Healing Milton

one

Alpha Henry sits quietly at his desk, allowing the pair of wolves in front of him to read over the file at their own pace. It isn't an easy read. He'd struggled over it for the last couple of days, his heart aching and his mind reeling at the facts typed out inside that manila folder.

It was why this meeting was happening now, in private and away from prying eyes. Aldric and Cal were the only two wolves Henry thought would be able to make heads or tails of this situation.

Cal gasps, eyes flickering over the lines of text again, his fingers picking up the pages to glance over the photos.

Aldric wipes a hand over his face, taking the file away from his partner and closing it. Keeping the sensitive photos away from Cal's eyes.

"This is-this is real?" Cal pleads to the Alpha, hoping the information inside is some sort of joke.

But unfortunately, it isn't.

Henry sighs, shifting other files around on his desk to keep his hands busy. "Yes. We wouldn't normally even have a hand in this, but because of how delicate the situation is, I volunteered our pack to help."

Aldric leans over to place the file back on the table, his broad frame making the small blue armchair look tiny on comparison.

"Why us?"

Why them indeed. The two had had a difficult year.

Only now were they really beginning to get things back on track, their relationship growing stronger, but even Henry could still see the strain between the two.

See how they kept themselves away from the rest of the pack.

Maybe this would help reconnect the two to themselves and to their family.

After all, a wolf cannot live without its pack.

"Why not?"

Aldric's eyes turn to slits, assessing his Alpha for some sort of answer without actually growling out a demand or challenge. He wasn't stupid, but he thought it would be best to go along with his Alpha's decisions. He didn't want to cause a fight. Not when Cal was here.

"When-when do we get to-to..." Cal trails of, wringing his hands in his lap.

Aldric was nervous. He could sense Cal's excitement, amongst the empathy rolling off of him in waves.

His mate wanted this badly, but Aldric was worried Cal didn't know what he was getting himself into.

This wasn't going to be easy. A lot of time, energy and patience would be needed.

Honestly, he wasn't so sure the two of them would be up to the job.

Henry stands from his desk, pushing back the chair with a soft smile on his face. "Actually, you can come and see him now. He's already been transferred to the local clinic. We were hoping we could bring him back to the pack as soon as possible."

The two wolves in front of him freeze in shock, Cal grabbing onto Aldric's arm.

"N-now?" He stutters.

Henry moves to the door, opening it and gesturing for the two to follow him out. "Yes, now. No time like the present."

The three head down from the office and out to the underground parking lot where Alpha Henry himself drives them to the local hospital not too far away from the pack.

Cal stares out the window, his dark eyes focused on the passing buildings, his growing hair tucked behind an ear. He was scared, nervous, ecstatic, but also sad. So sad for the tragedy that had happened; tragedy that would now become his blessing.

Turning to look over at Aldric, he reaches out to grab his hand, squeezing gently. The crease between his partner's brow lessens as he squeezes back.

Al was a rather large man. Built for farm work, the Alpha's wife used to say.

He was tall, dark hair ruffled on top of his head and a crooked Greek nose fit perfectly to his face.

He wasn't what most people would call traditionally handsome, but Cal thought he was beautiful in his own way.

He had a strong personality to match his frame, but a heart as sweet as honey.

"Cal," Aldric murmurs quietly. "I know you're excited but, are you sure you're okay with this? After everything?"

Cal smiles, his eyes sad. "No, if I'm honest, but who are we to turn away someone in need? This is our- our opportunity to do something good. I want to do this. Both of us."

