The water is already running as Ember walks up the stairs with Voigt sat on a chair at the side of the tub. He's rummaging through a large green pack and setting some tools on a metal tray perched on the edge of the bath.
"Uh, hey," the black wolf says, stepping closer and nervously eyeing the bent needle laying on a cloth.
"I'm not gonna bite you, pup. Check the temperature and adjust the tap to your liking. I've just been filling it with hot."
Ember walks over and touches the surface of the water with the back of his hand, pulling it back quickly. He twiddles the tap to try and reduce the temperature and looks around for the bubble bath Cal mentioned.
"What are you after?" Voigt asks.
Ember blushes, expecting him to scoff at the idea of using such a thing. "Cal said I could use his ... bubble bath stuff."
"Cupboard over there." He smiles and returns his attention back to the bag to pull out a few more essential items.
The water instantly starts foaming at the impact of the goopy soap. Voigt, with now a tray of instruments, goes over to the sink to start washing them and getting them sterile.
"So ..." Ember starts, constantly checking the water and adjusting the tap appropriately. "Where'd you learn to do medical stuff?"
"The army taught me." He responds, drying off the tools with a disposable microfibre tissue.
"So are you like ... a doctor?" He presses gingerly, knowing the answer already but wanting it to sound casual.
"Sort of, but no," he answers cryptically.
"Sort of?"
"Well, I was never a doctor, but I'm not anything anymore," he responds sharply and carries the tray back to the chair and lays it on the bath's tiling. "Get in so I can stitch you up."
Ember, struggling to find ways to keep the conversation going, carefully submerges himself to the belly while Voigt slips on a pair of blue surgical gloves. He turns off the water and lays back under a shallow surf.
"I'm going to clean the area first," the older wolf says, gently parting the matted fur to inspect the wound, "then I'll numb it and close it."
"OK," Ember says quietly, wincing as the dried blood is removed with an alcohol wipe. "Can you tell me about yourself a bit? Since we're here."
"You really are a nosey wolf," Voigt grumbles.
"I'm sorry, I just figured that ... since I'm going to be living here a while ... we should open up a bit more to each other."
"Hmmm" the older wolf ruminates on this as he continues to clean the fur. He eventually nods with a sigh, "I guess you make a point."
"Only if you're comfortable with it."
"I'll never be comfortable talking about my past, pup. I'm a veteran."
"You're right, I'm sorry. I don't know what it's like being in a war."
"I've been in two." He pauses, thinking back on it before going back to his work. "Neither were happy experiences. But I saved a lot of lives, so I'm glad to have been a part of it. Some people wouldn't still be around today if not for me, which makes me feel better whenever I have to remember those times."
"That's really cool of you, Voigt."
"Hah, 'cool'," the grey wolf chuckles, amused by the use of the word. "Well thank you."
"So what wars were you in?" Ember presses further, hoping he has a foot in the door now.
"You really want to know about my life huh?" Voigt finishes cleaning and starts applying the numbing fluid.
YOU ARE READING
Collar the Wild
WerewolfCollar the Wild follows the story of a werewolf who gets administered into an institution against his will after he'd been identified as a threat to humans. He must prove that he can integrate safely with humans and discovers more about himself in t...
