I woke up this morning safe and sound. That was my first thought: secure. I was still in Adam's arms, and he was sleeping peacefully, holding me in his arms. It was early morning because it was still dark. I knew I had been given the drug, and I could still feel the effects, but it was no longer keeping me asleep. I was ultimately in his arms, warm, hearing and feeling his heartbeat and breathing.
Adam looked young and innocent, restful. He didn't look old when he was awake, but there was always a charge about him as if he had to keep himself under control all the time. Under control and now asleep, he was free of whatever it was.
He was warm, safe, and clinging tightly to me. I tried to move, and his hands tightened their grip, and he growled sleepily in my ear, "Don't go yet, Mimi, don't go anywhere. Try to go back to sleep."
I relaxed because I had no choice. Arms held me and stroked me reassuringly. I smelled Adam's pear, closed my eyes, and let my mind wander; I had fallen asleep at some point because Adam had already left by the time I next woke up. I was still a little groggy, and I realized that somewhere along the line, more of the drug had come.
I looked at the clock, and it was 1 p.m. Adam came into the room with a big tray as if he had heard me wake up, which he probably did. I got into a better position and started to eat.
I asked Adam, "Should I sleep all the time, or can I be awake sometimes?"
Adam laughed and said: "You need rest and lots of it, young lady. Just accept that you will get a very long night's sleep from now on. Let's try to keep you well asleep every day for an entire week now, and you get to eat and do a bit. Maybe we can help your metabolism and fitness with some good rest. This whole thing has been a mad dash, and now you're safe; now you can rest, recover properly, and recharge your batteries."
I sighed and continued eating. No baking yet, as I need to rest first. And so it began my very peaceful life in sleep therapy. Not that it was in any way scary or bad, but when I was impatient and wanted to try everything.
I had been on sleep therapy for a week now. My sleep started at eight or nine in the evening with Adam, and I woke up at two or three in the afternoon to eat, shower, and maybe read a little. Usually, most of my waking hours were spent in the medbay downstairs because Samuel wanted to examine some part of me almost every day.
At the same time, he got me used to the various procedures patiently and safely so that I began to relax a little better there and didn't need shackles to take blood tests. One of his concerns was my body temperature.
I couldn't maintain it yet, so I was almost always a degree or two below average, and Samuel said that affected everything. He measured my body temperature several times a day, sometimes even after a bath, to see how long my temperature was maintained. Samuel had trusted scientists and gave them my results, data, etc. The researchers always wanted new tests and had always found something new to investigate with Samuel. There was always sampling, and Samuel was often surprised at what his team had come up with about me to study when he had not always thought of them himself.
They had developed an intravenous nutrient concentrate that was dripped into my vein whenever I slept, and as I mentioned, I slept a lot. It was absorbed most effectively because my digestion was not very efficient, so almost all the food was not absorbed very well at all, and the scientists had studied my shit quite talentedly; I had to eat the prescribed foods, and then all my excrement was collected and analyzed. And repeatedly.
But I was a good girl and did what I had to do. Samuel could be creative and clever. For example, he hid the drip trays and bags so I wouldn't see them when I woke up if I woke up in the middle of everything, which I had done a couple of times. All the medicines didn't work so well on me, and it seemed I even developed resistance to the drugs, which made Samuel desperate.
I had put on a few kilos, and it actually made me feel refreshed and strong. Samuel protected a couple of kilos and continued the sleep therapy for at least a few days. I already wanted to do something. Samuel gave me three days where I didn't have to sleep so much.
Oh yes, I started baking. First, I went through the cupboards and everything before the three days and ordered the supplies from Adam. By the time my three days were up, I would be done. First, I made a bun, made a liter of dough, and had two eager male friends. I showed them how to roll the buns and how to make cinnamon, chocolate, and butter buns. Let's just say there were none left for the next day.
Then meat pies. I deliberately didn't explain what I was making because I wanted to show off, and I wanted there to be surprises. I also made a doughnut batter to go with it. Then I took the frying fat and put it on to the heat. However, two very protective werewolf wolves fried everything because I could get burnt. The donuts and meat pies were ready very quickly. I enjoyed baking, and the smells brought back nothing but excellent memories, and now I was also making new memories with my pack.
I had boiled eggs and asked for cooked ham, now I put the sliced and hard-boiled egg and boiled ham with butter and salt in the meat pie and started eating again. The two werewolf males did the same and started working on other toppings. I made cookies. I had looked online for a few recipes. Baking was really therapeutic, and I felt like myself for a long time. I thought everything would sink in no matter what I did, and nothing would be left behind. Everything went as they were made and was often still hot.
