Adam gently pulled away from Mimi as he realized the drug had taken effect, and Mimi was finally completely relaxed in his arms. He got out of bed and helped Samuel to turn Mimi onto her back so that Samuel could put the central vascular catheter in place. Once it was in place, Samuel put a large bag of nutrient concentrate into the IV.
He told Adam, "Six ribs broken, four broken. Extensive bruising everywhere. I don't know about the internal organs because this girl is one big bruise now. It's hard to palpate. A few days of good sleep and all this new nutrient concentrate can do wonders. Do you know what they did to Mimi at the facility?"
Adam was silent. Mimi had told him she had listed as many ways as she could remember before she had initially fallen asleep in bed. Mimi had also told him how she'd felt her pieces all over the room, how she'd discovered she actually had a photographic memory and was fucking effective. No good stuff nightmares, mind fuck.
Adam nodded. "They killed her. 386 times. Mimi listed earlier, when I brought her in, as many ways as she could remember before falling asleep. Did you know they put a bomb in Mimi's chest and blew her up and that Mimi felt every bit of what survived as her body grew? "
Adam's voice was low and dangerous. Samuel was silent. He, too, felt his rage rising.
"Mimi is asleep now, and that medicine will make sure she stays asleep. Adam, let's go and eat now and maybe have some bourbon. You look like you could do with a good night's sleep yourself. We can discuss it more then if you want, but Mimi's home now. She'll be fine. We'll protect her. "
The men went into the living room, or Bran's living room, where there were a few other werewolves, including Charles.
When Adam and Samuel told Charles what had been done to Mimi, Charles got up and said, " Fine, I'll go and see the place now. I'll destroy all the evidence and see if there's any information on how they knew about Mimi. I'll burn the whole place down. I know the authorities don't go into those places, and they have no business going in there when some corrupt politician might be in on it, trying to make money and fame. I'll let you know if I find anything."
Charles chatted with a couple of other werewolves, and the men left. Adam sighed. It was good that Charles would take care of it so that none of this would become public, especially on Mimi's part. But Adam knew Mimi would need proper protection now.
I woke up. I had no idea how long I had been asleep. I was already in much better shape and not nearly as sore and stiff. I had obviously slept for a few days at least. I was still skinny as hell, but I was getting better. I should be able to move on from this.
I took out all the drip lines and cannula nicely and went to the bathroom first. I had fluids in me, judging by the amount of piss. The house was enormous, and I didn't know where anything was, so I wandered. I knew we were in Bran's place in Montana. Then Bran met me.
He looked at me momentarily, clearly wary of my movement, and said calmly, "Shouldn't you be, little girl, resting? You must have had quite an experience. Come with me, and let's go to the kitchen, and you can have some juice or something."
Bran led me into the kitchen and handed me a couple of sandwiches and a big glass of orange juice. I ate the sandwiches slowly and drank the whole mug when I started to see double vision and felt like my hands wouldn't obey. I was dizzy but tried to stand up but couldn't get my legs to obey.
I fell to the floor from my chair, almost unconscious. The juice was obviously drugged. Bran got up, lifted me into his arms, and carried me back to the bed; everything went black on the way.
Adam was already in the room. He looked at Bran hard. Adam had just showered and thought about coming to check on Mimi when Samuel said that Mimi could wake up and Adam could remove the cannula and the IV. Mimi had been asleep for three days.
Bran put Mimi down and said to Adam, "I gave her a few drops of chloral hydrate. It works well; soon, she will be completely unconscious. It should keep her unconscious for at least 12 hours. Think for yourself: do you want to keep her asleep, but my god, she is light? She's very fragile and delicate. There will be a need to protect her. To keep her asleep and safe. I'm surprised she hasn't had any infections."
Adam tucked Mimi in, and Samuel came to watch as Adam told him what Bran had done through the pack bond.
He looked into Mimi's eyes and said: "Completely unconscious, chloral hydrate must be remembered, but then it might make you feel sick when you wake up. She needs to be watched closely."
Adam nodded and sat down in the chair next to the bed.
