"There isn't a lot to report right now. She is still unconscious, but the doctors are doing everything they can to help her wounds heal. For some reason, her cat isn't healing her like it should be, so it might be a long time before she regains consciousness," she sympathetically informed us.
Right away, I deadpanned, "Take me to Susie. I need to see her with my own eyes."
"I'm not supposed to do that, but I guess I could make an exception this one time," she timidly replied, then she motioned for me to follow her. I was quick to grab Lance's hand, then we followed the nurse down several halls. Finally, she stopped outside of a closed door, then she looked at me and sheepishly stated, "This is her room. Don't be surprised by what you see when I open this door."
I took a deep breath, then I tried to calm down my nerves that immediately started going haywire in response to her warning. A second later, the nurse opened the door, then she motioned for us to enter.
As soon as I stepped into the room, my eyes immediately scanned Susie's body that was laying on the hospital bed. There was no sign of any movement, besides the slight rising of her chest that
accompanied her shallow breathing.
She was covered with claw and teeth marks, not to mention the abundance of dark purple and black bruises that littered her pale skin. Instantly, more tears sprang into my eyes, as I walked over to the side of her bed.
Once I reached Susie, I cupped her hand between my palms, then I softly murmured, "Susie, I need you to keep fighting for your life. I didn't almost get myself killed to save you, just for you to come here and give up. Please, keep fighting and come back to us."
The doctors and nurses were still mending her open wounds, but they didn't seem to mind me standing in between them, and I was glad they didn't try to send me away. More than anything, I felt the need to be there with Susie, and the only way they would have gotten me to leave, would have been by physically removing me.
After a few minutes of holding her hand and encouraging her to keep fighting, I suddenly felt a few of her fingers twitch, then she groaned in pain. Right away, the doctor grabbed a syringe and injected more pain medication into her IV line.
Susie continued to groan, then her eyelids slowly fluttered open to reveal her pretty gold eyes. Instantly, I reached up and caressed her pale cheek, as I happily mumbled, "Our dear Susie, it's so nice to see those pretty eyes again."
She attempted to flash me a little smile, but she immediately winced in pain, because of the gash on her other cheek, not to mention the fact that her lower lip was split from being punched. A second later, she hoarsely croaked, "Celeste, I owe you big time. Thank you for saving me."
A genuine smile formed on my face, as I affectionately replied, "Honey, you don't owe me anything. It's my duty to make sure our pack members stay safe. All I need is for you to rest and finish healing."
"Thank you," she whispered, then she slipped back into a state of unconsciousness.
I was so relieved to see Susie open her eyes and hear her speak, there was no hiding the smile that stayed on my face, as Lance and I walked back to the waiting room. Once we got there, I gave Lynzee and Beta Shawn an update on Susie's condition, then I insisted they go get some rest.
After we exchanged goodbyes with them, Lance adamantly insisted, "Sweetie, we should go back to our cabin and also get some good rest."
"I think that is a great idea," I cheekily replied, as I grabbed ahold of his hand, then we left the pack hospital and walked straight to our cabin.
As soon as we got there, we took a quick shower together, then I climbed onto our bed without worrying about getting dressed. I was so exhausted, and the wound on my leg and ear were still healing, so that was taking a lot of my energy.
Lance was also quick to climb onto the bed, then he pulled the blanket over us, before he pulled me into a loving embrace and cuddled with me. It felt great to be laying on our bed in my mate's strong arms, and it didn't take but a few minutes for me to drift into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 64
Something's Wrong
Lance POV
I only slept for a few hours, then I laid there and watched the love of my life sleep. Celeste usually looked so peaceful when she was asleep, but that didn't appear to be the case this time. She had her eyebrows knitted together, and her nose kept scrunching up. Not to mention, the deep frown that stayed plastered on her face.
I hated to see her looking so troubled, especially in her sleep. I laid there for awhile and thought about the different things I could do to help her mental state. Seeing so much pain and hate out there was taking a toll on her, and I needed to figure out how to keep my mate from becoming bitter. I had to make sure she didn't get to a point where she felt like it was pointless to keep trying to help.
Although, that was something I never imagined she would ever do, I had to make sure, just to be on the safe side. I admired Celeste for her stance on the subject, and I felt like that was one of her best qualities. A quality that she needed to still have when she took the throne as Queen of the werecats.
After laying beside Celeste for over an hour, I decided to quietly climb off the bed, then I left the bedroom and made my way to the kitchen. I had no clue how long she would end up being asleep, but I didn't think I would be waiting too much longer for her to awaken.
One thing I knew was that I wanted to put a smile on her face, as soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, so I didn't waste any time getting to work on a nice meal. I started by peeling and slicing a few potatoes, then I heated up some oil in two different pans and fried up the sliced potatoes with slivers of onion in one of the pans. In the other pan, I fried up a round of breaded pork chops.
While the meat and potatoes were frying, I used a pot to heat up some cream style corn, then I cut up a few apples. I also made a fresh batch of sweet tea and poured some into two glasses with ice.
