch sight of the utter defeat etched in the deepest pits of my eyes.

Holding the towel around me, I stepped back into the room as the bed and the monitors came into view. The tubes that I had ripped off right after Liam had left lay on the bed along with the white gown that I had been dressed in. I felt an irritated sigh bubble to the surface at the thought of getting back into that flimsy gown again but a movement in my peripheral vision had me jumping in fright and whirling around to the corner of the room that held the table.

My heart hammered nervously as my eyes landed on an older woman writing something on a pad before glancing up and offering me a kind smile. "I knew I should have waited outside. I'm sorry for startling you my dear. But I'm Joanne- Jo for short and I'm the assistant head healer for the pack. I just need to ask you a few simple questions and make sure everything is as it should be. Is that ok sweetheart?"

Her tone was formal but held a jovial, almost motherly undertone to it. And even though her expression was kind and her stance held no threat, I remembered Liam's warning about not talking to anyone. So, I decided to take the cautious approach.

"What kind of questions?"

"Oh. Just about how you feel. Any aches and pains? Pulled muscles, dodgy bones and so on. But mind you, I have never treated a human before so this is both exciting and nerve wracking." She let out a giggle that sounded scarily similar to that of an excited school girl going on her first date and I had no idea if I should laugh or be extremely worried.

"Err. Sure. Fine."

"Fantastic! Ok. So, let's start with – Are you feeling nauseous, dizzy or feverish?

"Uh. No"

The question-answer session went on for another fifteen minutes. Some seemed pretty standard like allergies and medications but some, like the one where she enquired about the last time when I had experienced the human equivalent of "heat" had me squirming uncomfortably.

"Alrighty. All seems good. Do you have any questions?"

I snorted. Of course I bloody had questions! Just not the kind she was expecting. "Are you a wolf too?"

A high-pitched shrill of a laughter left her body as she clutched her pad in one hand while she tried to muffle her mouth with the other. "Oh my! You are a funny one! And such a pretty one too! Everyone here is a wolf dear. Well, everyone except you of course."

I had no clue why she found my question funny but I carried on with my line of questioning, ignoring her overly enthusiastic and strangely giddy attitude.

"And do you know why I'm here?"

Her laughter ceased as she eyed me up and down as if seeing me for the first time. "No dear. I was asked to check on you. And when someone from a higher rank gives an order, we simply obey. It is not our place to question them no matter how strange or odd it maybe." Another around of nervous laughter left the woman as she glanced towards the door and held still.