Mimi was still asleep 18 hours later, and Adam got up. He thought about going to breakfast because even though he tried to wake Mimi again; she didn't respond at all. He thought he would consult Samuel over breakfast. Adam entered the kitchen full of Bran's pack but didn't see Samuel.
Adam asked Bran, "Hey, where is Samuel? Mimi still hadn't woken up. I wondered if Samuel would check on her. Mimi is sensitive to the cold. She's warmly covered, but still."
Bran scratched his ear and said, "Samuel had to go to the mountains, emergency. One of these wild ones, one bitch, is giving birth, so needs help when the baby is in the wrong position. Samuel will return from his time, and Mimi will wake up, too. Right now, her body wants to rest now. Don't worry so much, Adam; I've got a couple of packs for you to look at; they've got some problems."
Adam sighed and said, "I'm not working right now; I'm waiting for Mimi to wake up, so we might be able to leave for Chicago sometime in the meantime."
He continued on his way out of the kitchen, looking stern and clearly worried about Mimi and irritated at Bran.
I woke up. I felt awful now. I was cold, and my stomach was twisting really severely. I could barely get out of bed and into the bathroom when I threw up violently right into the toilet bowl. I held on to the edge and kept vomiting. Cold sweat was on my forehead, and I would have just wanted to go back under the covers, but the nausea wouldn't let up.
The cramps were relentless, and I was shaking as I vomited wildly. I felt like my bowels were in knots, my stomach was hard, and I was dizzy. I noticed my hair was also swimming in vomit, but I just threw it back and let the vomit explode again when I couldn't help it. I heard the door open and footsteps approaching.
Adam came up to me and said worriedly, "Hey, you're feeling awful. How come you're vomiting so badly? Let me help you."
Adam tried to hold my hair back, but it was already in vomit. My mouth tasted awful, and it only made the nausea worse. I desperately wondered if I would ever get up from this hard floor. Bran's guest room had no underfloor heating, and the floor felt cold and hard under my knees.
I kept vomiting, and Adam went to find some supplies. Soon, he brought a smaller bucket, towels, and some wet wipes. He waited until the worst wave of vomiting was about to end again, then carried me to the bed and gave me a small bucket. My stomach was really sore, and it just hurt.
Adam called Samuel, " Samuel, it's Adam. Mimi woke up and won't stop throwing up now. Her stomach is really sore. Is there any idea how to make it easier, or do we just have to wait for it to pass?".
Samuel cursed harshly.
He replied, " Bran has given not a few drops but a big dose again; those are signs of an overdose. I don't know if the anti-nausea medicine would help, but I'd have to give it, and I don't know if Mimi can take it now. Anyway, I'll be back because those were fake contractions. The baby is in the right position, and all is well."
Adam sighed and hung up the phone. He came to me. "Mimi, can you handle one injection? If I could get some anti-nausea medicine from there, I'd give it as an injection into your muscle. Would that work? It might help. "
I nodded. Now, at this point, anyone could probably have injected me with a pretty big needle, and I wouldn't have minded if it had helped, so I wasn't throwing up all the time.
Adam said: "It's the stuff Bran gave you. He gave you too much. Samuel's on his way, but I'll see if I can find that anti-nausea medicine first."
Adam left the room, called Samuel again, and asked for the anti-nausea medicine. Samuel advised him but said he would be there in ten minutes. Adam went to look for the medicine because it would be easier for Samuel to help Mimi if the vomiting had stopped a bit.
He found the medicine and drew it into the syringe as Samuel had instructed. Then he returned to Mimi. Out of the window, he saw Samuel's car pull up, and Bran went to talk to him. Samuel was clearly agitated as he picked up his bag and swept past his father into the house.
Samuel asked when he saw Adam, "Did you give it to her?"
Adam showed him the syringe and said, " I'm just going. Mimi had thrown up in her hair, but everything can be washed off as soon as the throwing up stops."
Samuel and Adam went together to see Mimi.
I thought this would never end. Spasm after spasm made my stomach churn, and I tried to vomit, but nothing came up after a little gastric fluid and a few drops of blood. Oops, I've puked my throat raw, I thought.
Adam and Samuel entered the room, and Samuel came to sit on the bed next to me, took one of my hands, and felt for my pulse. Then he touched my neck as well. Adam, at the same time, gave the other side a shot in my arm. I didn't even pay attention to it.
