by K. Aten
Jesse leaned over and lightly kissed the unconscious woman on the lips. “Hey, babe. I’m glad to see that you’re alive but you better wake up so we can go on that date you promised me the other day.” Her breath caught but after a second she continued on. “I love you, Annie, and I really need you to come back to me, to come back to all of us.” At a loss, the werewolf settled into the seat next to the bed but didn’t relinquish the hand she was holding.
Sarah reached down and gave her sister’s ear a little tug. “Hey there, A. You’re so quiet right now. I could get used to this. Just kidding. I would give anything to hear your voice right now. We all love you, Annie, and we need you to fight for us, okay? No matter what has happened, or what will change in our future, we’ve always got each other.” They sat by the bed for over an hour but Annie didn’t wake. Finally Sarah flagged down a nurse. “Excuse me?”
The nurse stopped and smiled at her. “Yes?”
Sarah glanced at her sister, then back at the woman dressed in scrubs. Her pants were weighed down by a pager and starting to sag on one side. “The doctor told us it usually only takes a few hours to come out of recovery. Do you know why she isn’t awake yet?”
The nurse went over to look at Annie’s different monitors, then took her pulse and listened to her lungs. When she was finished, she straightened and stepped back from the bed. “I’m not really sure. People take different amounts of time to wake after surgery, and her injuries were pretty severe. However, her pulse rate is normal, maybe even slightly elevated, and her lungs are surprisingly clear given the injuries she received. Much better than she was right after surgery. Let me speak with the doctor, but I’d say just give her more time. Some people have stayed under for as long as five hours; it really depends on how they react to anesthesia. Has she had surgery before this?”
“Yes, she had her appendix removed when she was in high school. But she woke up less than an hour after she was out of surgery.”
The nurse had stopped making a note in Annie’s chart and tapped her bottom lip with the pen. “Hmm, I’m sure she’s fine but I’ll speak with the doctor.”
They waited another hour and Annie still didn’t wake. Sarah went out twice to update Keller and Jill, but returned each time to sit by her sister’s side. Finally, three hours after the end of Annie’s surgery, another doctor came to look at Annie. He asked Sarah and Jesse to step outside while he performed the exam. From outside the door they could hear the doctor call one of the nurses over and they had a hushed discussion at the head of Annie’s bed. Between the noise of the hospital, the solid closed door, and the fact that the doctor was whispering, they only caught snippets of what the man was saying.
“—they’re gone.”
“Have you checked…skin looks fine…?”
“—only happened this morning…”
Jesse looked at Sarah in alarm. “What are they talking about?”
The singer frowned as the doctor that performed Annie’s surgery came down the hall at a fast pace and pushed into the room. He walked over to Annie’s bed and started talking to the first doctor. “I don’t know but I’m going to find out!” When she opened the door, one of the nurses immediately rushed over.
“Excuse me, but you can’t be in here right now!”
Sarah pointed at the unconscious woman on the bed. “That is my sister, and I have medical power of attorney over her. If there is something wrong with her I want to know right now!”
Hearing the commotion, Dr. Reider came over. “Calm down, Miss Colby, your sister is doing just fine.”
“If she’s doing fine, why did you come rushing down here and why is everyone gathering around her like that?”
He sighed and looked at the wall above her head, searching for words to explain what he had no explanation for. “Your sister is showing complications, strange complications.”
Sarah started to get a clue, even if he hadn’t. “Please explain.”
He frowned. “Some of her superficial wounds have healed already, something unheard of hours after an initial injury. We need to run some tests to be—”
Sarah interrupted him. “No.”
He looked startled. “Pardon?”
“Is her life in danger?”
“Well, no but—”
Sarah continued. “Is she healing? Have there been any negative effects of her injury?”
He looked flustered. “No, I just said that.”
“Then I do not consent to the tests.”
The doctor’s face flushed. “You signed a consent form when you filled out the paperwork for your sister’s care.”
