20. Suffering #2
“We’re going to have to go back to the clinic after a nap.
The enforcers could probably do with fluids.
You’ve done a great job with the tea, you really have.
They’re just getting worse.” Papa looked frustrated.
“The council doesn’t seem to have any actual information on what this is, why it acts as it does.
All the resources that they have and no one is studying it! ”
“Could you both study it? Take blood samples?”
“We don’t have the equipment or we would. I just wish —“ Papa ran a hand through his brown hair, leaving it a rumpled mess, so far from his usual care and attention to appearance.
“Papa, go rest. Afterwards, you can check on everyone and get more fluids into them if you need to.”
“Are you okay with your home being used as a clinic? Our actual clinic is overflowing already. We could move everyone here to the main house, but that would displace alphas, and you know how they can be over their spaces.”
We didn’t need a bunch of irritated alphas starting fights. “I’d rather have them here out of the way. You’ve both taught me a lot of medical stuff over the years.”
“It shows. Good job with the teas and remedies.” Papa patted my cheek and left to go nap.
The house filled with the sounds of labored breaths as the betas all slept.
I hoped Dad and Papa were resting better than the betas, their rest was interrupted with fever dreams. Angelica crying out woke me from a doze more than once, my heart hammering with panic each time.
My bear was in an uproar about not being able to fix this for our little kit.
We both felt so useless. I used more of the remedies and a cool cloth to take her fever down, and while it worked momentarily, nothing I did seemed to work for long.
When I was considering waking my parents, a phone rang. Papa answered the brief call. “Aldrin,” I heard Papa shake my dad. “Wake up. We have to go!”
Dad roused. “What is it, love?”
“Chase called. He and Axel are both sick. Axel won’t wake up, no matter what Chase does.”
They were gone for hours before I heard any word. I paced the house, ordered food and more remedies. I wanted to call Jasper, just to hear his voice, but I didn’t want Kade to overhear anything about Axel.
Papa: Axel is in a coma. Northarbor General is sending equipment, including beds. Can they stay with you? We’d like them out of the main house. The hospital won’t have them. The clinic is full.
Fucking humans. There was no reason to believe that we could pass this onto them, but they still panicked and refused to help.
Dakota: Of course. They can have the nursery. It’s empty.
We hadn’t had any time to buy anything big for our baby son.
Everything was now on hold until they could come home safely.
All of it felt so hopeless. Finally, we had bonded after months of dancing around it, only to be forced apart.
I hated it and my bear was furious. Our mate belonged by our side, not miles away.
I tried to soothe my bear, reminding him that Kade was with Jasper and the pup had pups of his own to look after.
It cooled the fire enough for me to get some more rest.
Exhaustion pulled at my limbs as I climbed the stairs to check on my charges. I wanted nothing more than to slip into the pallet I’d made and close my eyes for a few hours, but I had to check everyone and make sure the nursery was clear for the patients.
Jasper video called me as I finished checking the nursery. The stress was clear on his face and I despaired I was adding to it. “Kota, you look like hell!”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
“You know what I mean! We just heard about Axel. Blake is terrified. It’s taking both Kade and Deke to hold him back from charging toward the mansion.” Jasper was pacing back and forth. The familiar background of Kade’s house settled my bear some.
“Dad is bringing Axel and Chase here. The hospital won’t have them and the clinic is full.”
Jasper paused. “Moon help us!” He made a gesture, like a witch’s blessing.
“I’m just glad you and the baby aren’t here.”
“Me too. Pretty sure I’d be worse than useless right now.”
“I don’t know about that. You survived a bad situation.” Pain rippled along his face. “Then you made the best of the separation from Kade. You’re a survivor, Jas.”
“You too, huh?”
“Sounded right.”
“Just don’t call me Jazzie.”
The brief glimpse of my mate was enough to soothe my bear while I waited for the medical team to come and set up for Axel and Chase’s arrival. Chase wouldn’t consider leaving his twin, despite not being as sick as the majority of the other betas.
