Chapter 31
CHAPTER 31
I t was early evening and Emory was getting worried. The first twenty-four hours had well and truly passed and Jacob was still getting sick and getting paler and weaker. He hooked Jacob up to the heart monitor, his pulse was slowing down, but his blood pressure was high, too high, tipping towards dangerously high.
Emory saw Fran look at the reading and grimace.
“What’s wrong?” Joe asked.
“That’s a high reading,” Ezzy commented looking at the numbers.
“Yeah. We need to somehow bring his blood pressure down. We can’t use medication as we don’t have any designed for shifters,” Emory replied.
Jacob was beyond exhausted, he could barely stay awake, but every time he tried settling down he was sick. Anyone looking at Jacob could see the toll it was taking on him. “I’m not sure I can do this anymore, Doc,” Jacob said weakly. Hair had started sprouting on his arms as he continued to battle with his wolf not to shift.
“You can, Jacob, you need to hold on a little longer,” Finn begged.
Fran was sat beside Jacob, an arm around him, with Jacob leaning into his side. “Just rest, Jacob,” Fran said softly, blinking back his tears. He didn’t need to see the monitor to know Jacob was slipping away.
“I have an idea,” Ezzy suddenly announced, pulling his phone out of his pocket and making a call. “Hey Dad, can you come up? It’s urgent.”
“On my way,” Berni replied, hanging up.
“Sweetheart?” Emory asked.
“It’s a completely random idea, completely out there,” he started to say just as Berni and Frank dashed into the room.
Neither Berni or Frank were out of breath from the quick run.
“What’s wrong?” Berni asked, stopping by the bed and looking at everyone.
“Jacob’s dying,” Fran told them solemnly.
Joe and Finn gasped.
“Dad, use your Alpha powers to command Jacob to rest and sleep,” Ezzy said.
Berni looked at Emory. “Is something like that even possible?”
Emory sighed. “I’ve never heard of it working before but then I’ve never heard of anyone trying it before, but you are the strongest Alpha there is. If anyone can do it, you can.”
“You’re his Alpha, you accepted him into your pack, if you can help him, please try,” Joe practically begged, wiping his eyes.
Frank walked to his side, standing so he could hold Fran’s hand and hug Joe to him.
“Okay,” Berni said, looking down at Jacob. “Jacob Bishop, listen to me. As your Alpha, I’m commanding you to sleep and rest. You’re not allowed to die. Sleep and rest, Jacob,” he commanded, pushing out some of his Alpha power.
Fran felt Jacob slump into him. He was about to panic but realised the monitor was still beeping. “He’s asleep.”
“Oh thank goodness,” Joe said, leaning into Frank’s side, wiping his eyes again.
“His levels are still the same, but hopefully now he’s asleep he can rest and his blood pressure will lower,” Emory said.
“Nice going, Dad,” Ezzy said, leaning to the side and hugging him.
“Let’s just see if it works. At least he’s asleep now,” his father replied.
“What happens if he needs to throw up?” Finn asked.
“It depends on how deep of a sleep he’s slipped into. If it’s a normal sleep he can still vomit. If it’s a deep sedation he won’t, but hopefully, it will settle down now. We can monitor him until he wakes up.”
“While Jacob is resting, I want all of you to go and have something to eat and drink. You don’t need to stay away for long, but you need food, you’ve not eaten today,” Berni told them.
“I’d like to stay, but Ez, can you bring me something up? Pretty sure the same goes for Fran,” Emory asked.
“We can do that,” Ez agreed.
“Thanks,” Fran says.
“Come, friends, let’s away,” Berni said, starting to usher even one out.
Joe looked at Fran. “Do you want me to stay, I can hug you if you want?”
Fran smiled at him. “Thanks, Pops, but go and eat with the others. Have a break for a bit.”
“Okay, but I’ll come straight back,” he assured Fran.
Frank hugged Fran. “Keep the faith.”
Fran nodded and sniffed. “I will.”
“No, you’ll softly cry and think the worst.”
“Maybe. But I’ll try to think only positive thoughts. That’s the best I can do.”
“Fair enough,” Frank said. “Want me to stay?”
Fran shook his head. “No, Joe needs you at the moment.”
“So do you,” Joe said. “You probably need your Dad more than me.”
“We’ll share him. Dad, go with Joe for something to eat, then you can both come back and sit with me.”
“Okay, we’ll eat quickly and be right back,” Joe assured him.
“And make sure we bring you food as well,” Frank added. Then, dropping a kiss in Fran’s head, they both left to join the others eating.
“Do you think what Uncle Berni did will hold?” Fran asked Emory softly.
“If anyone can make it work, it would be your uncle. I mean, Jacob is actually sleeping, and his numbers have started to change for the better, so I’m going to go with yes.”
“Should you not be at the hospital today?”
Emory nodded. “I have the night shift. I’ll go in when Robbie gets back.”
“You should have said, you could have gone and rested. You still can,” Fran said.
Emory laughed. “I’m a doctor, remember? We live on no sleep and coffee.”
“At least the coffee there is good.”
“Thank goodness. The coffee at my last place was disgusting, as in stand-your-spoon-up-in-it disgusting,” Emory said, shuddering at the thought.
“Thanks for jumping in and helping with everything. You’ve not really stopped since you arrived.”
“I honestly don’t mind. I was always so flattered when I received Robbie’s email offering me a job here. I never thought I’d be able to take him up on his offer, but now look at me. I’ve my mate, a new job. I live in a castle with my nephew and his mate, and my father-in-law is not only the strongest Alpha but also a Duke.”
“It sounds just like a story,” Fran said with a grin.
“Not a believable one though.”
“Except it is,” Fran confirmed.
“It is.”