Friday July 20th, Pt. 4

“He’s in a lot of pain doc.” 

Jamie barely whispers loud enough to be heard. I know he can feel my guilt but he doesn’t say a word. 

“Cole, I need you to respond through your link with Jamie. Your lungs have freed up but are still constricted. Jamie said you’re in pain, where is it concentrated?” 

I place my hand in the center of my chest as I simultaneously think about the location. 

“Your chest?” He tries to confirm. 

“He says that it’s a constant ache that turns sharp when he breathes in. It’s hard for me to handle through the link. I don’t know if that helps any with the intensity he’s feeling.” 

He stands up straight, keeping one hand on my chest. The one holding the stethoscope to my back is now gently gliding along my arm towards my neck. I whine sharply and squirm with the discomfort of his touch to the side of it. 

“Doctor Andrew, while he fears touch he also craves it. Positive touch I think is what Alpha Black calls it. He relaxes with gentle pets on his head. He can’t stand anyone touching his neck. I’m sorry, I know it’s too much information but he looks like he really wants to comfort you.” 

His sentence finishes as an apology to me. 

“I had a feeling that he might not be as well off as Alpha Redmen tried to tell us.” 

I whimper as I fight, not understanding the new voice that just walked in. 

“Shhhh, calm down Cole. I know I had said that I was going to step away but you went into that coughing fit as soon as I set up the oxygen. I linked with Michael so he could help me get you to my house. You need a lot more support than he anticipated.” 

I stop my fight and lay my head. I freeze up as I feel the softness of a pillow that wasn’t there before. 

“What do you need to get him comfortable enough to move?” 

While his voice is soft it’s a lot louder now that he’s right next to Dr. Moore. 

“While I’m guessing that he’s been mistreated with shots, his reaction earlier makes me believe that making this as painless as possible will be to his benefit.” 

I start squirming in an effort to get out of his hold as I really don’t like where this is going. 

“Try to relax, Cole. I need you to really think about this. Do you think you can handle swallowing Vicodin? If you can, then I can avoid the shot but with how constricted your breathing is, my concern is that you would choke trying.” 

I whine in defeat, laying my head again on the pillow. 

“What do you need? I’ve had training in pharmacy and medical preparation. I can get a shot ready for you. He seems to be responding to you.” 

“That would be great, Michael. Thank you.” 

I struggle to remain still as Beta Greene walks away and starts going through the cabinets. 

“I’m going to sit beside the chair you’re in. It seems you like the position that you’re in and we do need to talk a little.” 

He breaks loose of my grip and steps away to get his chair. 

“I need you to draw two milliliters of the 5/325 milligram Vicodin then switch the needle to a one inch 28 gauge.”

“The smaller needle will take longer for the medication to pass through.” 

“I know but the small size will reduce what he feels.” 

He’s back beside the chair by the time the conversation ends and I’m even more nervous about him touching me. I roll towards the center of the chair but it’s useless to try and move away from him. The only way out is to leave the chair and my complete exhaustion prevents that from happening. 

“Have you considered talking to the council about your situation?” Dr. Moore asks as he starts running his hand through my hair. 

“He says that the council has only made things worse. He’s tried talking to other alpha’s involved in the prospect program but that has only resulted in being confined to the hospital and forced to undergo painful tests just to be sent home in the same condition that he arrived. He has a really bad feeling about being here now that we’ve been told that we are a last minute add on to this run. He wants to scrap the plan he had for returning home and return to Crimson Dawn instead. He wants to talk to Alpha Black.” 

Jamie communicates my thoughts to the alpha and beta. My mind spirals into repetition, squeezing the edges of the blanket wrapped around me in a grip tight enough to turn my knuckles white. Only I can’t see what they are as I’ve squeezed my eyes shut as well.

“He said something like that when they got out of the van.” 

Beta Greene is back beside the chair. 

“Hold still.” Dr. Moore comments as he wipes my arm off. 

“He hates shots.” Jamie comments as his hands cover mine. 

“They’re easier if you relax.” He speaks softly to me. 

‘I can’t relax. I don’t know what’s in that shot, how much they’re giving me, who they are, what they’re motives are? I want to run. I want to fight.’ 

“We both know you can’t run or fight like this. Let me lay with you. I think it will calm you to have me near.” 

I can’t tell if they agree, all I know is the feeling of hands on me, gently rolling me back to my side. I try to fight but only succeed in proving Jamie right, I can’t fight. 

He lays on his side, joining me in the chair. Instinctively I grab him, burying my face into his neck. I need something familiar to get me through this panic attack. I take in deep breaths in an effort to slow my short, rapid pants down but it only results in my whimpers of pain being heard. 

“I’m smart enough to know something isn’t right with you and while I have my suspicions I will leave you be for now. I just want to help but it seems that your experience with talking has made that difficult for you to allow me to do. It’s not so bad around here since Alpha Whiteman reached out to the council for help. I have a feeling that this Vicodin is going to push you over the edge towards sleep. Don’t fight it. We will get you moved even if you’re sleeping. You’re not going to feel much from this.” 

Having Jamie laying with me and the doctor’s explanation provides a calm that I can’t explain. I feel the prick of the needle shortly after his hand wraps around my arm. Everything is finished in a matter of seconds. I listen to everything going on starting with the doctor and beta stepping away from the chair. 

“Now that he’s drugged with codine and a sedative, what’s your plan for moving him?” 

I hear the beta ask a short distance away from us. 

“The ambulance gurney. Roll it up to the chair, lower it down, move him from the chair, strap him down, then wheel him out the door.” 

“You make it sound so simple. Wouldn't it be better to allow him to get in the wheelchair or on the gurney without us lifting him? He’s capable of standing and walking after all.” 

“His anxiety is too high. He has all the classic symptoms of long term abuse and putting our hands on him while he’s awake is going to keep both his anxiety and asthma high. Set up a meeting with Alpha Whiteman. I want a conference call with both Alpha Redmen of Red Fang pack and Alpha Black of Crimson Dawn pack but not at the same time. Cole and Jamie will stay at my house until we sort out what’s going on.” 

“How much do we tell Alpha Whiteman?” 

My hearing is slowly diminishing as the combination of medication takes effect. 

“For now, my opinion is between us. I will decide on what needs to be disclosed after we talk to Alpha Redmen.” 

That’s the last thing I hear before my spinning brain loses its fight to stay awake.