Aldric nods, accepting the answer. If this is what Callum wants, then that's what they'll do.

~~~

Together, hands clasped in each other's, Cal and Aldric stand behind their Alpha as he pauses at the door, looking over his shoulder at them one last time. Al nods, and Henry pushes the door open.

Cal sucks in a breath of air, hands clutching hard at Aldric's arm as they walk into the hospital room and up to a bed. Guard rails keep the occupant from rolling over the sides, not that that would really be a problem from how still and small they look.

Curled in the middle of the bed, dressed in soft white clothes and a blanket, lies what looks to be a young boy, his body swallowed by his clothes. His face is sunken in, eyes bruised and hair shaggy. His arm is hooked up to an IV, the bag dripping fluids into his arm at a slow pace.

Cal steps closer, a whine in his throat as he looks at the sleeping child.

The very same child pictured in the file.

Even though he's clothed, Callum knew there were bruises underneath.

Scars would decorate that pale skin and wounds still fresh would be cut into his skin.

Underneath the smell of antiseptic and clean bandages, both wolves could still smell the lingering copper scent of blood.

To the side, a doctor clears her throat, stepping forward to quietly introduce herself to the couple.

"I take it you two must be the Wrights. Thank you for deciding to give him a home with you."

Aldric shakes her hand. "It's our pleasure. How is he?"

She pushes her glasses up, her long red hair tucked into a ponytail. "Why don't you have a seat in my office? It's best we let him sleep for now. He needs as much sleep as possible. His body has been through a lot."

"Cal," Aldric calls, gesturing for his partner to follow the doctor.

"I'll leave you to discuss. You'll have a car waiting for you." Henry pats them both on the shoulder before taking his leave.

"Sit, sit. There is quite a lot to get through."

The two sit, Cal biting at his lip nervously.

They knew the boy in the other room had been injured, but they didn't know to what extent or if there would be any permanent damage.

The file Henry had given them only went over the surface issues; all the details of his condition were still being looked into.

"Is he okay?" Aldric speaks up for the both of them.

The doctor swivels on her chair, grabbing some documents before turning back to the two seated on the small couch. It was meant for two people, but with Aldric's frame, Cal was squashed right up against him. Not that he minded all that much.

"To begin with, I'll tell you that he's stable," she begins, "but he's been through a lot. He's severely malnourished, and his bones are incredibly fragile. It's quite a miracle that he's managed to come away with mainly bruising."

"Did he break anything?" Callum worries, hands twisting in his lap.

"Yes. He's broken his right foot, which has caused some damage to his ankle as well. We've put in in a cast, but we're not sure how well it will heal. His physical condition isn't...great."

"But he's okay?"

She shrugs a half shoulder, pulling a document from the stack and handing it to the couple seated across from her.

"This is a summary of what we've gathered so far. He's had multiple concussions, bruises all over his body due to blunt force trauma. He's been through a lot. We're not sure about how his mental health is fairing, but it's safe to say Milton isn't in the best place."

"Milton?" Cal breathes. "His name is Milton?"

The doctor smiles. "Yes."

Callum loved it.

"How old is he?" Aldric asks, knowing it was probably in the file Henry gave them, but he'd been too distracted by the photos of the child's injuries.

"He's seventeen."

Cal chokes. The boy didn't look seventeen. "He's- he's so small though."

"That's what happens to humans who've suffered from malnutrition during their younger years. It causes a stunt in their growth. Not to mention it also causes their immune systems to weaken, causing them to be more susceptible to illness."

Aldric growls low in his chest, angry at the people that could have done this to a child.

"There's more." The doctor grimaces as she tucks a stray red hair behind her ear. "Due to his condition, and the trauma to his body and to his brain, Milton may struggle with some of the simpler tasks."

"Like what?" Callum was worried.

"Speech, for one. He's only managed to make some noises during the time he's been here. No words. His motor skills will also be lacking and due to his weak muscles, he'll struggle a lot with any sort of movement on his own. He'll have to go through a lot of physical therapy."

It's heartbreaking. To know that this was caused by someone with no heart and no empathy.

"He's also had his shoulder dislocated, but due to the fragility of his body we had to take him into surgery to put it back in. He shouldn't use his right arm while it heals."

It was a lot. Anyone could see that taking care of this boy would be a challenge, especially since it wasn't just his body that needed to heal, but his mind too.

His injuries all seemed like they would be able to heal without problem, but the couple had to remember that this was a human child, not a shifter.