When everything was done, I set the table and placed a few candles on it, then I carried the food over and arranged it on the table, so each item would be easy for her to reach. After that, I went back to the bedroom and glanced inside to see that Celeste was still sound asleep.
A part of me wanted to wake her up, so she could eat while the food was hot and fresh. However, the other part of me wanted to let her sleep until her body was ready to wake up. It didn't help that I was starting to get worried. It wasn't like Celeste to sleep this long during a single nap, and that was filling me with a lot of uneasiness.
In the end, I decided to let her sleep, but I refused to eat without her. In an attempt to keep the food warm and fresh, I covered everything with a tight fitting lid, then I plopped down on the couch. I felt at a loss on what to do at that moment.
I had too many things causing my mind to worry, and I needed reassurance that my mate was okay. I sat there alone for almost an hour thinking about everything, and I was just about to mind link the pack doctor, when I heard the bedroom door open.
Instantly, I sprang to my feet and spun around, as my eyes snapped to Celeste. Her skin looked paler than usual, and her eyes were still hazy. I could tell she didn't lay there and give herself time to finish waking up, so I quickly closed the gap between us.
When I reached my gorgeous mate, she immediately wrapped her arms around me, then she buried her face in the crook of my neck. I could feel her body trembling, but I couldn't think of any reason why she would be trembling like she was.
As I embraced her trembling body, I anxiously asked, "Sweetie, what's wrong? Why are you trembling?"
"I don't know, Lance. I don't feel well at all," she mumbled against my neck, and that's when I noticed her forehead felt warm against my skin.
Right away, I scooped her into my arms, then I quickly walked to the front door. As soon as I stepped outside, I sprinted with Celeste holding onto me by wrapping her arms around my neck. I knew if she was running a fever, something was seriously wrong, and the only thing I could think was to get her to the hospital as fast as I could.
> The second I entered the hospital, I anxiously shouted, "I need a doctor, NOW! Something is wrong with my mate."
Within a few seconds, we were surrounded by nurses asking one question after another. However, I couldn't even think straight anymore. I was too worried about Celeste. When the head nurse with black hair and ice blue eyes saw the distraught expression on my face, she held her arms out for me to lay Celeste on them, but I refused.
Knowing that I wasn't going to bend, she gently patted my shoulder, as she calmly remarked, "Follow me, hun. We will get your mate taken care of."
As we briskly walked through the numerous halls, I adamantly stated, "She isn't just my mate. She is the future Queen of werecats. You must treat her with the utmost respect and make sure she is okay. Our species needs her."
"We will do everything we can for your mate," she confidently replied, then she stopped walking and opened a door to a private room.
I followed the nurse into the room, then I carried Celeste over to the bed and gently laid her down. She had fallen back asleep, and that filled me with even more concern. Celeste never slept this much. The only other time she slept a lot was when she suffered from that head trauma.
After being in hospital room for just a few minutes, the main pack doctor and her chosen group of nurses filed into the room. She was quick to walk over to Celeste, then she started checking all of her vitals. When she was done, she looked at me and curiously asked, "Can you tell me everything that has happened over the past week?"
I thought back over everything that had happened, then I quickly gave her a rundown on all the things I could remember. As soon as I got to the end, when I told her about Celeste sustaining the wounds during her fight with the rogues, the doctor immediately furrowed her eyebrows together, then she waved her group of nurses over.
They all huddled around Celeste and started removing Celeste's clothes, while they talked in hushed voices. Because there were so many of them talking at the same time, it was impossible for me to catch everything they were saying. Instead, I was forced to stand to the side and watch them inspect Celeste's healing wounds.
Suddenly, the pack doctor worriedly instructed, "Lily, I need you to get the strongest antibiotics we have here. Janice, get an IV line going. Steph, she is also going to need fluids. She looks very dehydrated. Cassie, you're in charge of bringing her fever down. Do whatever it takes to bring it down as fast as you can."
After she finished giving out instructions, she walked over to me, then she grabbed my hand and calmly explained, "Sir, your mate has developed a serious blood infection."
"I cleaned her wounds the best I could. I don't understand how this is possible," I mumbled in confusion.
The doctor patted my hand, as she thoughtfully replied, "This isn't that type of infection. I believe this is the type of infection that came from one of the rogues specifically. When he bit or scratched her, whatever infection he had in his system was passed to your mate."
"What kind of infection gets passed that way?" I asked in exasperation.
"There are a lot of infections and illnesses that can be passed that way, but we don't usually see them here. You should have some tests ran to make sure you didn't also get infected when you were cleaning her wounds," the pack doctor advised me in a serious tone.
"What about Susie? You should also test her. She was attacked by the same group of rogues that Celeste fought," I explained with trepidation.
"We will do that right away," she immediately replied.
"Is Celeste going to be okay?" I worriedly asked.
"She will be with time, but I don't know how long it will take for the antibiotics to fight off the infection," she sheepishly informed me.
"Okay, doctor. Thank you," I warily mumbled, then I walked over to Celeste's bed and gazed down at her.
I heard the doctor respond, "I will have one of my nurses test you for the infection. I'll be back in a little bit to check on you both."
