An Idol for the Omega

Chapter 33: Completely Recovered

Mature Content Warning

Jae

"Hhmmm...." Braden softly hums in my arms. He has barely left them in the last twenty-four hours or so. I refused to give him up.

Even though he wasn't able to shift back, I wanted him close and knew he would want the same. Even when the blanket was pulled away and his matted fur made it difficult to tell what was blood, dirt or my sweet Braden, he comforted me. I had not been prepared for how much his small body had still needed to heal.

Hearing his voice in my head, finally, was the most beautiful thing. I'm not sure its counts as sound when it takes place only in my mind, but it was an incredible feeling none the less. I wasn't sure what he meant about his dream, but he drifted off shortly after.

Hyung had worked around me while treating Braden, needing to attach several drips. The pack doctor was there too, consulting with Alec but I didn't pay much attention. They cleaned up Braden what they could to access the healing wounds.

I was glad Braden was asleep again and didn't have to see me watch them treat the torn up flesh. There were so many areas ravaged by teeth and claws. The werewolf's fast healing only made the mangled pieces more impossible, healing in odd patterns and around dirt and debris. There were several that healed improperly, needing to be reopening, cleaned and realigned. Only the reassuring feel of Braden's heart beating against my own chest kept me from losing my mind with the overwhelming rage and loathing that overcame me.

It was several hours later, when Braden woke up again that he could shift. His healing would be slightly slower, but more accurate and safer in human form. The change that was usually rapid and fluid instead was harsh to watch with painful looking pauses that caused me to hold my breath until a panting and exhausted human-form Braden was sitting in my lap. His big, hazel eyes held mine for a split second before rolling back into his head.

Hyung and the doctor quickly covered him with a loose hospital gown. The drips were re-inserted and I carefully carried Braden out to a waiting vehicle that brought us to the clinic near the pack house. While a step up from the cold metal of the vet's sterile exam table, the hospital-style bed available wasn't very comfortable. I did my best to cradle my exhausted mate, watching the wondrous rise and fall of his chest as he rested. I drifted to sleep counting their evenness.

When I woke up I was sweating, Braden's warm body wrapped tightly around my body with more strength than I thought he had in him. He was still being monitored by Dr. Crane, but when I caught glimpses of the wounds the amount they'd already healed was shocking. The doctor explained a lot to me, most of the medical terms I didn't understand without hyung, but it seems that the more Braden sleeps, the faster he will heal.

Once the doctor left, I must have fallen asleep again because I was woken up by hyung who said that the doctor cleared Braden to finish resting in his room. "He doesn't need any fluids anymore and most of his wounds are closed and healed over. He'll be a little sore for another couple of days but when he wakes up he'll be feeling much better." Alec helped me wrapped Braden in a thin blanket before I carried my precious bundle back to his room.

"We're almost there, just rest for now." I whisper into Braden's tangled curls as we near his room. In response, he nuzzles closer, stronger now, pressing his warm nose against my throat and relaxing again.

Now that his wounds are closed, he needs to be thoroughly cleaned, still smelling heavily of dirt and blood. I want to hide Braden away, get him all cleaned up, tucked into bed and try and forget all the worry and anxiety of the past few days. I can only imagine how it will continue to affect him as well.