Sarah’s green eye’s turned hard. “I signed a consent form for her emergency treatment, so you could provide lifesaving practices and medicines. Tests costs money, do you normally run unnecessary tests here? If so, I’m turning you in to the insurance company!”
“Ms. Colby, please! I’m only trying to do what’s best for your sister.”
The singer crossed her arms in front of her chest and stood firm. “No sir, you said yourself that Annie is healing and there were no issues with her progress—”
She was interrupted by the good doctor. “But there are anomalies in her blood, and I would like to see if that could be responsible for her strangely accelerated healing.”
“Anomalies which I also share, Doctor Reider. It is a family trait and I can assure you that it has done neither my deceased parents, nor myself, any favors. If you cannot respect my wishes then I will remove my sister from this hospital and place her with a private doctor. And I will call our insurance company!”
His face darkened at her threat. “As you wish, Miss Colby.” He glanced at his watch impatiently. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have other patients to attend to and I believe visiting hours are over. I’ll have your sister transferred to a room and we will continue to keep you apprised of her condition.” He went over to Annie’s bed to return her chart and say something to the other doctor and the nurse in charge of the recovery area, then walked stiffly from the room. Jesse came in as soon as he was gone.
“Well, what did he say? Or maybe I should ask what you said. His scent screamed anger when he left.”
“He told me that she was healing faster than normal, and that they had found anomalies in her blood. Then he told me they were going to run some more blood tests to see if those same anomalies are the cause of this new development. I told him the anomalies were a family trait and that I did not consent to the blood tests. I also threatened to put her in private care and report him to the insurance company if he insisted on running unnecessary and expensive procedures when he already stated she was fine and healing well.”
The younger woman’s eyes widened. “Oh. I can see how that might piss him off.”
Sarah noticed the nurse approaching out of the corner of her eye. “And now they’re going to kick us out since visiting hours are over and they want to transfer her to a room.”
When they got back to the waiting room, Keller jumped up from her chair. “What’s wrong?”
Sarah explained the situation to Keller and Jill. One of Jill’s good friends was a doctor, they went to undergrad together. She said she would speak with her friend to see what they could do about getting Annie transferred out of the hospital. After that the four women decided to go to dinner together and head to their separate homes. Louve had called Keller earlier to ask if they could all come over the next day. They still had to deal with the rest of the fallout from their confrontation with the rogue wolves. Alain was dead, Joseph was dead, Marie was dead in a morgue somewhere, and Marcel was still very much alive. There were other issues to deal with as well that were loading both Louve and Keller’s shoulders with guilt. Keller knew she would have to fill Sarah in on the details once they got home.
Jill dropped the couple off at the condo before driving herself and Jesse back to her house on Auburn Street. They were still a little shell-shocked when they sat next to each other on the couch. Jill looked over a
t her temporary roommate when Jesse gave a quiet whimper. Jill could feel the younger woman’s fear and heartache with her empathy. She reached out and put her arm around Jesse’s shoulders and drew the werewolf to her. The unfamiliar comfort was all it took for Jesse to break down. She sobbed on Jill’s shoulder and her pain tore at the older woman’s own heart. For Jill, Annie was like the younger sister she always wanted. She’d been practically adopted by the Colby family all those years ago and she couldn’t imagine a life without both the sisters in it. Jesse’s voice was muffled against Jill’s sleeve. “She has to be all right, she has to. I love her so much!” She pulled her head up and turned tear-filled eyes toward Jill’s. “What happens if she doesn’t wake up?”
“Shh, she’ll wake up, J. The kid is tough, she’s going to be okay” Inside, Jill was wishing she had someone to hold her. But she knew that Louve was dealing with the death of one of her troupe members, no, pack mates. She understood that the Frenchwoman had her own responsibilities right then, but Jill’s heart ached for her nonetheless.