He didn't have the healing abilities or the inbuilt drive to survive the way they did. They had to be patient.

Callum opens his mouth to speak, before closing it again, not knowing exactly what to say. He still had so many questions, but he didn't know what to ask. What could he say?

There's a quiet in the small doctor's office as they all sit in their thoughts. The doctor waits patiently as both Aldric and Cal take their time thinking over all the newer information, her eyes straying to her computer screen on her desk.

"If you'd like, you can go back into his room and wait for him to wake up? Maybe have a bit of a chat? He may be a bit shy, but it would be good for you all to get acquainted. Let your wolves get used to him."

The doctor rises from her chair and opens the door for the two to leave by themselves, gesturing to the bed where Milton lies asleep.

Callum walks over to the bed slowly, moving to take a careful seat in one of the chairs by the bed.

He leans forward, resting a hand on the railing as he peers down at the small human.

It's not uncommon for humans to be a little smaller than wolves. They tend to be a bit smaller than most supernatural beings, but to see one this small when it's well past the age of a small child? It was a little worrying.

"He's so small," he whispers, reaching out to gently touch the boy's cheek with the back of his hand.

Aldric takes the seat beside him, shuffling it over so that he can be a little closer.

Cal had a point, the boy looked so small, so fragile in the too big hospital bed.

He wanted to just pick him up and hold him close to his heart to keep him safe.

No one deserved to be stuck in a hospital bed all alone with no one they know around them.

No one deserved to have been treated the way Milton was.

They would take care of him for now. Keep him safe and help him recover.

Milton moves on the bed, head tucking into the covers before he shuffles again, eyes blinking open in a groggy sort of way. His skin still looks sickly, pale under the stark light.

"Hey sweetie, you ready to wake up?" Cal coos to the boy.

As eager as the two were to finally meet him, they both knew that they needed to take this slow. Milton was probably confused and in pain. The drugs in his system would be disorientating and the poor human probably had no idea what happened or where he was.

Milton makes a small noise of discomfort as he tries to move his arm, the one strapped tightly to his chest to keep it from moving.

Callum gently shooshes him, leaning over once again to run a hand over his head in what he hoped was in a comforting manner.

The boy frowns, managing to open his eyes a little wider as he looks around at the light blue blankets and the room.

The bright lights made it hard to focus on much, but he knew that something was different.

The bed he laid on smelt clean, for one.

In fact, he himself felt pretty clean compared to usual.

He was practically swaddled in the blankets around him, and if he moved his one free arm, he could touch the soft cotton fabric he'd been clothed in.

At the sound of another person, his fuzzy thoughts managed to clear a little, allowing him to blink at the stranger sitting beside his bed.

They had a kind smile and dark brown eyes that seemed friendly enough.

They reached out towards him, causing a flare of panic to flood through his system, but he was still too sleepy to really do anything about it other than watch as the hand drew near.

Instead of a blow to the head or a pinch to the face, the young man gently brushes a hand over his head. The soft movement is comforting, immediately relaxing him back into the blankets as if he was under a spell.

It's as he begins to relax that he spots another stranger in the room. A large man who looks like he could crush Milton just by looking at him for too long. He curls up a little, his body screaming at him not to move too much or too fast.

Aldric smiles at him, placing a gentle hand on Cal's shoulder. Cal leans in, moving his hand away from Milton to let the boy recuperate from the bombardment of people in his personal space.

"It's good to see you awake. The doctor said you were a bit unwell, you had us worried." Aldric whispers with his low rumbling voice, speaking just as gently as his partner had before him.

Milton makes a sad little squeak, tucking his good hand close to his chest. Even if Aldric whispered, his voice still vibrated through the air, coursing through Milton.

Cal looks up at Aldric, wanting to speak up but not sure if it's a good idea just yet. Al simply squeezes his shoulder, a gesture that gives Callum the confidence to try and engage with the damaged boy on the bed.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Milton blinks, shaking his head slightly against the pillow.

He didn't want to remember what happened.

He knew it was bad. Knew that he'd been put through a lot of pain and violence to end up here, in a hospital.

He didn't need to know the details of who and when and how.

He knew enough, he didn't need to dig through his memories to learn more.

"Well," Callum looks to Aldric before turning back to the bed, nibbling on his bottom lip. "You're currently at Bellbrook Hospital, and the doctors thought that it might be good for you to come and live with us for a while... until you're feeling a bit better, if you'd like."

