The Veterinarian and the Werewolf

Chapter 13

Chapter 13 – Jessie

Jessie kicked the door to the back of the house open, for the first time in a long-time panic filled her brain as she yelled, "Quick Joe get my medical bag from the truck." All eyes turned to her. She looked a sight, blood splattered across her top, her neck and face and through her hair. In her arms lay Henry his limp body terrifying the group more than the blood. Joe quickly jumped into action, his training kicking into gear as he ran to the truck. Tom ran to Jessie attempting to take the wolf's body from her, but she refused to let him go. Refused to accept that he was possibly gone.

She pushed past Joe into the kitchen, sizing up the situation and determining the table was the best place to operate. "Dillon, go get the tarp from the shed? Tom, clear the table off, I don't have time to get to the clinic, so this is going to have to do."

Together the boys worked fast, clearing the table, laying out the protective cover, and Joe organising what was needed from the travel kit that she used at the ranches. Finally, she allowed Joe to take Henry from her arms laying him out on the table.

"Where is the wound Jessie?" he asked assessing his body.

"Shoulder, right scapula, the bullet is lodged in the bone." The panic was beginning to settle allowing her training to kick into gear, but the next words from Joe halted her.

"Jessie, are you hurt? Where did all the blood come from? This wound would not bleed like that."

The boys all looked at her, then she looked down at Henry, she couldn't lose it, not yet, not until he was safe. A growl built in her throat busting its way through her mouth, "Just concentrate on Henry, I'm fine. Just focus on him."

Together they worked on the wolf, after 30 minutes all that remained was a shaved square of skin and a neatly stitched up hole. A bullet lay next to the bloody gauzes and surgical tools. Together they cleaned him up and Tom carried him up to their bedroom laying him on the bed. They attached the IV bag to her headboard and at that moment Jessie's adrenaline faded, the images of what she had witnessed, flooded her mind and she shakily slid to the floor. Not sure what to do, the boys moved towards her trying not to crowd her, but all concerned.

Questions began filtering through her haze. "Are you alright Jessie? Are you hurt? What happened?" She tried to speak, but nothing could come out, even that action was too much.

She finally heard another voice, Dillon's talking to the boys. "We have to get her out of those clothes and in a bath, Tom, go run a bath, Joe and I will look after her here, ok."

She heard his shaky voice protest. "No, if anyone should do that it should be me."

She wanted to protest to tell them to leave her alone, but it was like she was trapped within her own body. Nothing was working. Gratefully, she heard Joe's placating Tom. "We have known her a long time Tom. Please, just do what we are asking you to do." Silence hung in the air until a small sob could be heard and then footsteps.

Very gently the boys undressed her, assessing her body for damage, they left her underclothes on thankfully unspoiled by the blood. It was a strange sensation being cared for like this, Jessie wanted to talk, wanted to move but found she was too exhausted to carry out her own wants. Dillon, the stronger of the two lifted her gently bridal style, her long legs hanging off his arm as he gently sat her in the bath. Together, they removed all traces of blood from her hair and skin. At one point Dillon left leaving Joe on his own to sit with her. "Jessie, I don't know what's going on, but this looks really serious. Whatever it is you know that we will look after you, protect you and Henry ok. You're safe with us."

The words broke through her battered brain. Her breathing began to shudder, and her shoulders shook as the tears began to fall, the fear, panic and anger all tumbling over her in waves of emotion. Dillon returned with a cup of hot coffee saw the dam break, without thought he motioned for Joe, "Get in and hold her honey." Fully clothed Joe got in the tub and pulled Jessie into his arms the water spilling slightly over the side of the tub as their weights combined. Dillon quickly sat the coffee down and mopped up the mess to the sounds of Jessie's muffled cries.

A long time later, Jessie was warmly rugged up on the bed next to Henry. His breathing was gentle and steady, her shudders long subsided, chairs had been bought up to the room as Joe monitored Henry and no one was willing to leave Jessie. Finally, regaining some of her focus and right mind, Jessie had a new hot cup of coffee in her hands and was trying to work out a way to describe what had happened.

She looked at the boys who were all waiting patiently. "This morning when I went out to get the milk, there was a letter from Boyd. He threatened to kill Henry and harm Tom if I didn't meet him this afternoon in the forest."

Angry protests left Tom's lip at this comment and Dillion placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him, before saying, "Keep going, Jessie. So, you slipped out to meet with Boyd?"

She looked down at Henry, her hand reached out to touch his fur and calm filled her at the contact. "He was blackmailing me to be his "little woman", threatening us, and was in the process of trying to get me to kiss him when Henry jumped out in between us. Boyd laughed and pulled a gun on him, saying that if he killed five of the six wolves here fifteen years ago, he would kill one more. Something snapped in Henry, and he leapt at Boyd. The gun went off, but it didn't deter him. He tore Boyd apart, ripping his throat out, and... and... once he was dead, he collapsed."

Silence filled the room as each person looked at Henry, they all knew that he was now a condemned animal. If anyone figured out what had killed Boyd, the sheriff would order his destruction. Jessie would have no legal recourse to defy the order. Slow tears began to fall again down her cheeks, if only he could turn human if only he could fight hard enough then he would be safe. No court of law would be able to say a human had killed Boyd.

The boys began to stir, and it was Tom who spoke first. "Jessie, we can't tell anyone. we have to let him be found by someone else. Give Henry enough of a chance to heal so he can get away. Once the town knows they will put out a hunting order, he won't be safe anywhere here." She knew he was right, if he was strong enough to move, she would have taken him far away, but he needed at least two days more to stabilise if his healing rate was anything like last time.

Grateful for his healing abilities she said quietly, "He will be ok in two maybe three days. You saw how quickly he healed last time Joe, then I will leave. I'll drive until he is better, then we will find a new place to live. Joe, I'm sorry to do that to you. But I'm sure you could advertise for a new Vet to fill my place." All three boys began to protest at her words none wanting her to leave. For a life lived in solitude, she had made an impact on all of their lives.

Tired and weary Jessie placed the coffee down and laid beside her rescuer, lover, and mate. Placing her hand lightly across his body, she shut her eyes and fell asleep.

Over the following day, Henry slowly began to wake. He had stopped appearing in Jessie's dreams and his absence was acutely felt by her.

On the morning of the second day, Joe came running into the house shouting, "Jessie, Jessie, they found him! Jessie, the sheriff and the ranchers are set up at the local hall readying a hunt. But I heard Tom's dad say they should start here first!!"

Panic filled her body; they had run out of time.

She ran up to their room. Tom was sitting by Henry, but there was no time to worry what he would think, what any of them thought. Pushing Tom out of the way she knelt next to Henry her hand threading into his fur as she had done that last time, they were together in her dream. Desperation filled her voice as she pleaded, "Henry, please Henry, you have to change, you have to come to the surface, they are coming to get you, I can't protect you like this! Pleeeeese! Henry change!"

She heard the sound of someone banging on the front door, and Dillon and Joe answering. Loud shouts and angry voices were heard floating up the stairs as she looked back fixing her eyes on his startled blue ones.

"Please my love, my mate. Come back to me."

A/N once again thanks to my beta buddy,  I'm going to finish this story this week or next hopefully :) so hehe hold onto your hats Selah