I feel dizzy, like I spun around and around on one foot for five minutes. I want to vomit.
I also feel exhausted, physically and mentally.
Lykaon! I desperately call out. Lykaon! Why isn't he helping me? I thought he could hear me through the link? What did I do wrong?
Pain. That's all I feel throughout my body is unadulterated pain. It's like I've been whipped or cut into multiple times and it hurts to even breathe. I need relieve. I need the pain to go away. I just need …
I wake up from the longest, dreamless sleep I've ever had. It's the worst sleep I've had because I don't feel at all rested and I want rest. Pain, pain, pain! Will it ever end? Something large is lying on my stomach and I wonder if it's a softball or something. I can't feel my arm or my hand and my ribs feel like their piercing my lungs. I can't breathe…
"The doctor said she should be waking up any time now," said a voice not too far from the end of my bed.
"Are you going to keep her here or take her home?" said another voice.
A sigh.
"I want to take her home, but she'll be able to heal here without me having to worry too much. The nurses will see to it that she's comfortable and gets all her needs sorted out. I won't be able to watch her and I will not allow the men to help her. She's going to have to stay here."
My brain is fuzzy. Who are these men? I recognize them, but why do I feel so confused? More so, why wouldn't I stay in the hospital to heal? That is what happened after the accident years ago. I was in the hospital for months and hated it. I still hate hospitals with a passion, but I'm not going anywhere. I'm in too much pain to go anywhere.
I want someone I know, someone I recognize here. I feel like I might panic if I'm left alone here with people in white and the white walls and the scent of cleanliness. Lykaon!
Someone groans and I hear a thump like they fell to their knees. "Hey, are you okay?" I hear a voice asks in a panic.
I was about to say no when the other man said, "Shit! My head!"
"What happened?"
"She just screamed my name! Into my head! Fuck!"
If I was asleep, his cursing would have woken me up. But since I'm not asleep, I listen to it and find it amusing. Moving my head to one side, I feel a soft pillow brush my cheek. I'm pretty sure the men forgot about me, and I continue listening. "What do you mean she just screamed your name?"
"I don't know! But it fucking hurt!"
"Has she said anything else?"
"No. But I don't think I'd be able to hear her if she did. My head feels like it's about to explode!"
I try to laugh, but stop when the pain begins to feel too much. My eyes water and I want my mate! Lykaon!
"Fucking hell!" the man groans. "I can't move to even see if she's alright!"
Lykaon!
"Hey, steady there, Alpha. Are you going to be sick?" I hear a groan in reply move my head to the other side. Where is he? Why did he leave other men here to watch me?
"She must be awake!" the groaning man got out. "She hasn't used the link since Bertolf."
"Is everything alright?" a feminine voice asks.
"Yes, just don't mind him. Alpha is just being a baby."
A soft giggle. "That's alright." I feel a hand on my forehead and then something moves across it then behind my ear. "Her temp is back to normal." There's a little clamp she puts on one of my fingers then something squeezes my arm. The sound of beeping focuses and I realize it's the monitor keeping track of my heartbeat, and it sounds a little fast.
"What is going on?"
The female doesn't answer, but continues to check my vitals. "Her oxygen is good, blood pressure is a little low, but that's to be expected."
"Why the fuck is her heart beating so fast?" the Alpha growls.
"Probably because she coming into consciousness and has no idea where she's at. Considering she can't hear…'
I can't hear!
I'm not supposed to be hearing anything!
But I have just heard every single word without opening my eyes!
I need to get out of here! I need to find Lykaon! I need answers! I hear the monitor's beeping get slightly faster and can't help but feel more panicked at the sound of it. No, no, no! I can't hear! I'm deaf! I lost my hearing three years ago! I have not been able to hear a sound for three long fucking years!
"Do something!" came a growl.
Yes, do something! I think, and want to be in that dreamless sleep once more. I never knew how terrifying reality could be until now when it was playing a sick joke on me. Lykaon, I plead desperately in my head, help me!
"Move!" I heard the low, dangerous order. The female must've done what he said because then he replaced her and I could feel his hands on my face. "Opaline!" he hissed.
I wanted to talk. I wanted to do anything but he wasn't here! Lykaon, please!
"Hey, it's alright! I'm here!" the male said softly. "Opaline, come on, baby. Talk to me. I'm right here."
I think I started crying because something wet was rolling down my cheeks. Suddenly, I didn't have the strength to move or say anything with mind or mouth. I heard my heartrate slowing down and my body loosen up. I heard people talking rapidly, but they were muffled into silence.
"Opaline, baby! It's me! Lykaon, your mate!" that one voice pierced through my consciousness. "You're safe, Opal. It's alright." Lips pressed against my forehead, warm and soft. "Come on, baby, talk to me. I'm right here."
