Saving Eve

2.

    "My Luna, you were an admirable soul out there; however the child is long past saving. Her vital are down, her lungs are failing and she has pneumonia. She will die before morning comes." The pack doctor left, closing the door behind him, leaving Alexia and the baby alone in the medical room. The child was sleeping inside an incubator with several different tubes attached to her tiny body. It was only now, in the bright light of the medical room did Alexia notice how small the child really was. The doctor estimated the baby to be at least 2 months old however she was only the size of a 2 week child. Alexia placed her hand into the incubator and gently wrapped her fingers around the child's fist. She was so engaged in looking at the child she didn't realize her mate standing behind her.

"Where did you find her?"

Startled, Alexia glances back. She takes a deep breath and returns her attention back on the child. "In the cave, in a cardboard box. She was crying; no wonder she must have been freezing."

"Lexi, you heard the doctor. Let's go." Jacob was moving towards the door when Alexia let out a scoff.

"I can't believe you. This child is dying and she has no one and you want me to leave. Why? Is it because she is not our child? Is it because I didn't give birth to her?"

Jacob wrapped his arms around his crying mate and held her shaking form.

"I just don't want you to get too attached. That's all."

Alexia pulls away and wipes her tears. "Fine, you can go but I'm staying with Eve."

"Eve? You named the child? For fucks sake Alexia this child is not ours. Its human and it will die tonight."

"I know it's not our child Jacob! I know it's not our child because we can't have children. And if that," Alexia turns to point at the incubator, "is my only chance of holding a child and feeling like a mother then so be it. I will stay the night and I will be by her side until she dies."

The last thing she heard was the door slamming behind her as she sat down on a chair beside the incubator and let her tears drop.

Alexia didn't know how or when she fell asleep but when she woke up she was surprised to see Jacob kneeling beside the incubator.

"Jake?" she whispered, "What are you doing here?"

He didn't bother to look at her and instead said "I couldn't sleep without you." Alexia didn't comment instead turned to the incubator when she saw Eve stir.

"How is she doing?"

"Not too well. Her breathings faltering and she is boiling." Alexia looked at the clock on the wall. 5:00am.

"But she got through the night. That must mean something." Alexia joined Jacob on the floor just as he exhaled a breath.

"Yeah well we'll find out in a second when the doctor comes in."

"I have administered the antibiotics and that should bring down her temperature. For now I suggest applying regular wet towels to cool her down."

"But Eve's going to be okay, right?"

"Eve?" The doctor asked, before recognition flashed in his grey eyes. "Eve? Oh what a beautiful name. And for now yes she has got through the night which was the most dangerous part but now it's time for us to see how her body will react to the antibiotics."

       (5 years later)

"Eve! Gemma!" Alexia was getting worried, the two girls were supposed to be playing in the garden while she prepared lunch but looking out now she couldn't see them. "Eve! Eve!" she screamed as tears pricked in her eyes.

"Lexi" hearing his mate screaming, Jacob had run downstairs as fast as he could. "What's going on?"

Alexia ran into his arms, tugging at his shirt "I can't find Eve. She was out here with the Gemma and now sh-"

"Oi Oi! Look who made her mother cry." Both Alexia and Jacob turned to the backdoor where Jhorn jogged in carrying a giggling Eve in his arms while a pink faced Gemma sat on his shoulders.

"Mummy!!!" Eve screamed in joy as she nearly jumped out of Jhorn's arms.

"Woah. Careful little Miss Eve, y-"

Before he could even finish his sentence Eve was grabbed from Jhorn's arms by Alexia who finally felt like she could breathe when Eve was finally in her arms.

"Where did you go Eve!" Alexia scolded, "I told you to play in the garden with Gemma." At first Eve looked alarmed at being told off by her mother and then when crocodile tears dribbled down her chubby cheeks, Alexia gave in.

Jacob took Eve from Alexia's arms and gave her a kiss on her wet cheeks. "Where did my little princess run off to?" Jacob asked as he rubbed the tears from her face.

Eve pointed a finger at Jhorn who was holding onto his 5 year old daughter Gemma.

"Wait a minute. You came to give me the magic potion you made, you silly." Jhorn sounded like a five year old himself and it made both Eve and Gemma burst into fits of giggles.

"Alright that's enough fun for tonight," Jacob said as he carried Eve back into the house, "remember we have a meeting tonight at 8, be there." Jhorn made a mock salute and with that both him and his daughter bid goodbye to Alexia and left to go back home.

When Alexia got inside the house she smiled as she saw Jacob cutting up an apple into tiny pieces for Eve so she could have her "snack". Jacob noticed Alexia and nudged Eve, who jumped of her chair and ran to Alexia, wrapping her arms around Alexia's legs.

"I'm sorry I made you scared mummy." Alexia picked Eve up and ran her fingers through Eve's thick black hair.

"It's alright sweetie, I love you"

"Lexi," Alexia turned around as she slipped into a long black skirt, "You need to stop being scared of something happening to Eve. She is fine, even the doctor said so. She is five years old, she isn't the same sick baby we found," Jacob grabbed Alexia's hands and brought them to his lips, "she is our daughter and we won't let anything happen to her."

Alexia gently closed the door behind her and kicked off her heels as Jacob thanked Lisa for babysitting Eve while they went to the meeting.

"How was she?" Alexia asks as she clutches her handbag and slowly begins to climb up the staircase.

Lisa clears her throat, "actually Luna I need to tell you something." Alexia stops and makes eye contact with Jacob who purses his lips.

"She went to bed quite early because she wasn't feeling too well. And then when I went to check on her she seemed to have a fever."

Alexia didn't hear anything else because she was already running up the steps to Eve's room. The window in her room was open and her white curtain flailed in the winds. There was an icy chill in the room so Alexia quickly made her way to window and shut it. Then she turned to her daughter who was still sleeping, the duvet wrapped tightly around her body and the only thing you could see was her inky black hair.

Alexia knelt near the bed and slowly pulled the duvet away and that's when she smelt it. A thick iron like smell that clogged up her senses and made her gag. She quickly pushed the rest of the comforter of Eve's body and turned the bed lamp on and the sight she saw made her scream.

The next thing she knew, Jacob was pulling Alexia away from the bed and gathering an unconscious Eve into his arms, before sprinting out of the room and towards the medical room.

Alexia was still on the floor, her eyes still fixated on the bed where the pillows and bed sheets were stained a deep red from the blood that was pouring from Eve's mouth. No. No. No. I can't lose her. I can't lose my daughter.