Page 138 of To Ashes and Dust
Damien’s arms came around me. Supporting my weight, he tried to guide me back to the bed, but I refused, pushing toward the doorway. We reached it in time to see the black mist descend over Thalia, and a large gray wolf emerged from the darkness as she ran. Nurses and patients jumped out of her way, shouting in surprise.
Vincent stumbled into view as she shoved past him, turning into the hall where he’d come from. His eyes followed her, realization flashing across them before he met our gazes.
“Vincent, after her! She doesn’t need to be alone!” Damien shouted, but he hadn’t needed to. Vincent was already rushing after her.
My breaths came in short pants, and my legs couldn’t hold my weight anymore. My knees gave out, and I winced at the pain in my ribs as Damien’s arm supported me.
“I’ve got you, Cas.”
“Cas! You can’t be out of bed!” I jumped at the sound of Anna’s voice as she found us in the doorway, coming from the hall opposite where Thalia had disappeared down. “What happened? I got an alert your monitors were going off. Was that Thalia I heard?”
Damien nodded, and Anna’s lips pressed into a thin line.
“She knows,” I muttered.
Anna drew a deep breath, and for a second, I saw the tears form before she shook her head and wiped them away, refocusing herself.
“I need you back in bed,” Anna said to me, and I looked back down the hall. “We can’t risk your insertion site reopening.”
I tensed as Damien helped me turn back into the room, every part of my body protesting the movement. Anna and Damien got me back into bed, and I tried to focus on my breathing, tried to will my body to relax through the pain. I was so cold, the shivers washing over me.
Anna stood the IV stands back up and checked over the lines in the crook of my elbow. “I’m so sorry. I made such a mess of all this.”
Anna offered a weak smile. “It’s okay, hun. This isn’t going to be easy for any of us. How is your shoulder feeling?”
“It hurts,” I admitted, rubbing residual tears from my eyes.
“And your back?”
“What exactly did I injure? How bad is it?” I asked, and Anna glanced to Damien briefly.
“You dislocated your shoulder, and you have a few broken ribs on either side. Thankfully, you didn’t puncture a lung, but you somehow managed to fracture both scapulae.”
“Scapulae?” I echoed.
“Your shoulder blades,” she confirmed.
“You had wings when you hit the fence,” Damien said. “They were broken. The injuries you sustain when you’re shifted affect your real body, so I’m assuming it had something to do with that.”
I nodded, rubbing my arms together as the chills gripped me. Why was it so cold?
“I’ll get her another blanket. The morphine’s going to make her feel cold until it wears off.” Anna glanced at Damien as she headed back out of the room.
“Thank you, Anna,” I said as I melted into the pillow.
Damien didn’t speak as he pulled up a seat beside me. I couldn’t look at him as my mind wandered through every possibility. I had a heart attack. How was I still alive? Did they find out my history?
Did he know?
Anna returned quickly with a thick blanket. “Here you go, Cas.” She tossed it over me, ensuring everything was covered. It was so warm that I moaned in response, my eyes slipping closed.
“Let me know if you need anything,” she added.
The silence returned, and I almost wished she hadn’t left.
“Would you like some water? I’m sure you’re thirsty,” Damien offered.
Thirsty was an understatement. “Water would be really nice.”
