Rejection

Chapter 17 - Given up

--- Kyle's POV---

Pain.

It was steady and thick, pulsing, pumping in time with my heart. It settled in my hands and wrists, both motionless and oddly numb, yet I could still feel the pain. I tried to move my body, feeling heavy, as if pinned down underneath a thick, hot blanket that threatened to smother me.

All I managed was a weak whimper that croaked past my dry lips, throat burning as air rasped through my lungs in painful pants. A chair scraped back, alerting me of another person in the room before heavy steps thumped my way.

I struggled to wake fully, to catch a decent breath, stilling as my head was cradled and moved back, stretching my neck so I could breathe easier.

Another whimper escaped as sensation returned in my hands, causing them to shiver uncontrollably. A beep sounded above my head along with a deep sigh before warmth seeped through my veins and blissful numbness spread through my body like wildfire.

My ears picked up a mechanical buzzing as I moved slightly, feeling a pinch of pain coming from where an IV was connected to my arm, another one attacked to the veins in my neck. I swallowed weakly, too numbed to do anything else as the medication that rushed through my system doused the sharp spikes of upcoming pain.

"How is he?"

Eyelids fluttering, I swallowed again in reaction to the voice, a soft sigh coming from my right. "He's waking up. They spent fifteen hours on his hands and another five on his wrist. Doctors had to quit because he was losing too much blood."

Drake.

A door closed softly, followed by footsteps that tapped over tiles, coming to a stop next to the bed I was on. I was barely aware of my surroundings, could feel the tubes down my throat, could feel my lungs struggling to follow the oxygen that was pumped into my body.

The room was quiet for a while, save for the steady motions of the mechanical ventilator as it pumped air into my lungs in a steady pattern. A finger trailed over the inside of my elbow, making me twitch slightly.

"Is he okay?" The other voice asked softly, oddly familiar. Drake chuckled, placing his hand fully on my arm before I felt his breath near my cheek.

"Kyle, I know you can hear me. I don't want you to worry about anything now, just give your body and wolf time to recover. You have a pain pump attached to your neck, so stop resisting the medication and relax."

Another whimper slurred past my lips and I hated it. Hated how weak I've become. Just a small show of affection, a helping hand and I acted like a pup desperate for attention. Drake squeezed my arm slightly, my head too woozy to try and fight his silent command or the drugs that were quick to drag me under.

I woke several times, well, if you called it waking. It was a struggle to become aware of my surroundings, only to have pain flood my shaking hands until the pump beeped, releasing drugs that knocked me out.

When I finally, truly woke up, it was to soft voices and movement in the room. My eyes were heavy but this time they opened after a slight struggle, blinking up at the surprised nurses as they just finished wrapping up my hands.

"That was quick. Good afternoon Kyle, are you fully awake this time?" The blonde on the left asked while her colleague calmly walked to the door, calling for one of the doctors. I blinked tiredly, croaking and realizing that I was breathing on my own.

A warm smile was sent my way as she turned to speak softly to the doctor as the man looked on with a distant look in his eyes before blinking. Within a few minutes, doors opened and footsteps announced the approach of Drake, who smiled as soon as he saw me blinking back at him.