Waiting For August

Part 58 ~ Where you belong

It had begun to rain. Grey skies not unusual for this time of year. Fat raindrops hit the windshield as I maneuvered the truck through Zeke's compound, headed towards the front gate. August was looking out the window beside me, his attention on the small shops that we passed along the way.

"You hungry at all?" I glanced at him as I came to a four-way stop.

He looked at me briefly before he shook his head. His face already looked a lot better. He still had purple bruises beneath his eyes like dark circles, but his left eye was no longer swollen shut. In another day, even those bruises would disappear.

He'd been as eager to get out of the clinic as I had. So much so, that he'd allowed me to help him get dressed; getting him out of the shirt of the scrubs and into the clothes I'd bought. It had made me chuckle. He'd glanced at me confused and I grinned at him as I slipped the t-shirt gingerly over his head. "Yeah. This is definitely not as much fun as taking your clothes off." He'd snorted then, and it was one of the best sounds I thought I'd ever heard. It cemented within me the idea that he was going to be all right.

I had just helped him on with his shirt, when a tall, handsome wolf in a white coat walked into the room. He nodded to August before offering me his hand.

"I'm Dr. Shane Davies. Are you going to be taking care of August for the next few days?"

I nodded as I shook his hand. "I'm Caleb Bishop. August's mate."

The doctor squeezed my hand then, giving me a quick smile before releasing it. "Ah, I see. That makes me feel better. I'd gotten word that he wanted to check out early and was ready for a fight, but now that I know you'll be taking care of him for the next few hours, I don't see the harm."

He turned to check August over once more. While that was happening, a nurse pulled me aside. "I have his meds." She handed me a pill bottle, as well as some written instructions. "These are antibiotics, he takes one pill three times a day until finished." She waited for me to acknowledge my understanding, before she held up a second bottle. 

"These will help manage any discomfort. He can take one to two pills every six hours as needed. They'll help with the pain but it will also make him drowsy. I'll be giving him two now, along with his first dose of antibiotics, so if he can hold off until bedtime, it'll help him to sleep." I nodded as she handed me the pills. She then went to tend to August as the doctor finished up, dispensing his meds to him in a little paper cup, before she removed his I.V.

I helped August with his long-sleeved top. His arm was bruised where the I.V. had been, and his shoulder was stiff and sore. He'd suck his breath in through his teeth whenever he had to move it. When he was dressed, I grabbed his things and followed him out to the waiting room.

Zeke Fraser was waiting for us. For him. He drug his hand through his dirty-blonde locks before straightening himself up off of the nurse's desk where he'd been waiting. He glanced briefly at me before petitioning August.

"Hey, can we talk?" He glanced at me again. "Privately?"

August exhaled. He sounded as defeated as he looked. "Can't it wait Zeke? If you'd like to call the office and set up an appointment, I'll be more than happy to—"

Zeke shook his head. Took a step forward. He reached a hand towards August's shoulder, stopping short just before his finger grazed the fabric of his shirt, perhaps thinking better of it. "It's a personal matter."

I felt my jaw clench. My wolf's hackles not only raised, but he began to growl. I didn't realize that I'd growled too, until August reached back and took hold of my hand. He squeezed it, snapping me out of my primal trance and immediately calming me.