At Dawn, in the Forest

Chapter 17

Dawn fell to the ground, it was her leg that gave out, snapping as her shoulder did. Aiden was quick to her side and picked her up. He knew what was happening and he also knew it wouldn't be a pretty experience. He carried her outside, giving Dawn all the space she would need. She lay there on the ground screaming in pain while her body snapped at different angles. Aiden tried to comfort her through the difficult process.

Aiden suspected Dawn was shifting and he also suspected she hadn't done since her capture. Therefore, the process would be difficult and painful. Also, he didn't know what the effects of the experiments were on her wolf body.

It took almost fifteen minutes for Dawn to fully shift. Once she was fully shifted gasps echoed around her. Her father and brothers, Mateo, Max, Alistar, and Aiden stood around her and watched in horror. Dawn's wolf was in a worse state. She was small, malnourished, and scars were visible all over her body. Her fur was dull and matted in some places.

The wolf side of a werewolf often showed how they were truly feeling and how their health was. If you saw a fully grown wolf with a thick coat of fur, strong legs, and healthy teeth the person behind it was in good health. But Dawn's wolf was anything but healthy. The young woman managed to disguise her health well in front of her family, her wolf not so much.

Aiden kneeled by her side when the wolf fell. "Get the medics. Now!" He yelled over his shoulder.

In mere minutes, Harper and two other medics circled around Dawn. They talked in hushed voices and scribbled notes quickly on their notepads. They shared information with each other about their findings. Once done they nodded to each other. "We need to get her back in her human form and get her to a proper hospital," Hira said, the head medic.

"What's wrong?" Boaz asked concerned.

"Dawn may have thought she felt better but our suspicion is that she is far from that," Hira explained.

"How is that possible? She didn't complain of any discomfort and she looked...fine. I can't say better, but she didn't look particularly ill," Aiden asked.

Hira sighed. "I don't know Dawn well, but from what we are observing and what Harper told me, it might be the case that Dawn didn't know better. Her stay here probably, in comparison with her stay at the lab, was and is much better. I think she couldn't tell she was in any discomfort still."

"Alright, how do we get her to shift again? She looks exhausted," Aiden kneeled next to Dawn again and petted her carefully, trying to offer some comfort.

"Talk to her, give comfort, and lead her through the process of shifting back again... And give her some space," Hira advised.

Everybody understood the head medic and they left, except for Aiden and Boaz. Together they coaxed Dawn back into her human form. Slowly her body started to transform again and Boaz quickly fetched a blanket and wrapped his daughter in it. She then passed out.

***

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Then... a loud gasp of fear.

Dawn shot right up from the hospital bed. Frantically she looked around. She was back in the room. No, no, no, no. No! This couldn't be true. She swung her legs over the bed and stood up. A tucking. Dawn could feel cords holding her in place, cords from the monitor and tubes of the IV. She ripped them off. As her hand hovered over the door handle the door opened. It was Larisa.

"Dawn, my dear. What are you doing up? Come, come, you need to get back into bed." Larisa looked worried at her. Dawn looked confused. Larisa and the room didn't go together. They weren't seen in the same setting. So? So... she wasn't in the room?

Larisa carefully guided the distraught and confused Dawn back to her bed. "Where am I? I don't want to be here. It's dangerous. I have to go."

"You are safe, Dawn."

"No, you don't understand." Dawn's breathing picked up. Panic coursed through her. She didn't know what to do. She felt so helpless.

Then Hira and Harper entered the hospital wing. "I don't know what's happening with her. She seems in distress, confused even," Larisa tried to explain.

Carefully the three women tried to get Dawn back into bed and hooked up to the monitor and IV. With not much success. Dawn went hysteric when she saw the needles. She started to trash in their hold. Hira was about to give her a sedative when Aiden came in.

"Wait, please," He asked the head medic. He walked over to Dawn and held her hand and stroke her head, saying sweet nothings to her. Dawn slowly calmed down, the presence of Aiden alone was enough for her to feel safe.

The women worked as fast as possible. When done Hira did comment that giving a sedative was for the best for Dawn, even when she was calm again. She needed the rest. Aiden reluctantly nodded his head, giving permission. He kept comforting Dawn as she slowly closed her eyes.

***

Two days after Dawn's shift, she, Aiden, Caspian, Larisa, Harper, and the female warrior Dawn saw at her rescue, Cassandrea, were in the car on their way to a hospital specialized in werewolves. It was located in one of the biggest packs in North America. Dawn had no idea what a bigger pack would look like, both her old pack and the Red Wood pack were small and communal. The Moon Valley Pack had hundreds of members and their pack grounds transformed into a big town or a small city, depending on how you looked at it.

Dawn was anxious. Ever since her shift, she felt jittery, afraid she might shift again and feel disoriented again. She couldn't trust herself anymore. And that scared the living shit out of her. She had always relied on herself, on her instinct but now she couldn't anymore. Aiden tried to explain all would be well again once her health was back up again where it needed to be. It would only be a matter of time before her health would be once it was before.

Upon their arrival at the hospital, the Alpha Male and Beta Male welcomed them. After hearing the story of Dawn they offered their recourses and help immediately. They brought a shipment of medical supplies to the Red Wood Pack and promised them that they would cover all the costs for Dawn's recovery. The said pack had their fair of unfortunate interactions with humans and were understanding of Dawn's case.

Everybody exchanged pleasantries while Dawn stood next to them. She hoped she wouldn't be noticed. Meeting new people made her more anxious. Who could she trust and who couldn't she trust? This was a continuous battle for Dawn.

You wouldn't notice her anxiety, she looked as stoic as ever. She didn't dare to show any emotions in front of these strangers.

Just when Dawn thought she could get away without a proper introduction the middle-aged Alpha turned to her. "You must be Dawn," He held out his hand. She looked at it confused. Shaking hands wasn't a formality known between werewolves, it was known to be a human formality.

Aiden gently nudged her.

Dawn silently shook his hand. And then the Beta's hand. She noticed he was old, much older than the Alpha. His hair was almost white and he had many wrinkles around his eyes and neck. When she stepped back again the Alpha spoke up. "If you need anything please let the staff know, and if you need me, call me." He reached into his pocket. "This is my card with my phone number on it, I am 24/7 available for you." Larisa and Aiden thanked him profoundly and once they were gone Dawn and the others went inside.

The first thing Dawn disliked was the smell that hit her the moment the automatic doors closed behind her. The second thing was the lab coats that the medical staff wore (the medics of the Red Wood Pack didn't wear them anymore out of respect for Dawn's trauma). The third thing was the interior of the hospital. It was less creepy and grimy than the lab but it had many references to it.

By just walking in Dawn had made a whole list of things she disliked and made her want to run out of the hospital right in that moment. Even the few plants they had placed in the hospital pissed her off.

They were fake.