Samuel wiped my forehead with a wet towel and felt my stomach. I moaned because it was so sensitive to the touch. The men waited 10-15 minutes, and my throwing up showed no signs of stopping at all. Samuel stood up and motioned for Adam to go into the corridor.
Samuel said, "Mimi is really dehydrated, powerless. Her stomach is sensitive to touch and hard. Now, it would probably be wisest to put Mimi to sleep, hydrate her, and get out of there because I don't trust my dad when he clearly still has problems with Mimi. The nausea will stop when I put her into a deep enough sleep. I want to examine Mimi better. Let's go to Tennessee. There's an adequate medbay, and the drive isn't quite as demanding. "
Adam nodded, and Samuel said, "I'll go to the other room and get the meds ready. You try to calm her down a bit and help, but say nothing to her about sedating her yet. This injection is just another kind of nausea medicine, and it should stop the nausea completely. Mimi doesn't need to know that it will also knock her unconscious. "
Samuel left, and Adam went to Mimi.
Adam came back, and I asked him: "What is the verdict?"
Adam smiled and said, " Samuel went to get some more powerful anti-nausea medicine that should stop that vomiting. The point is to make you feel better. You're pretty damn dehydrated. Don't worry. We'll be out of here as soon as we get your nausea sorted out."
Adam continued to wipe my face and neck with damp towels, trimmed the tops of my dirty hair, and braided my hair tightly so it would no longer get in the way. His grip was firm and reassuring. Somehow, just being in Adam's presence calmed me down properly. I was still nauseous, but now I was safe again.
Then Samuel came back and felt my stomach deftly as the pain took my attention, and then he gave an injection into my arm.
He rubbed the spot for a moment and said, "It will take 8-15 minutes, and after that, the vomiting should be over. This should help. Let's make you a little more comfortable and get you some real help.."
The men continued wiping me with wet towels, and soon, I felt terribly tired. Even though I could feel the nausea receding, I couldn't stay awake.
The last thing I heard was Samuel saying to Adam, "Like I said, the nausea stopped."
Then everything went black as I collapsed unconscious on the bed.
Adam gathered sleeping Mimi in his arms, who he had now wrapped in the blankets, while Samuel had gone to get the car. Samuel had told him to keep Mimi warm as the medicine might affect her thermoregulation. Samuel had simply informed his father that they were leaving now.
Bran said to Samuel, "Come and see me in a couple of months when I have another Midsummer party."
He didn't seem to have any regrets and was clearly relieved when Mimi went away and was unconscious. Samuel didn't reply because he wasn't sure if they would come. He was even more irritated with his father, who had now given Mimi an overdose. Mimi has not yet recovered from being tried to kill 386 times. Samuel thought now in his mind, as he thought 387 times after that stunt of Bran's.
He pulled the car into the front yard, and Adam came out carrying Mimi in his arms. The trip would take a few hours, but the powerful medicine the girl had been given would keep her under a tight anesthetic.
They arrived in Minnesota 12 hours later. They had told everyone they were going to Tennessee, but in reality, they had secretly agreed that Minnesota would be a better place. Samuel suspected Bran would send his people to watch Mimi while she recovered. And Mimi didn't need that kind of attention right now.
Adam carried Mimi to Medbay and left her in Samuel's care. Adam showered, ate, and slept for a few hours. Samuel would wake him if the need arose. Adam had learned early on, when he was turned into a werewolf, to always take care of yourself first. Because you can't help others if you're not well, it was natural for Adam to eat, wash, and, above all, rest.
Samuel examined through Mimi. Her stomach was badly irritated, and the cultures were positive for bacteria, but there was no sign of any immune reaction. Mimi simply repaired the lesions. According to her, the bacteria would emerge and slowly diminish. Samuel thought this was again as pointless a calorie consumption as possible. It would be easier if he could get Mimi an immune system.
Samuel thought and thought. It was as if Mimi was missing about half of her entire immune system. But where would he get the other half? Samuel put Mimi on fluids and an antibiotic to support Mimi's strange defense mechanism.