WHEN THEY GOT home, Keller left Sarah seated on the couch with a glass of wine while she took Duke outside to do his business. When she returned she ran a bath in the Jacuzzi tub and coaxed Sarah to join her. Then, while the singer was as relaxed as she was going to get, Keller filled her in on the events with Alain.
Sarah didn’t think she could be shocked by anything else that day but she was wrong. “So Alain had been holding a grudge for decades because of something Catherine did?”
The two women were facing each other in the large tub instead of their usual back to front position. It made it easier for them to talk. “Well, Catherine did kill his children and wife in front of him. I think it drove him a little mad and he just wanted someone to pay. When he found out that Louve was her lover, I think he saw a way to get his revenge.”
Sarah shook her head. “But you killed Catherine, shouldn’t that mean something?”
“Yes, it means I stole his revenge from him.”
Sarah sighed and closed her eyes. “That’s crazy.” When she opened them again, she gave Keller a worried look. “And you’re sure he’s dead?”
Keller started massaging Sarah’s feet with slippery soaped hands. “Don’t worry love, he is gone. He confessed everything while I was holding him. After that it turned strange. With the twins as witnesses, Louve judged Alain as Varoullac.”
Sarah stopped running the sponge she had been using, across Keller’s leg. “Varoullac? What is that? And what did she do?”
Keller laughed and brought Sarah’s foot up to her mouth. After taking a ticklish nibble of Sarah’s big toe she answered her. “You are always so impatient! The word is a portmanteau of varou ullac, meaning werewolf outlaw. It is a title as much as a description. As soon as she said the word, he really started to struggle. I think he knew what was coming. All three of the wolves were in their half-form, just like Alain. And they—well they tore him to pieces.”
The singer raised an eyebrow. “Harsh.”
“Really?”
Sarah frowned and a dark look came over her face as she thought about all they had done to her best friend. “No. And just how did you manage to avoid the bloodbath?”
Keller managed to look offended. “I’m a vampire.”
“And you what, magically willed the blood away from you? Or maybe you ran around and caught all the flying blood in your mouth?”
The blonde wrinkled her lip in disgust. “Don’t be vile. I’m a centuries old vampire who is both faster and stronger than all of them. I knew what was coming and I moved out of the way before it got messy.”
“And Jill?”
Keller chuckled. “Let’s just say that when the nice sheriff showed up, not all the blood on Jill’s clothes belonged to Annie.”
Sarah sunk deeper into the tub. “And what are they going to do with Joseph? Does he have any family?”
“No. Apparently he was a refugee living in southern France; Louve found him on the streets years ago. The Troupe was his only family. They will bury him at the farm. Alain’s remains will be burned, per tradition. I don’t know yet what will happen to Marie’s body at the morgue. I’m guessing that someone from the troupe will pose as a distant relative in order to get the body released for cremation. Maybe give them religious reasons to avoid an autopsy.”
The singer put the sponge away and sat forward. “And what will happen to Marcel? He is just as guilty as Marie, maybe not as much as Alain.”
Keller looked thoughtful. “Actually, I think Alain was responsible for a lot of Marcel and Marie’s aggression. He was a master at mental manipulation. I suspect he used what they already had inside and stoked the flames. As for his fate, his family will take care of him. They will return to Quebec tomorrow, after we all meet.”
“How can they keep him in check?”
Keller tickled her foot. “The wolves have their ways, trust me. We won’t have to worry about him again.” Sensing that Sarah had no more questions about the events of the previous day, she decided it was time to question the singer about her own feelings. “How are you doing with all this?”
Sarah shrugged. “I’m fine.” She skimmed her hand through the water, not meeting Keller’s eyes.
Keller grabbed the moving hand in her own to still it. When Sarah looked up, she looked calmly back. “No, you’re not.” Keller saw Sarah swallow and watched her lover’s green eyes fill with tears. “Talk to me, love. Let it out, I’m right here for you.” Sarah turned away from her lover’s probing gaze and stared at the candle on the ledge around the tub. When Keller gently cupped her cheek and pulled her face back toward her, Sarah’s bottom lip began to quiver. “Please Sarah, let me in.”