It left me wondering why so many were bedridden within hours and others were still walking about, sick, but still able to function.
While attempting to work, I made notes on my observations, sure that my father would like them later when things had hopefully settled down.
He was a scientist at heart, his healer’s gift too important not to use for the good of the pack.
He loved being a doctor and healing the sick, but I knew he wanted to study fertility and investigate why so many supernatural species were struggling.
Several vans pulled up at the house as I was finishing up hasty roster changes for the factory. I was going to have to ask Blake about hiring temporary staff with so many off sick.
Out poured a dozen medical personnel, many more than I’d expected.
I opened the door for them and directed them upstairs.
Some concentrated on setting up bulky beds in what was the nursery.
Others went to check on the betas, checking over what I had used with approval.
They soon hooked Grady and Trey up to fluids and monitoring equipment.
My bear grumbled when they tried to do the same to Angelica. “Mr Flemming,” one witch, if my sense of smell was correct, tried to calm me, sensing an issue, “she’s in a better condition than the adults, but this could help get her out of this faster.”
I hadn’t wanted to tell Jasper, but Angel hadn’t roused when I’d last checked on her. “Will she be okay?”
The witch was kind and laid a hand on my arm. “From what I’ve heard, the young are generally hit hard and fast, then recover without issue.”
Her kind words comforted me, and I stepped aside to let them set up the machines.
Axel and Chase arrived in a flurry of movement. Chase walked up the stairs, the effort adding some color to his wan face. They carried Axel on a stretcher to the nursery, where their beds were ready. They’d been placed side by side so the twins could stay touching if Chase felt they needed it.
It was startling to see the brothers together.
It had only been a few hours since Axel hadn’t woken and he was somehow already diminished by the illness.
He seemed so small in the bed, the white sheets making him look gray.
Stubble lined his normally clean-shaven jaw.
His silver-blue eyes, the same as Blake’s, were hidden under twitching eyelids, the only movement aside from breathing that he made.
Nothing that the medical staff did elicited a reaction from him.
They worked efficiently and wrote down a series of numbers in charts.
The witch took me aside again. “The council has arranged for us to be on loan from the hospital to assist you.” Relief nearly floored me that I wouldn’t have to do this alone. “Is there somewhere we could sleep? At least two of us will be here at a time.”
“If you don’t mind sharing, there’s my room.”
“Where will you sleep?”
“The couch or my office over the garage. There’s a sofa bed there.”
“We can give you a radio and key it into the alarms so you can have a proper rest in the office. You look worn out.” She said it kindly, no judgment in her tone.
“I am. I’ll go grab a couple of hours now, if you don’t mind.” My mate kept up to date with what I was doing with our texts, but Kade and Blake would want more information on Axel’s condition.
Grabbing a radio and a brief overview of the treatment plans, I went to the office and made the call.
Jasper answered on the first ring, almost as if the phone was attached to his hand.
His precious face came into view, Blake and Kade beside him, Deke in the background. “Kota? What’s going on? Where are you?”
“Oh, I’m in the office. We needed the space for the healers.
” I quickly explained that Axel had been moved to our house for his care.
Then about the medical team the council was paying for.
I saw the moment that Blake relaxed, knowing that his brothers and Angelica were getting proper care.
I knew he didn’t doubt my parent’s abilities, but he appreciated that they were overwhelmed.
It was too much to expect them to manage all the care that so many betas would need.
As it stood, more than half the betas of the Sweetwater pack were sick.
The rest showed symptoms. There was no way that my parents could cope with that.
After just over a day, they were already exhausted.
With the trickle of information we received daily from the council, we could expect this to last for weeks as it had in other areas.
I exchanged a longing look with my mate, seeing the same need there.
While I’d never wish my bonding undone, I almost wished that we had waited, not that we could have known.
I didn’t know how long I could go without being near him, touching him.
He absently ran a hand over his stomach and the longing hit me like a punch.
I sent a prayer to our goddess for a solution.