This would be one more thing to remember. Mimi would show no signs of infection, no fever, no feeling sick, nothing that would normally be attributed to the immune system. And her wounds probably wouldn't fester much, anyway. Samuel sighed. He liked a challenge, but then again, when it got too much.
Mim would have to remember to watch out, and the woman herself would have to get a grip on this, too. It would not be easy, no. Adam came eight hours later to ask Samuel to dinner.
Samuel said, "Wait, and let's medicate her a little more first. I won't let her wake up until that infection is gone. It shouldn't be for a couple of days; the chloral hydrate almost burned Mimi's stomach out, causing the stomach infection, and when you don't have immune defenses to stop the bacteria before they can wreak havoc, this is the result. Mimi needs to learn this for herself. How susceptible she is and how that, in turn, affects her calorie intake. But okay, now I'm ready. Let's go eat."
Samuel put down the now empty syringe in his hands. He carefully checked that the whole tube was free and that the medicine had gone where it needed to go. It had gone.
Adam looked amused and asked, "What are you doing going through those tubes?"
Samuel sighed deeply. "Mimi woke up earlier and neatly wrapped the drip tube between her fingers so that it clogged. Unfortunately, it was an antibiotic drip; she's sneaky, so I wanted to ensure she slept properly. I don't want her to try to go out with such a strong medication yet."
Adam laughed, and the men went off to dinner. When they returned, Mimi was still sleeping peacefully.
Adam wiped the hair from Mimi's forehead. "She's not warm at all."
Samuel said: "When you don't have an immune system, you don't get a fever."
Adam left the medical room again to get his company's affairs in order. Samuel leafed through his papers and examined his machine.
I woke up when no one was around. The hose is not an antibiotic because it is so white; there is something added to this medicine, so this must be keeping me asleep, no. Now I do not want it. I cleverly put the tube between my fingers so that no one would notice immediately. I wouldn't have to wait more than 10 minutes, and my head would start to feel more alert.
Sure enough, it worked. I just had to be credibly asleep when Adam came to wipe my hair off my forehead and then walked away. Samuel went to do something on his computer, so I unplugged all the tubes and sat up. There were no boards on this bed, which was a good thing.
I sat on the edge of the bed for a while. No nausea, no stomach ache, head pretty clear, but where was I in medbay? Certainly not in Chicago. I got up and went for a walk, found the bathroom, and went to do my business.
I was startled by a cough and saw Samuel standing in the doorway, saying, "Mimi, seriously, is this wise of you? Do you feel wise? "
I cleaned myself up and stood up. Samuel took me firmly by the hand and put me back on the bed.
"Now you're there. I'll take a blood sample in a minute. If it's clean, then you can go, but if not..."
Samuel looked meaningfully at the IV bag.
The blood sample was clean, and Samuel now escorted me to the kitchen of the Minnesota house. The walls of this were white painted wood, and here, too, the wood-coloured panels were about a metre high. There were four floors. We were now on the second floor because the first floor was underground. It wasn't quite a basement floor because that was there, too. The stairs were wooden and spiral stairs, Adam said my bedroom was on the top floor and a little walk up the stairs wouldn't bother me at all. It didn't.
I ate myself incredibly full again and went up after Adam. The top floor had large double doors with gold handles. Adam went and opened the doors. The room was huge. The room had a big canopy bed the size of five people, which looked really lovely. It was dark red velvet, that canopy. The curtains were the same shade but satin.
Adam said: "OK, I know it's a bit red, but you can change everything."
I sighed with happiness. This was perfect.
"It's perfect. I'm not going to change anything about it. I'm not going to change anything. I'm like a bloody princess. "
Adam laughed and said, "Go take a shower and read some books. Samuel delivered you some supernatural anatomy books, so get some rest. I'm on the third floor, and I'll be up at night, so you don't have to worry; I will not abandon you."
Adam turned around and walked away. I started browsing and exploring the drawers, boxes, and cupboards. Eventually, I ended up in a gorgeous marble shower with a light shower head that changed color depending on the temperature. I was in the shower for ages, as it was such a lovely place. Then I dried off, put on my nightgown, and climbed into bed to read anatomy.