All at once Sarah’s hands came out of the water to cover her face and she started sobbing. Keller turned her around until Sarah was seated in front of her, back to Keller’s front. Then she wrapped her arms around Sarah and gently rocked her. “It’s going to be okay, love, just let it out. I’m here for you and everything is going to be all right.”
Sarah’s shoulders shook with the force of her crying. “Bu—but how do you know? H—how do you know it’s going to be okay?” She shuddered in her girlfriend’s arms and wailed her fear to the heavens. “She almost died, Keller!”
Waiting a beat, Keller continued to hold her. “But she didn’t die and you have to focus on that. Even better, you won’t have to worry about her anymore because you’re both going to live very long lives. You know that, right?” Keller rubbed her soul mate’s arms, continuing to soothe the overwhelmed woman. “All this fear and anger have been building for a long time and you just need to get it out. Everything is going to be okay, you’ll see.”
Eventually Sarah’s crying slowed and then stopped. She turned red-rimmed eyes back to Keller. “Everything’s going to be okay? You promise?”
Keller stared back, knowing that there was no certainty with anything in life. But she also knew that Sarah needed reassurance and she would do anything to make her lover happy again. “Yes. I promise.” She gave the taller woman a little nudge. “Now come on, the water is getting cold and I’m starting to prune in here.” Sarah gave a quiet hiccupping laugh.
Once they were both standing, Sarah turned around and took the shorter woman into her arms before they could get out of the tub. She looked into the blue eyes that held so much love for her. “Thank you.” Keller smiled and nodded. “Now I think you’re right. Let’s get out of the water and dry off. I need you to hold me tonight.” She looked at her girlfriend with uncertainty. “Is it okay if all we do is cuddle?”
Keller leaned up and gave her a sweet kiss on the lips. “Always. I love you, Sarah. Always.” The least Keller could do was make her soul mate happy. Tomorrow and their situation with Annie would arrive soon enough. Tonight would be just for them.
THE NEXT DAY, Jill and Jesse picked up Sarah and Keller, then drove out to the farmhouse. Keller noticed that her car had been towed as they drove down the long dri
ve. The Audi definitely didn’t survive its meeting with the oak tree, and based on the damage done to the trunk, it looked like the tree wouldn’t survive either. The four women were shocked when they saw Marcel. The usually arrogant man looked strangely defeated. He was sporting a spiked collar around his neck, but the spikes were facing in instead of out. Jesse rubbed her own neck, understanding that changing would be impossible without irreparable damage being done. He would kill himself. Sarah understood its use as well and thought the dog certainly deserved it. Jill merely shivered; it looked like an extreme version of a choke collar to her. The mood was somber at the farm. The Columbus women said their goodbyes to Raph, Aric, and Ranier. Louve said that Joseph had been buried that morning and that Beale was carving a headstone for him. Bastien had left to claim his “cousin’s” body from the morgue and had instructions to take her to a crematorium that Louve had made arrangements with.
The police had all the evidence they needed to pin the robberies on Marie and had no problem releasing the body. Apparently she had a few personal items, including a necklace, which had been stolen recently. Everything seemed to have wrapped up nicely, with the exception of Annie. It was still early when they left the farm, just after nine in the morning. They went directly to the hospital to see if Annie was awake. When they arrived, all four of them went up to the room number Sarah was given by the front desk. Clustered around the bed, Sarah looked at Keller in confusion. It was obvious the younger woman had healed even more overnight. “I don’t get it, why doesn’t she wake up?”
Jesse tilted her head and peered closer at her girlfriend. “Does she look thinner to you? Look at her cheeks.” She pointed to Annie’s cheeks, which were noticeably hollowed out.