But I didn't want to… I wanted him. More tears slipped down my face and warm hands wiped them away. Then, they cupped the back of my head and back and pressed me against a large, hard chest. I groaned at the slight pain in my ribs but didn't pull away, not when it was so warm.
"Alpha, you're going to hurt her!" the nurse hissed.
"Why the hell would I do that?" he said evenly right by my ear.
My heart jolted, taking a leap towards hope. My body relaxed against his, my heart going back to normal. I began to rub my cheek along his shoulder, feeling the familiar muscles there, but I still couldn't form words in my mouth. It was just too much.
"Good girl," Lykaon whispered softly into my ear. "That's it, just calm down. I'll help you get through this. You're safe, I promise."
There was a knock on the door and I heard another female. "Alpha, there are three wolves here to see you and Luna Opaline. They say they're her family."
"Tell them I'll be there in a minute."
There was a bit of shuffling before she said, "They said immediately, Alpha."
"Fuck! Tell them I'm coming!" he roared. I didn't flinch or pull away, instead pressed myself more into him. "Shh, easy Opal," he said softly to me.
"Do you want me to go talk to them?" I heard the other male ask.
"No, Klyn. I'd rather not get you killed by sending you in my place. I can't trust anyone else in this place to report back to me if she's panicking. I need you to stay here."
"If you leave though---"
"I'm not leaving right now to go satisfy a pissed off alpha. My mate needs me more than he does, and if he even thinks about tearing through this hospital to find me or her, he has no right to beg for my mercy."
I felt his strength as he held me tight to his chest, and the fury he has towards anyone who would try to separate him from me right now. I knew he cared, knew how terrified he must have been when I didn't wake…when he must've broken into the bathroom and found me lying in the shower, passed out.
My heartrate started increasing again. "Opal, hey, calm down!" Lykaon whispered urgently, but it made me panic more. "You're okay, baby. You're safe. I won't leave you," his voice was barely audible at the end. Kissing the top of my head, he stroked my back gently. "Just relax, baby girl. Nothing is going to happen."
I groaned, pressing my face into his chest, trying to ignore the pain. Lykaon shushed me softly, but the pain was becoming unbearable. My hand! Dammit! Tears started streaming down my face and try to move my body and get the pain to stop, but I couldn't move. Help me! I cried to my mate.
"I'm right here, Opaline."
It hurts, Lykaon! My hand….it hurts!
Lykaon slowly pulled me away from his chest to lay me down, then took my casted hand in both of his. "Klyn, can you find a nurse who can give her more pain killers?" There was a pair of feet walking away, then a door closing. Lykaon said to me, "Try to relax, Opal. We're getting something to help."
He wiped my tears away and kissed me softly, still holding my hand. I realize now that it was this that feels so large. How thick did they wrap my hand anyways? A moment later, the door opened and a new nurse said, "Alpha, I'm going to need you to step away from our patient so I can do something."
The bed shifted and I let out a half whine, half groan. A moment later, I felt Lykaon on my other side, putting a hand under my head. "Shh, baby. I'm still here."
"Alpha—"
"I'm not moving from here," he said flatly. "You have plenty of room to do what needs to be done, so do it."
There was a snort before she began. Lykaon didn't move the whole ten minutes it took for the stern nurse to check my vitals and give me medicine. I could smell the disinfectant and the sweet scent of the pain killer, and I wanted to gag again. From nearby, Klyn spoke, "Lykaon, Michael is having a hard time keeping our guests happy."
My mate sighed in annoyance before kissing my head. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Klyn is here to watch over you. If you need the nurse or something like that, he can get it for you. I won't be long, baby."
With that, he left.
The nurse finally finished and left. The medicine must not only kill pain, but put me to sleep. I just didn't want to sleep. I didn't want to fall into darkness I might never get out of again. Groaning, I lift my good hand to my face, shaking my head vigorously. "Opaline?" Klyn said, coming closer. "Hey, what are you doing?"
I groaned.
"Just calm down, Luna. The medicine won't hurt you."
Fuck the pain! I can't take it! I scream to anyone I'm linked to, which must have been a lot of people. Klyn groaned and fell to his knees. I heard screaming outside my room and different crashes.
"Opal, you can't do that!" Klyn hissed.
I pause my pain induced anger and try to calm down.
"What can't you take?" he asked a moment later.
I need him, Klyn! I can't go back to sleep, not without him! The nurse…she…I don't want to sleep!
He moved around a little, seeming to be looking for something before returning to my side. "Here, drink this." He held a cup to my lips and I let him tip it so ice cold water flowed down my throat in a relief. I took more sips, more gulps. It felt so good! "Does your mouth feel better now?"
I nod slowly as he wipes some missed droplets off my chin.
"Good. Now, relax. Fighting the medicine won't help you, and Lykaon will return shortly. He will know you're asleep and make sure you're comfortable."
I nod once, feeling drowsy. I'm scared, Klyn. I'm terrified. He didn't say anything, so I fell into another dreamless sleep.