4. Chapter 4
New Beginnings
The sun shining on my face pulls me from one of the most relaxing sleeps I’ve ever had. The smell of honey and coffee swirl around me and even with my eyes closed I can’t help but sigh. I can’t remember a time that I’ve ever felt so comforted before …
The events of last night and the night of the party come rushing back to me.
Henry and Sam, the attack, waking up to Dr. Lycan, being told I’m a Chosen now, Abigail and what my parents said.
All of the thoughts and feelings I tried to suppress come back full force, causing me to sit straight up in the bed.
A gasp from beside me has my head swiveling in that direction, shoulder tight and fist balled, ready to defend myself if needed. I should have known I didn’t need to be worried.
Abigail is standing beside my bed, dressed more casually than before in dark washed denim skinny jeans, a cute lavender shirt and white ballerina flats.
Her hair is up in a high pony with a lavender bow so big I’m sure cheerleaders everywhere are weeping in envy, I know for a fact that my high pony never looked that good.
She is just as pretty in the sunlight as she was in the dim lights of the room last night.
Now she looks younger than what I assumed she was the first time I saw her.
Still, no matter how old she is, she is here.
She is also holding a cup holder with two steaming cups in one hand, a cell phone with a blue case in her other hand, and there’s a duffle bag resting on the chair in front of her.
“My Goddess, you scared me. I didn’t realize you were up yet. How are you feeling this morning, dear?” Her gentle smile goes a long way to settling my nerves even more.
Raising the head of my bed, I relax my shoulder and smile up at her.
Her sweet hazel eyes seem too big for her face.
I swear, if her hair was shorter, she could easily be mistaken for Snow White.
She is like a Disney Princess come to life and sent to save me from the fucked up hand life dealt me.
Even if she can’t save me, having her here makes it all so much better.
“Good morning, Miss Wolfsbane.”
“Oh please! Call me Abby. I have a feeling we’re going to be very good friends.” Her sweet friendly smile morphs into a mischievous smirk that makes me like her even more.
“Abby.” I nod in acknowledgement. “I’m feeling much better this morning than I did last night.
I have so many questions, but I’m excited to start my new life.
” I smile at her once more and I can see the battle between sympathy and excitement warring in her gaze. Eventually though, the excitement wins.
She walks closer to the bed and hands me the cup holder of coffees, that is where that amazing scent was coming from.
I have a serious addiction to this bitter bean water, it gets even worse when there is tons of cream and sugar added in.
Starbucks has more of my money than the human government, I can almost guarantee it!
Looks like Abby is another fan of the franchise because she got two identical drinks that smell like coffee and look like milk.
She waves her hand over the drinks smiling as she turns around to get the duffle bag.
“Take your pick, Love. They are the same and if you don’t like it I can have someone bring you something else you prefer.
I have your phone,” she places the bag on my bed and hands me the iPhone 13 in the sky blue case that matches my eyes perfectly.
“It’s brand new and I already have my number saved in there.
I do have your old phone, so if you want any numbers off of it, you can get them.
I also have your wallet and your parents packed up all your stuff from their house and sent it to my home. ”
My heart lurches at the mention of my parents, well George and Kathleen.
Since I’m not their child anymore, I don’t feel obligated to call them my parents.
I don’t really care about anything from my old life except my sketch pads.
Even those can be replaced, though I would die a little inside if my drawings were destroyed.
I’m ready to move forward. I can forget my human life and start fresh as a wolf.
As soon as I know what it means to be a wolf, of course.
“I don’t need anything off the old phone, and I’ll probably throw everything George and Kathy sent in the trash.
I want to start new, forget about where I came from and who I was before because I’m no longer her.
Did Dr. Lycan mention when I can get out of here?
I need a shower, bad.” The two of us chuckle and a deep rumbling laugh comes from the door.
Looking in the doorway, I see Dr. Lycan dressed in jeans and a tee shirt standing next to a man that smells a bit like him but different.
They both have the rose scent on them, but the new man smells like the Cedar trees in the woods by the beach, not anything like Dr. Lycan’s wintergreen.
Dr. Lycan and this new doctor, judging by the long white coat he is wearing and his keen observation of the monitors behind me, are both smiling as they walk into the room.
“Rebecca, I’m so glad to see you awake dear. This is my pack mate, James. He is Dr. Lycan as well and he is here to do one final check before you are discharged. I wanted to come along so that you saw a familiar face this morning.”
He sits on the other side of the bed, in the same space he occupied last night, and pats my hand.
His black hair is pulled into a bun on the top of his head, the sides shaved almost to the skin.
His smile is just as gentle and comforting as I remember from last night and I breathe out a deep breath and settle deeper into the bed as his pack mate comes to stand beside my bed.
He is much larger than Dr. Lycan, but his eyes are crinkled on the corners as if he is seconds away from laughing at any given moment.
His hair is a light blond and his skin is a tan that suggests he spends most of his time out in the sun.
Though his stature suggests he is a lumberjack, his looks imply he is your typical beach boy.
“Hello, Miss Lancaster. As my mate said, my name is Dr. James Lycan, I prefer James or Dr. James if you must.” His smile is warm, all teeth and none of the intimidation I am sure he is capable of showing. “It looks like everything is good. Are you feeling any pain or dizziness?”
“No, sir. I feel better than ever.”
“Well then. Let’s get you discharged and on the way.
