Secrets From My Mate

Chapter Six

Aftermath

I unsealed my eyes to see off-white vinyl ceiling tiles. Dang. I passed out. Good going, Nikita. You excel at life. I turned my head to the right and saw thin little tubes sticking out of my arm. One was pumping something clear and the other a dark red substance, most likely blood. Turned my head to the other side to see a blood pressure cuff embracing my arm and Derek looking at me worriedly. Colt stood behind him a look of anger and protectiveness on his face.

"She's awake," Colt called out.

"Ow," I muttered hoarsely as I attempted to sit up and was greeted with sharp pain in my abdomen.

"You shouldn't try to get up yet," Derek said, misery and guilt clear in his voice. His hands hovered out as if he were going to push my shoulders down but he was too afraid to touch me.

"Where did you get the clothes?" I blurted out. My understanding was that when a wolf shifted their clothes were torn to shreds. Derek was wearing gray sweatpants and a matching hoodie.

"That's your question?" he asked, throw off by it. I nodded. "They keep spare clothes in here in case someone shifts in school."

"Neat," I commented, totally planning to raid it. I like hoodies.

A middle-aged man with graying brown hair and dark blue scrubs came up to the bed I was on. "How are you feeling?"

"Groggy," I answered. "How long have I been out?"

"About an hour," Colt answered.

"You were somewhat awake when you came in but I put you under to stitch up your wounds," Nurse guy added. "It'll wear off pretty soon, I couldn't give you a lot without approval from a guardian."

"They stuck a breathing tube down your throat," Colt informed me.

I winced. That's why my throat was sore. "Stitches?" I asked.

Nurse guy nodded. "Nine in total. The cuts on your legs weren't too bad so I only had to bandage them. You have four cuts going down your midsection that needed to be stitched together. They will come out on their own in a couple weeks. You'll need to keep them bandaged for about a week and a half, longer if you open the wounds so try to avoid strenuous activity. I can prescribe you something for the pain‒"

"No thank you," I said quickly. "No medications please." The Gift reacts badly with medications, I took some aspirin when I got my first period and had bad cramps. I spent the next thirty minutes in sweats until I threw up the pills. I refused to take any drugs since then and had to teach myself how to make herbal concoctions as a substitute.

Nurse guy looked slightly surprised by my response but simply nodded and jotted something down on his clipboard. "Well I'll give a prescription to your guardian in case you change your mind."

I felt myself pale. I looked at Colt. "Gran's here?"

"She's on her way. The school called her about twenty minutes ago so she'll be here soon." Judging by the look on Colt's face he shared my fear at the thought of Gran's arrival. She is going to kill us. Literally kill us. The sad part is I just bought a book on plants that I was really looking forward to reading.

"Where's Lane?" I asked, suddenly realizing that he wasn't here.

"Your other brother had to be removed from the room," Nurse guy told me.

"He tried to attack the piece of trash over there," Colt explained, jabbing his thumb in Derek's direction. "Giving the circumstances, security let him off with a warning but he's stuck waiting outside."