To Walk Alone

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Sif glanced at the warrior who still stood out in the hallway, unmoving and ever watchful.  His eyes locked on hers, but their connection didn't last long because Jake issued a low growl and Tuck looked down at his boots. 

'He's protective,' murmured her wolf with approval of their mate, and Sif inwardly rolled her eyes. 

Nick still held the cord to her IV and was carefully rolling it up so it was off the floor, but it tugged uncomfortably at her leg nonetheless.  Her ear twitched in his direction. 

"Will you lay down so the doctor can replace your stitches?" asked Nick with raised eyebrows.  He swung the end of the IV cord back and forth like a pendulum, as if he were ticking away the seconds while he attempted to encourage her to cooperate. 

She let out a low groan, then turned her head enough to eye the doctor who had at some point, laid out various stitching utensils and gauze on a small tray that he now held in his hands.  The frustrated look on his face told her he was not happy about having to replace her stitches. 

She was exhausted.  She'd never been in her wolf form for so long before. 

Hours, yes.  Days, no.

It was mentally and physically draining and slowly she felt herself come down from her temporary adrenaline high.  Her shoulder hurt, her stomach ached with emptiness, her wolf yearned for her mate's touch, and her head was pounding.  She would give in despite the voices in the back of her head that told her to keep fighting. 

"This would have been a lot easier if you had shifted, but that's not how you roll, is it Sif?" Nick asked with a dry laugh, as if he could read her mind.

Her legs trembled harder the longer she stood there.  The bandage on her leg and the fact that her shoulder bones were still broken made laying back down uncomfortable, but she forced herself to do it anyways. 

"It would be easier if you laid on your side," the doctor suggested, but Sif gave him a wary look. 

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll stay with you?" offered Nick as he came around the foot of the bed, but Jake obviously didn't like that suggestion, because he let out a low growl, and Nick hesitated. 

"That won't be necessary," Jake said firmly, and Nick took a step back.

"Your body burns off sedatives faster than I've ever seen before," muttered the doctor as he shuffled around.  He placed the metal tray by the end of the bed by her feet. 

"Yes," sighed Nick, turning back to the doctor.  "She needs heavy doses to keep her under."

"What is that supposed to mean?" demanded Jake, and his beta, Lucas, took a step inside the room toward his alpha.  

"Well... er..." stammered Nick.  "Like Doc said, she burns it off faster than normal."

Sif attempted to roll onto her side, but only managed to unwillingly whimper out loud when her left shoulder seized with pain. 

Jake's quick step toward her had the doctor fumbling to help her readjust, and before she realized it, Jake was standing beside her bed.  The same dark look in his eyes never left and while her wolf was happy by his closeness, Sif was not. 

"I do need to continue the IV though," Doc said, and she felt the tug on the needle still taped to her leg.  "It'll help keep you hydrated.  And I am going to add another round of antibiotics just to be safe.  You'll feel a little stinging after a bit but that's normal."

Sif rested her head against the long bed and her eyes followed the doctor as he shuffled around the room.  A nurse was called to come and help but it wasn't long before Sif's eyelids felt unusually heavy, and she felt herself start to slip away.  She let out an uncertain whimper which was suddenly followed by a growl and then voices were shouting, but that was the last thing she recalled before sleep completely and unwillingly overpowered her.