Compassion

Vulnerable

Athena up before the crack of dawn was brewing some coffee when she suddenly felt an intense sorrow. She dropped her cup and took deep breaths to calm herself. She jumped when a mournful howl filled the air. "What the hell?" She muttered. Peeking outside she saw the darkened sky lightening and squinted when she saw something in her yard. Reluctantly opening her door, she cautiously walked to it and screamed when she saw a bloodied unconscious man. She slipped into her physician lens and listened for an heartbeat ignoring the sense of urgency that fell on her. The strong smell of of blood entered her nostrils, she could smell the silver poisoning and she had to take a few steps back to clear her senses. She paused in calling the ambulance because her wolf screamed to her that the male was not human. She tried to lift him and groaned at his weight. He needs immediate attention. She thought. Looking around cautiously she quickly stripped and her wolf eagerly rose. Her wolf quickly lifted him onto her back making sure to be careful of his wounds and carried him into her house. She sat him on her bed, making a mental note to wash her sheets, and shifted back. She studied his blood covered face and hair wondering why his scent was so familiar but nevertheless she got to work. She counted his visible wounds, the number adding up to six. It had been awhile since she had treated a wolf but for some reason it all came back to her as she went to run bath water. Filling the tub to the brim she changed back into her wolf and carried him to it unceremoniously dumping him into it. The spacious bath caused the water to rise to his neck and she grimaced at the red hue the water immediately turned. Dumping water over his head, she made quick work of cleaning him and his wounds. She bandaged his head and bought him back to the stripped bed. She knelt and smelled the poison from his wounds. Silver bullets, she thought. She got up and paced, thinking quick. She ran to her closet and rummaged through it successfully finding a bag that she had not opened in five years. Not having time, she dumped the contents on the bed and found the vial and ointment.

The five years previous, she had been heartbroken when unpacking her bags and seeing her tools carelessly tossed into the suitcases, many of them broken during the trip. Luckily her salve was intact, so she quickly added it to his open wounds. It had the same effect that alcohol often had on the wounds of humans. He subconsciously flinched and tried to escape the burning sensation. Holding him down she removed the bandage on his head and poured the liquid ointment down his throat. The liquid burned a fiery trial through his body fighting and cleansing it of the silver poison. It also triggered the wolf's immune system to fight against the poison when it usually would succumb to the poison. That was the strongest treatment against the poison she had but she was not so sure it would work against the amount of it in his blood stream. She watched nervously as he convulsed on the bed and tried to sooth him. "Ahhhhhhh!" He screamed, his deep voice guttural. She jumped up at the sound of his voice.

"No." She whispered. "No!" She yelled backing herself against the wall and staring as his body settled. Her wolf's urgency and willingness made sense to her now. Because he was covered in blood, and she had been blinded by the urge to help him, she did not notice who he was. With her adrenaline gone, her eyes raked him. "Son of a bitch!" She swore. She paced and took deep calming breaths. Laying in her bed, healing, was the bane of her existence for the last five years. She wondered whether or not she would have still helped his had she known who he was. She slumped when she realized she would have regardless. She left her room and paced more. She was so out of it she could not hear her phone ringing until the fifth call. "Hello?" She said distractedly.

"Where are you girl? I just received a worried call from a very worried Rodger. You did not go into work today?" She sighed at the sound of Betty's voice. Betty was constant. Betty was simple.

"Betty." She whispered. But she thought about it. Would telling put her and Elijah In trouble?
She was annoyed that, she was once again in the position to care about his well being, of all people.