Chapter 4

CHIARA:When my roommate came in and saw me, she was going to get the Mistress. “No.” I protested. “Don’t. Please don’t.” “You need to be in the clinic.” She said. “No. They are coming home. I can’t be there.” I said weakly. “Who told you?” “It doesn’t matter. I know.” “It will take you twice as long to heal. Not to mention, if you just left, they will come : Looking for you.” “I doubt they would care enough about a lowly human to search for me.” I say. And my eyes start to close, I am tired. I need to sleep, sleep without worrying about getting any more blood or trying to switch it out. I crawled under the blanket and fell asleep. {I was on my way back to the orphanage from doing my pack chores when they caught me. The Ranked squad, the twins each held an arm, the Beta to be Vince held one leg, the Gamma to be Chad, held the other. Then Valen the Beta’s sister pulled up my shirt and carved the word SLUT from just under my breast down with a silver knife. They all laughed at me and kicked me. When I  was late getting back to the orphanage, Jace came and found me lying in a pool of my own blood.} I was 12 when that happened. I woke in a cold sweat. I was tangled in my sheet and the blanket, like I had been fighting.

NURSE BAKER: I was making my rounds, and when I got to the pack ward, I went in to check on the three patients, one of whom was Chiara. I noticed the first one had a fresh blood IV. He wasn’t supposed to get one. “Who gave you this IV?” I asked him. “The human girl. She came over here and said, “Here, you can have mine.” Then she left.” He said. I linked the Alpha right away. “Alpha, Chiara left the clinic.” “What are you talking about? I didn’t know that she was in the  clinic.” “Sorry, Alpha, I thought they would have told you. She came in yesterday. She was beaten; she has bruised and cracked ribs, a bruised spine, and a severe concussion. And sir, I think I know why she hasn’t healed as quickly as we anticipated she might.”  “Why is that?”  “I think she has been switching out her blood IVs, giving them to other patients.” “Why was she not monitored?” “I am sorry, Alpha, as you know, most of the pack look down on the orphans.” “I want her found, and I want her monitored. I want you to pick a team that will do exactly that. Monitor her!” “Yes, Alpha.” I closed the link. (Oh, Chiara, where did you go?) I think to myself. I leave the room and go to find the people who will be on the Alpha’s requested team. “Bret, I need you to go to the orphanage and look for Chiara. When you find her, bring her back here.” “Yes, nurse.” I then linked Parker, Dale, Florance, and Cammy.  “I need the four of you to meet me in the conference room immediately.” “Yes, Nurse Baker.”  I only have to wait a few minutes. “What can we do for you, Nurse Baker?” Dale asked. “We, myself included, will be taking over any and all cases that have to do with the orphans.” I tell them. “Starting with Chiara, once Bret gets her back here.” “What do you mean? She has a concussion, and a pretty bad one; she shouldn’t be up and about yet, not to mention her bruised back and ribs.” Florance said. “Yes, I am aware of her injuries. I also believe that she has been switching out her blood IVs, which is why she hasn’t healed the way she should have. She will need to be monitored constantly, so she doesn’t do it again.” I tell them. “And we are the ones who are going to do it. This is straight from the Alpha. I will let the Doctors know.” I tell the group. “Please tell Bret what I said when he gets her back here.” “Yes, Nurse Baker.”

BRET: I get to the orphanage and ask to speak to the headmistress. “Hello, I am Mistress Blair. How may I help you???” “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m Bret, one of the clinic’s nurses’ aides. Nurse Baker sent me. I am looking for Chiara Dawson.” “She is at the clinic.” “I’m sorry, ma'am, but she left, and she really needs to go back; she has a severe concussion that she needs to be monitored for.” I said. “Then how is it that she left?” “There are some at the clinic who don’t take their jobs as seriously as others.” I said. “So, they just let an injured human girl get up and walk out. How nice of them.” She said with bitter sarcasm. “Please just tell me which is her room. So, I can go check it.” I said. I wasn’t going to engage in Pack gossip. I know what the orphans and omegas think about the clinic. “Follow me, I will take you to her room.” And she heads for the stairs.  I follow behind her. She walks past two doors and knocks on the third one. “Donna? Are you in there?” she calls out. “Yes, Miss Blair.” “Come open the door, please.” “Yes, Miss Blair.” A girl about the same age as Chiara opens the door. “Donna, this is Bret. He is looking for Chiara.” The girl steps out of the way of the door. I see her on her bed, passed out. “Thank you.” I say to both women, I take the few steps to the bed, pick up Chiara bridal style, and carry her downstairs and back to the clinic. She never wakes until I get her in the room and put her back down on the clinic bed. Then she wakes and is in full fight-or-flight mode. I link Nurse Baker. “I brought Chiara back, but she woke up when I  was putting her down in the bed, and now she is in full-on fight-or-flight. I need help to get her to calm down. Maybe a sedative.” “On my way.”  I close the link. It’s all I can do to keep her down without hurting her or myself.

NURSE BAKER: I get to the room and see that Bret is trying to keep her in bed. For someone who has a concussion like she does, she still can fight. I get on the other side of her and inject her with the sedative. I help hold her until it takes effect. And I call for an immediate blood IV. “Now we need to watch her, not just monitor her, actually watch her, so she doesn’t switch out the blood IV again.” I tell him. “How are we going to do that? We all have other duties.” He says.I know, but we all know approximately how long a bag lasts, so we will have to time the IVs with the sedatives, no exceptions.” I tell him. He nods his understanding. We get Chiara settled and resting. I led the way out of the room where we put her. I give Bret the abridged version of what the Alpha said and wants us to do. He again nods his understanding.