I’d like to say I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through, but I am so happy for you to be joining our community.
I know you need a few days to get used to everything and learn a bit about this new world, but when you’re ready, my family and I would love to have you over for dinner some time. ”
I smile gratefully up at the giant man. “That would be really nice. If Abby doesn’t mind, we can get something set up for … wait, what day is it?”
I glance down at the new phone in my hand and my eyes bug out of my head.
I know that Dr. Lycan said I was in a medically induced coma for about two weeks but seeing the date is still a bit shocking.
It’s Tuesday, June 6. Graduation was May 22!
This is so weird. Panicked, I look up at Abby and she gently trails a hand over my hair.
My gaze shifts over to the two men and each of them places a reassuring hand on my body, one on my shoulder and one on my forearm.
“It's okay Rebecca. A bit of time has passed, but I promise everything will be okay. You’ll feel better when we get you out of here and settled.”
Taking slow deep breaths, I finally get my heart rate back to a normal rhythm.
This is okay, I’m okay. I knew how long it’d been since the attack, so I shouldn’t be surprised by the date.
I guess knowing and seeing are two different things.
Their hands on me really are helping to calm me down, though.
“Okay, we’ll get going so you ladies can be on your way.
” Dr. Lycan pats my hand once more before he stands up off the bed.
“I had Abby add our numbers and the rest of our family to your phone. You can call any of us at any time, day or night, if you need us. I’ll call you Friday to set up dinner plans. ”
Dr. James rubs my shoulder and signs his name at the bottom of the paper attached to the clipboard he walked in with. “Here are your discharge papers. Take your time getting dressed, we don’t need the room. I can’t wait to see you again, Little One.”
With a smile, the two men leave the room, whispering to each other and glancing back over their shoulders.
Abby chuckles softly as she watches them leave, a sweet adoration in her eyes.
I don’t think they are together, but I don’t know for sure.
I want to ask, but I also don’t want to offend anyone.
I’m not sure what the social rules are for this new culture, so I keep my mouth shut and wait for my next directions. I’m good at following directions.
“Okay, well, you’re a free woman now. So let's get you dressed. Your bathroom, there,” she points to a closed door beside the one the doctors just left from.
“has a shower and I brought some clothes and shower products from the things that were sent to my house. I’ll wait out here if you need anything. ”
Nodding, I throw the blankets off and swing my legs around so I’m sitting on the side of the bed.
I remember, from one of the many times I was sick, that getting up after you’ve been in bed for a while can cause dizziness, so I dangle my feet off the side of the bed for a minute and wait for the swirling to start and stop. Surprisingly, I don’t feel anything.
It’s as if I just woke up for the day. No dizzy spells or double vision.
Shrugging my shoulders, I hop down out of the bed and pause again.
Still, nothing happened, I feel completely fine.
If anything, I feel stronger than I did before the attack, more steady on my feet.
Trying not to freak out again, I shut off my thoughts as I move around the bed and grab the duffle bag then make my way to the bathroom.
The shower is spacious with a wide white medical chair built into the back wall.
The shower head looks like it can detach from the wall so that you can use it like a hand held one.
The rest of the room looks pretty basic.
A sink with a counter space just big enough to hold the duffle bag and a toilet with a red cord sitting beside it.
I guess if you pull the cord, it will call a nurse to come assist you.
I’ve heard some of the young moms I went to school with, talk about having to call the nurse for help getting up off the toilet after a C-section.
I was mortified just hearing the stories, so I make sure to keep the cord far away when I sit down to do my business.
Abby packed all my favorite supplies, including the cute yellow Duck poof I bought for myself.
She even somehow packed my favorite outfit.
This woman must be an angel to have gotten all my favorite things without any instructions.
Smiling, I hop in the shower. I intended for it to be a quick wash, but as the hot water rushes over my body, I find myself crying again.
It starts as a single tear blending in with the cascading water, but then everything that happened over the last two weeks rushes to my mind and I find myself sitting on the floor bawling, shampoo still in my hair and the yellow duck poof crushed to my chest. So much has changed so quickly and I’ve been stuffing it all inside, ignoring my feelings and trying to move on.
But no matter how strong a person is, everyone needs to cry sometimes.
Emotions are too big to contain twenty-four seven.
This is my breaking point, this is the moment I actually think about what happened to me and grieve everything I lost. My boyfriend, my best friend, my parents, my whole damn life.
All of it is gone in a moment and now I’m feeling the release of that pain.
Once I've cried myself hoarse, I stand up and pull myself together. I finish washing up, surprised that the water stayed hot the entire time, then get out. I rush through drying off and getting dressed, acutely aware of how long I’ve left Abby waiting.
I really hope she doesn’t think I’m upset with her.
When I’m fully dressed and my damp hair is brushed into some semblance of acceptable, I leave the bathroom.
Abby is reclining on the bed, her feet crossed at the ankles as she watches her phone.
She is shaking her head and mumbling under her breath, but when I clear my throat, she puts the phone up and smiles.
“Well you look like you feel better! Ready to get out of here?” She takes the mostly empty bag out of my hand and throws it on her shoulder.
Holding her hand out, she waits patiently for me to take it and walk out of the room. This is it, the first step into my new life. After a split second of hesitation, I take her hand, ready to start this new journey with my head held high. No matter what life throws at me, I’ll be ready.