War Dog

Chapter 94

1 month later

"Ghost, wait!" Soap called from behind  me. I pause and turn my head to find Soap trying to chase me down. "It's been five months, do you really think she'll wake up?" He sounds hopeful. He's been getting worse. He's started going back out on missions with Shane and Gaz. By all the reports he's been acting rash. Reckless. He doesn't want to continue living while Wolf is in her own private little slice of hell. Or heaven. I hoped she'd gone to paradise if she really wasn't coming back to us. Out of everyone I knew she deserved it most. I could only hope when I join her one day I get to share that little slice of wherever we went with her.

"I have to think she will, Johnny. The little Wolf can't die on me now. Her vitals are still stable."

He nods. "Are you still reading her those ebooks she had stored on her phone?"

I grimace, still not impressed he'd caught me reading them to her. Now everyone knew.

"Yes," I growl out irritated.

"I can't believe the Uilebheist has smut on her phone."

My heart freezes. It's been five months since he'd used her little pet name he'd given her. 

"Perhaps you're lacking in the bedroom, Johnny," I growl out in jest before he can notice my reaction. He rolls his eyes.

"Clearly you haven't been listening all that hard if you think that, L.T"

"Johnny, I think I'd rather not try and listen to what the pair of you get up too. In fact, when she recovers, I'm going to have a pair of soundproof headphones on hand just in case."

I continue walking towards the infirmary, my daily visit already overdue with Soap having delayed me. He continued to walk with me, a slight glint in his eyes I'd rarely seen recently. Clearly thinking of ways to mess with me. As much as I did not enjoy being at the butt of his pranks, I thanked the heavens for this one. Hopefully with the prospect Wolf might wake up and help him give me hell, he'd stop taking so many unnecessary risks out on missions. 

He takes up the seat on the other side of Wolfs bed next to the table that held a fresh bouquet of Lilies. Lilly had taken it upon herself to start bringing the flowers once a week with Ben. She spent a couple hours in here talking to Wolf before Soap or I took her home again. Sometimes she bought a laptop with her and watched a movie in here. 

I sit down in my usual spot and take my mask off. Soap doesn't even react any more. Not that he hadn't seen my face before. He'd seen it plenty of times, just never in public. I pull out Wolfs phone that I kept charged for the purposes of reading her books to her. It had started as a way to speak to her even when I had nothing to say and then it had become a scandalous comfort when I realised exactly what it was I was reading to her. I didn't think she'd appreciate the source material if she was conscious, and I know Johnny got a giggle out of some of the scenes. He'd started joining more often when I read to her, and I suspected he was comforted by the ritual too. 

On this particular day however, half way through a scene regarding an omega with a house full of Alphas, Ben charged into the room. He didn't even bat an eye, so used to the content of Ceri's books by now. 

He opened his mouth like a man on a mission that refused to be stopped. "Ghost, I am letting you know, I am leaving for a month. Possibly for longer."

"What?" Soap roared as he stood up before I even got the chance to react to the news. "You cannae leave her!" He continued speaking in Gaelic. I knew enough about him to know he was cursing at the doctor. I didn't blame him, he'd beaten me to the jump.

"You can not possibly be leaving now when Wolf is like this?" I ask, my deep growl threatening.

"I am. She is as stable as I can possibly make her. While I am gone I will be on permanent on call status for the doctors here."

"What could possibly be more important than Ceri? And what about Lilly? We cannae look after Lilly ourselves twenty-four seven," Soap managed to spit out. 

Ben held firm in the face of our anger. "I have news that there is someone who might be able to help us. Help Ceri better than I can. As for Lilly, I can take her with me. I guarantee it will be safe for her." 

"Where are ye going? Who could help Wolf better than you?" 

"You're not taking her to the facility," I growl. When Ben finally flinches I know I hit the mark on the head. 

"I have Dr. Coopers promise that Lilly will not be harmed while I am there. He simply wants to examine her. I swear to you on my life, I will allow no harm to come to her. The only way Dr. Cooper is getting to her is over my dead body."

"He might just kill you to achieve that."

"He won't."

"You're that sure?"

"He has someone he is willing to let go off just so we can try and bring Ceri back. I've been talking to him about it for months now. I trust what he says."

I look at the missing piece of my heart laying so still in the hospital bed, you'd have been forgiven for thinking she was dead. I look back at Ben and nod.

"I need her back, Doc. If you can do that by going back to Australia, then I won't stop you."

Soap looked at me, at first horrified. Understanding slowly crept into his eyes before he looked down at the woman he loved. "Go," he whispered hoarsely without looking away from her. "If there's a chance you can save her, then go." He does look away from her then. "But remember she will gut you alive if a hair on that girls head is harmed."

"Trust me, John. I know. But she'll be late to the party. Every single one of you will have your turn playing in my guts before she ever even wakes."

Johnny grins. "I think you're right about that, Doc. So a month?"

"Give or take. Gotta make sure they're the right fit for what we need." He looks at his watch, "But I gotta head off now if I want to pick up Lilly and make our flight. Call me if anything changes."

"Go, we'll look after things here," I respond absently already settling back in to continue reading the very descriptive chapter we'd been reading.