Midnight Moon's new Luna

Chapter 2 - M.I.S

Vera

Elana, the receptionist, had been ecstatic for me, congratulating me three or four times, as she connected my call over to Alec. He was the one who had helped me the most with organizing and planning. He also had access to my mother's files. Basically, he was our caseworker, though he worked for the hospital, not for us. It was his responsibility to make sure my mother and I got the best treatment we could possibly hope for. He had worked hard, and I knew that I owed him.

He got started right away. He already had a plan for us, and he was ready to put it into motion. All he had been waiting for was for me to make this phone call.

“I’ll send a list of what you should pack to your email, and my driver will be there to pick you up tomorrow by 6.30 pm,” he said. “You’ll arrive sometime around noon the next day, and I'll be there to greet you. I look forward to finally meeting you and Rowena in person.”

“Thank you so much Alec. I’ll see you in two days.”

So by 6.30 pm the next day, we were ready for take-off. Mom was sitting on the steps to the house and I stood with our bags, one for each of us, and listened for the sound of approaching cars.

“Vera, I want to say thank you. And so does Minna.” Minna was my mother’s wolf. It had been months since they shifted. Neither of them was strong enough to manage it anymore. Minna had essentially been trapped and unable to run for that whole time. This illness was just as hard on her as it was for my mother.

“You’re both welcome.” I gave them both a smile, knowing Minna would see it through mom’s eyes.

I heard footsteps and looked up to see Jessy approaching.

“I had to come and give you both a hug, and wish y’all good luck,” she said. I wasn’t at all surprised that she’d come to see us off. But I was surprised to see who came with her. She was holding hands with Holden, our Alpha’s son.

Then it clicked. He’d just recently turned 18, and shifted for the first time. And Jessy was close enough to her birthday that Holden must have felt the matebond. I heard Jessy’s voice in my head again. ‘I pulled some strings.’

“What are you smiling at?” Jessy asked.

“I’m really happy for you guys.” I nodded at their joined hands, indicating that I’d made the connection.

Holden was a good enough guy. He was quiet but friendly, and more grounded than Jessy. They actually fit well together. They made a good looking couple too. Jessy with her dark hair and eyes, Holden with his blonde curls and blue eyes. They contrasted and complemented each other well.

Just then, the sound of a car became apparent and soon we saw a black SUV making its way down the road. The driver turned out to be a man in his mid-thirties, who introduced himself as Sander. He was of normal height and build, with sandy brown hair and brown eyes.

Sander helped place our luggage in the trunk as I hugged both Jessy and Holden goodbye. Jessy offered my mother a hand to help her up, before embracing her too.

“You go and get your health back, mrs. Jones,” Jessy said.

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

My mom still didn’t know where the money had come from, since Jessy hadn’t wanted her to know. But she liked Jessy already. It was hard not to, she was such a nice and bubbly person. And she was one of the few friends I had. I’d never really had much time for friends, but Jessy always made an effort to include me, and both mom and I appreciated that.

The happy couple waved us goodbye as Sander turned the car around and took off. My mother and I sat in the back seat, looking out the windows. The familiar neighborhoods and forests of our packland turned to unfamiliar terrain as we went. Never before had I been this far from our home.

I sat in silence, watching the ever-changing landscape for a long time. Dusk drew in over the land, coloring everything in a dark, muted blue.

“You might wanna catch some sleep,” Sander said suddenly. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. I could just see it beside Sander's shoulder. It was almost 8 pm. It was still early enough in the fall for daylight to linger in the evening. I looked over at my mom. Her head was resting against the window, breathing deeply. She looked so peaceful, and on the way to get her much needed treatment. Things were finally looking up.

“We will arrive at about noon tomorrow?” I asked. I saw him nod in the rear-view mirror.

“Then there is plenty of time,” I said almost more to myself than to him. I kept watching out the window as night slowly claimed the outside world. At some point I must have drifted off into sleep, though. Because I woke up as the car came to a stop in a small parking lot right outside a huge hospital building.

I rubbed my eyes and stepped out of the car, confused by why such a large hospital had such a small parking area. But it didn't take long before I saw the sign. “V.I.P parking”.

I couldn't help but smile like a fool. I knew it was because the car was Alec's. But at that moment, it truly felt like all the hard work I had done over the years had paid off.

I walked around the car to support my mother getting out, as Sander was getting our luggage. Then we were off to the hospital. I had my mom by the arm, Sander taking our bags. I offered to take one, but he insisted, and I was too happy at the moment to argue about something so insignificant.

The lobby of the hospital was… extravagant. The interior was modern and open, with lots of well-cared for, indoor vegetation. Everything from the polished floor tiles, the marble pillars and the skylight seemed to gleam. Was this really a hospital? It looked more like a museum…

Straight ahead stood a man. I recognized him immediately from all the video calls. Dark, receding hairline, short trimmed beard and well-dressed in a dark gray suit. When he saw us, his face broke into a welcoming smile. He embraced my mother first, and softly muttered something to her that I couldn't make out. Then he turned to me, hugging me as if I was an old friend. I'd received more hugs in the last two days than in my whole life. I wasn't sure I was a fan, but I returned it nonetheless.

“I'm so glad you made it,” he said.

From that point on, the extravagance and V.I.P treatment was over. My mother and I were, after all, charity. At least that's how I saw it. The staff I had interacted with had all been helpful in cutting costs, and that meant no special treatment.

Alec showed us to the elevator and took us to the 12th floor. This hospital was enormous. Our room was small and plain. We weren’t quite at the top of the building, but the view was still breathtaking. The city stretched out beneath us. I’d never been in a city before, and I was planning on going on some walks when I had the time. From the window I could see a park a few blocks away that looked inviting.

There was a normal hospital bed for my mom, and a cot on the floor for me. I was delighted to see a small TV screen in the corner. With any luck, I could stream on my phone, and cast it to the TV, so we could watch movies or something.

“We'll leave you to get situated,” Alec said. Sander placed our bags on the floor in the room, before they closed the door and left.

There was an armchair in the opposite corner from the TV, where mom sat down while I unpacked our stuff. There was a single cabinet and drawer, and the bathroom was small and very standard. To me, it was perfect. And more than enough room for what I had packed.

There was a knock at the door.

Mom glanced at me, and I shrugged.

“Come in,” mom called.

The door opened and a woman in her early sixties came in.

“Hello. Am I talking to Mrs. Jones and her daughter?”

“Yes, that's right,” mom said.

“Can I come in?”

In response, my mother gestured to the bed and the woman sat down.

“I'm dr. Victoria Graham. I'll be your doctor, and responsible for your treatment while you are here. Know that at this hospital we care greatly for our patients, and pride ourselves on the care they receive.”

Dr. Graham didn't even glance my way, but kept eye contact with my mom. That made me really happy. This whole time I'd been the one arranging and planning for her care. For the first time someone other than me, addressed my mother directly. They talked for a while about the hospital and what to expect, before moving on to her specific treatment. I sat on the now empty bags and listened.

“So chemo and radiation are inevitable. But if those treatments are successful, then we hope we will reach a point where we can operate. First, however, we need to focus on stopping your cancer from spreading further. Step by step is the way to go.”

She gave us a detailed plan, and many explanations on different paths they might take depending on how the disease progressed and responded to treatment. I have to admit I spaced out a bit during their talk. It was just so nice, not to be the one who had to know, to understand and take charge. I think they talked for a good while, but I'm not sure. All I know is that I later woke up, sitting in the armchair and my mother was asleep in the bed.