Adam said: "You know, Mimi, I've been looking into buns, doughnuts, meat pies, and biscuits. Now I can make them myself. Thanks for the lesson. "
Oh, that sort of thing. The next day, I made bun dough again. I made berry pies, braids, curd pies, and buns. And again, Adam was amazed. He had just begun to think of all the things you could make from a bun. I made bread, curd bread, actually. Once again, the bread disappeared fresh from the oven. And so did the cream puffs.
On the third day, I made rice pies, meat pies, doughnuts, and pastries from curd butter dough. Everything sank in once again. Then it was time for bed again. This time, I would sleep 20 hours a day in an adult incubator made by Samuel's research team. I was pretty amazed about it, but I had to be.
I would go to bed as usual with Adam, and Samuel would then move me when it was time for me to go to the incubator.
Samuel said: "You will then be given some pretty strong drugs that you have never experienced before. You can and will be groggy, sleepy, and sedated. I will wake you up for a few hours to eat, go to the bathroom, shower, or do whatever. Then, return to the incubator, where you'll be given drops. These drops are, again, a powerful anesthetic. You'll fall asleep sufficiently. Let's see how this treatment works. Since your body needs rest, if I can get your metabolism to calm down with this, that's a plus. "
I said, "Fine, how long, I mean when is the full moon, what about my transformation, then?"
Samuel said, " We are the alphas; we will prevent you from changing shape on the full moon, and you will mostly sleep during that time. Don't worry about anything at all. This is probably boring and stupid for you, and you want to bake and do things, but you will get another chance. Now, you have to take it easy first."
I nodded, point taken.
I went to bed with Adam at night, and falling asleep on it is incredibly safe. I realized I miss the safety and feeling of security. I fell asleep and didn't dream. I woke up to Samuel calling me. I was exhausted and didn't want to wake up.
I was in an incubator. It was warm. I had a sheet on, but otherwise, I was naked under it. It was a Plexiglas box, big enough for me to turn over and sleep if I wanted to put my feet up differently. It had holes for hands, just like a regular incubator.
Samuel opened the lid. " Good morning, sleepyhead. Would you come and eat? You've been sleeping in there for 30 hours straight. It must be a pretty nice place."
I thought sourly, "Or maybe I'm just that well drugged."
It took me a while to get myself awake enough, even wanting to be awake. Eventually, I sat up, and Samuel handed me a nightgown to put on. The normal room air felt cold, and Samuel gave me a thick dressing gown. And then to dinner. I put on my lovely fuzzy slippers.
Adam was in the kitchen and said: "oh, you do like to wake up now and then, princess sleeping beauty," and laughed huskily.
I didn't say anything because I was still sleepy and a bit hungry. Adam directed me to the table and started to carry the food in front of me. Again, I ate as much as I could and a little more. I was still tired and considered going back to the incubator to continue my sleep.
" First, young lady, you will shower and dry yourself, then I will come and do your hair," Adam said in a snappy voice.
Fine, I then took a hot shower and washed myself, and it actually felt good, but I was still tired.
Only then was I allowed to go back to sleep. I took Samuel's drops, but I fell asleep in about five minutes when he put the cover on and the blanket over the covers, so it was dim. It wasn't a scary place at all. It was safe again. That's what I was looking for.
I quickly got used to the smell of the incubator; it started to smell like strawberry, and I realized I smelled like strawberry naturally. Adam was a pear, Samuel was a lime, and I was a strawberry. Adam told me that the pheromones would smell a lot more then, but they wouldn't be around for a long time because they were related to rutting and mating, things I had no interest in at all yet.
I was disturbed almost every time I had to get up and go to eat or shower. For some reason, my body had now figured out how to sleep, and the medication kept the nightmares away, so I slept. And a lot. After two weeks, Adam and Samuel decided to wean me off the incubator.
I wasn't terribly impressed. I had now connected the incubator to my place of safety, and the thought of not being able to sleep in safety was distressing. Still, Adam was adamant, and the incubator was put in the storage room.
Bran had visited one day, but I was asleep and didn't wake up, even though he had tried to wake me. I had just dozed off, and I remember nothing about it. Bran had been asking Adam and Samuel about my wolf and how I was doing when he hadn't seen me since I was rescued. He hadn't seen me as a werewolf.
By now, I should be awake. I had gained 8 kilos, my metabolism had dropped by 40%, and now Samuel wanted to see if I could maintain my body temperature. When the drugs stopped working two days after I woke up, so that I wasn't a walking zombie or so, I started to feel pretty good.
Now, it would be my turn to try a shapeshift. Adam would help me change my shape. Samuel and Adam were both looking forward to meeting Mimosa. They would look through Mimosa and examine it, talk to her, and then maybe we'd get back to a new routine since I wouldn't have to sleep like a bear in the winter anymore. Samuel theorized it might be possible for me actually to go into hibernation if things got tight, but he didn't want that now.