If he'd like? Milton didn't know what he wanted, and he wasn't so sure about going to live with these complete strangers either. What other choice did he have? Stay here, in this hospital? Be surrounded by doctors pinching and prodding? What if the people who had him before came back?

Aldric notices how the boy frowns to himself, avoiding eye contact. In fact, from here it looked like he had tears welling in his eyes, his lip beginning to wobble.

It must have been difficult to be so vulnerable in an unknown place with unknown people. He sighs to himself, scooting closer to place a hand on the boy's covered leg.

"I know this must be overwhelming, but you're not alone in this. We're here to help. Do you- do you like dogs?"

Cal makes a noise in his throat, whipping his head to look at his partner. Humans didn't tend to know about werewolves, it was a safety thing, but Aldric had the impression from both Alpha Henry and the doctors here that Milton already knew about the supernatural species.

Milton sniffs, ducking his head, but giving a short little nod.

He used to love dogs. He remembered getting to go to the dog park once.

There were so many running around, playing fetch, and slobbering over their owners.

Many of the younger pups would randomly jump up on people walking by, demanding to be pet, and played with.

It had been a long time he'd been able to pat a dog.

If these people owned dogs, or any sort of pet, surely, they were safe.

Aldric smiles. "Well, we have a few dogs at our, uh, farm. Plenty of puppies to play with too."

Cal secretly pinches him on the leg, letting him know that he didn't appreciate the lie. He understood why Al did but starting off their relationship with the boy based on a lie wasn't exactly what Cal had in mind.

If Milton didn't know about the supernatural world, or didn't remember, then it wouldn't be a good idea to spring it on him now, at least, that was Aldric's point of view on the matter.

Milton needed to focus on getting physically better before they dumped more mental challenges for him to deal with.

"You won't be able to play with them just yet," Callum intercepts, "Not until you're a little bit better, but I'm sure you'll still get to pat some of the calmer, more adult, dogs."

Milton sits motionless for a bit longer, pondering over the words of these two strangers.

His head still feels cloudy, his body in slow motion and heavy.

He knew he was on some sort of pain medication, but he could still feel a dull throbbing throughout his body.

Maybe it was dumb, but at the sound of a farm and the promise of puppies and dogs, was more than tempting.

"Would you like to come home with us? Today?"

Milton nods again, eyes falling closed as the fog grows heavier on his mind.

Cal and Aldric watch as he falls back to sleep, Milton's body needing as much rest as it could get.

The two spend the next half hour discharging Milton and going over the medications the poor thing needed. The doctor also went over directions for food, supplements, and gave them the details of a practitioner who often dealt with humans caught up in the world of werewolves.

Aldric is the one who picks the boy up and tucks him into his arms like a babe. He looked even smaller against the man's frame, but Cal could only let himself fall in love with the image.

"I'll call Henry and ask him if he can organise for someone to get his supplements and get some things ready for him. I don't think we should stop at the shops on the way home." Callum picks up the blanket on the hospital bed and helps his partner wrap it around the still sleeping child.

Aldric hums in agreement, following his partner out of the hospital wing and down to the carpark below where one of the pack's cars waits.

Carefully Aldric sits in the passenger seat, keeping Milton tucked in his arms as he clicks in his seatbelt.

He would have put him in the back, but honestly Milton was too small to be put in the backseat of the car.

Callum rings Henry, quietly asking him to get one of their packmates to get things ready for the new addition to the pack.

"Do you want a room set up for him?" the alpha asks.

Callum hesitates. "No. I think- maybe it would be better to have him in our apartment. Maybe when he gets used to things, we can move him to his own spot in the pack house."

Henry agrees, and the two hang up.

Starting the car, Callum begins the drive home, letting the radio play quietly in the background. The car smelt a lot like a mixture of packmates, but it also had the smell of sickness and hospital antiseptics seeping from the boy in Aldric's lap.

Hopefully, with a bath and some healthy food, Milton's scent will change into something much more pleasant over the next few weeks.

"Do you think we're doing the right thing?" Callum whispers into the quiet lull of the car, fingers flexing against the steering wheel.

Aldric runs a hand over Milton's head. "I know were doing the right thing. He needs a home, and people who will care for him."

Callum gives his partner a smile, before focusing on getting them all back safe and sound.