I nodded my head in response, then the doctor left the room. I continued to stand in the same spot, while I watched the nurse get the IV set up, then she hooked Celeste up to the heart monitor, so they could watch her vitals better.
When the other nurses returned with the medication and fluids, they got those going through the IV, then they made me sit down, so they could take some of my blood to test for infection. They also took some of Celeste's blood, so they could determine the exact strain of infection.
As soon as they left, I pulled the chair over to Celeste's bed, then I sat down and immediately cupped her pale hand in between my palms. Her skin still felt like it was burning up, and I felt horrible for not noticing it before.
I leaned over and placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand, then I softly murmured, "Please fight this infection, Celeste. I need you here with me. I can't live without you."
Chapter 65
Waiting
Lance POV
Nearly two hours after the nurses administered medication through Celeste's IV, her fever finally started to go down, but she didn't regain consciousness. Eventually, I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer, so I laid my head on the hospital bed beside Celeste's hand that I was still cupping between my palms.
Within a few minutes, I drifted into a restless sleep that was plagued with dreams about my mate not fighting off the infection. It was my worst fear to lose her, and the horrible dreams only made my worries increase.
I woke up with a start after only napping for about an hour, and there was no going back to sleep after that. I noticed right away that I was still holding her hand, but I was squeezing it harder than usual. I was quick to release her hand from my grasp, then I reached up and tucked the loose strands of her burgundy hair behind her ears.
I could still feel the sparks flowing between us, but they didn't feel as strong as usual, and there was no stopping the anxiety that gripped every ounce of my being. I knew that was a bad sign, and it made me feel a sense of complete despair.
There was no stopping the tears that slipped from the corner of my eyes, as I dejectedly mumbled, "Sweetie, I know you don't feel well, but you have to keep fighting. You've come too far to let some infection get the better of you."
Of course, I didn't see any type of a response, but I hadn't expected one. I would have loved to see a twitch or something, but there was nothing.
While I was sitting there gazing at her pale face, I thought about her werecat parents, and I knew it was time to inform them about Celeste's situation. I opened up our mind link, then I sadly stated, 'Celeste is not doing well. You should come to the hospital and see her.'
'What do you mean? Why is she at the hospital?' her dad immediately asked with concern evident in his voice.
'She has a blood infection. The doctors are treating her, but she has not regained consciousness in several hours,' I quickly explained.
'We will be there shortly,' he gushed before he cut the link.
Next, I opened up the mind link with Lynzee and informed her about what was going on. She sounded downright distraught when she linked back and told me that she was heading to the hospital right then.
I was a little relieved to hear that she was coming. Lynzee was Celeste's bestfriend, but she was also one of my close friends, and we needed all the support we could get at that moment.
While I waited for the others to arrive, I gently caressed my mate's cheek and softly murmured, "Sweetie, you have visitors coming to see you. Lynzee and your parents will be here shortly. I'm sure they would love to see your beautiful eyes."
Again, there was no type of response whatsoever. I would have done anything to see her pretty smile and captivating eyes, but that was not an option. Not until she got well enough, if she got well enough.
It had only been five minutes since I mind linked Lynzee when she came running into Celeste's hospital room. She looked completely disheveled, and I could tell she had cried the entire way. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her cheeks were streaked from the tears th
at had been falling and were still falling.
Lynzee walked straight to the other side of Celeste's bed, then she grabbed her hand and anxiously mumbled, "Celeste, you have to wake up. There are so many things we haven't got to do, yet. Plus, you have a whole species counting on you. Come back to us, my Queen."
There was still no response, but that didn't stop Lynzee from talking to her nonstop. When Celeste's parents joined us in the room, that's when Lynzee left my mate's side, then she ran straight to Beta Shawn, who was standing to the side.
Right away, he wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace. Lynzee sobbed on his shoulder, while Shawn soothingly rubbed her back and murmured, "I'm here for you, darling."
Celeste's mum started weeping, as soon as she laid eyes on Celeste. Whereas, her dad did his best to keep a brave face, as he affectionately stated, "Celeste, you have always been a fighter, and I know you have it in you to fight this infection."
Suddenly, her mum engulfed me in a motherly hug, as she worriedly asked, "How are you holding up, Lance?"
"I'm not," was all I could choke out, as I tried to keep my emotions under control.
Her dad quickly closed the gap between us, then he patted me on my back, as he confidently stated, "Don't lose hope, son. You know she is a fighter. She won't let this take her down."
"I'm not so confident about that. Our sparks aren't as strong," I dejectedly mumbled.
"That is what happens when the body is fighting an infection like this. Her body knows it needs to pour as much energy into the battle as possible, so it's using some of that energy, as well. I know they say it's a bad sign, and usually it is, but in this case, it's completely normal," he assured me with sympathy swirling in his eyes.
I flashed him a small, forced smile, then I sheepishly replied, "I hope you are right about that. I can't live without her."
Celeste's parents stayed at the hospital for a few hours, then they headed home. Lynzee had calmed down quite a bit by then, and she insisted that I eat something, but I refused to leave Celeste's side.
Revenge : His Mysterious Werecat Page 27