Escape to Midnight

Episode 8

Charis Point  Of View

I tried to listen to everything he was saying, but it was so much information. I sighed as the nurse set a cup  of ice on the tray table beside me. Logan immediately grabbed one and put it up to my mouth. The doctor was right, the ice felt amazing as it melted on my tongue. As if on cue, everyone left the room, leaving Logan and I alone. 

I stared into his eyes, lost for a moment in their deepness. He sighed and began to rearrange the room. There was  a bed pushed up against mine, he pushed it out of the way. He scooted a chair up beside me. He took my hand in his, the warmth was so comforting, I realized I had felt it before, but I was not sure when. 

“I am not sure what you remember, or what you want to know, but I can tell you this is Midnight Moon pack land. You are safe and we will defend you until our death.” as he spoke I smiled weakly. My mind was swirling with questions, but I did not know where to start and I was tired. I closed my eyes to rest them. 

He began to rub his hand up and down my arm. It felt so good, I longed to be in his arms, wrapped in an embrace. 

The nurse walked back in with a fresh gown and some towels. “I think a shower will make you feel like a new woman,” she said. I smiled at her, the thought of a shower did sound nice. I tried to sit up in the bed, but the pain was so sharp I could barely sit up an inch off the bed. It scared me and she could tell by the expression on my face. “ Let me help you, I will do the work, you don’t want to use those muscles yet. It will be a day or two before you can sit up on your own. She put one hand behind my back and used her other to pull my arm up. I grunted and groaned as she tried to pull me up, her grip slipped. I fell back against the bed. Logan came around to her side of the bed, “ Let me do it.” He said it nicely, but it was not a request. He slipped his arms under me, One behind my shoulders and one under my legs. He gingerly picked me up. It was uncomfortable, but not painful. He carried me bridal style into the little bathroom. The room had a sink, commode and shower all together with a giant drain in the middle of the room. There was a shower chair over the drain. Logan sat me down on the chair. As long as I stayed perfectly still, the pain was not unbearable, but almost any movement made me feel nauseated. The nurse and Logan were staring at each other. At first I was confused and then I realized they were mind linking. A few moments later Logan walked out of the bathroom. “Alright, I am going to warm the water and then help take off this dirty gown." She said. As she pulled the gown off I saw the blood on it. I knew I had some serious injuries, but I had no idea what they looked like. They felt serious, but I wanted to know. “Do you have a mirror?" I asked. She grimaced. “ I may find a small one, but let's take a shower and wash all the dried blood off. 

She began to spray the warm water on me with a hand held shower head. I watched as dried blood and dirt washed down the drain. I was appalled at the amount of blood and dirt coming out of my hair and off my body. The shower took about ten minutes, she let me enjoy the warm water for a few extra minutes. She began to carefully dry my hair and body, softly patting the areas sewn shut with the towel. She put a fresh hospital gown on me and combed my hair as best as she could. “I'm going to have Logan carry you back to the bed. It will be easier to see your injuries from a lying position.” As she spoke, Logan came back into the bathroom. He lifted me out of the chair and carried me back to the bed. When he laid me down it felt good to be back in the bed. He covered me with fresh warm blankets. I wanted to protest, I needed to see the injuries. I decided not to. It felt so good and warm I closed my eyes and drifted back to sleep. 

Logan's Point Of View

“Logan” Charis called my name. I called for the doctor. My mother left the room to go and find him.

“Charis, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?” I could see she was straining, trying to open her eyes, and trying to speak. I wanted so badly to help her. The Doctor rushed in and pushed me aside. He pried Charis' eyes open and shined a light in them. 

Without thinking , I slapped the flashlight out of his hand. He did not need to hurt her to check on her. I heard my Mother scolding me, but I did not care, I would rip his head off if he did it again. She had been through so much, he would not add to her pain. 

“Young Man, I cannot help her if you interfere,” Carrington said. I decided to swallow my anger and apologize. If I get kicked out I won’t be able to help.

I saw Charis try to sit up, The pain she was in was evident . “Hold still or you will reopen your stitches." Now  he doctor was scolding her. I wanted to tell the Jackass  to leave the room. He was not helping. ''Charis”, I called out to her, I wanted to be sure she knew I was there and I would take care of her.

“What happened?'' she asked. The room became very uncomfortable. Where would we even start explaining to her everything that had happened. I was about to speak when the Doctor said "Let me evaluate your condition and then we can leave you and Logan alone to sort out what has transpired." 

When he finished, as he said the nurse and my Mother followed him out. I felt sick to my stomach. How much did she remember? How close was she to the Uncle Warren killed? I did not want to hurt her anymore. When I look in her eyes I can see the years of hurt hiding in them. I just want to make it all better. I pulled a chair closer to her bed and began to rub my fingers up and down her arm. I was trying to soothe her and clear my mind. I only needed to tell her the important details. I explained where she was and I assured her she was safe. For now that seemed like the most important information. I did not have the strength to tell her the rest. I felt like a coward. 

My guilt was interrupted when a nurse came in to help Charis with a shower. I watched as they tried to get her out of the bed. Her pain was too severe and I could not watch her struggle. I pushed the nurse aside and lifted her myself. I was shocked at how light she was. When I carried her to the hospital, I was too scared to notice, but now I could definitely tell. I set her down on the shower chair and stepped back for the Nurse to get started. The nurse gave me a dirty look. I was shocked to see it. She mind linked me. “You can’t stay here. It will be uncomfortable for her.” She said.

“I am her mate, I will stay here and help. You can’t even lift her.” I replied. 

The nurse rolled her eyes. "You just met her, You have never seen her naked and she will be devastated by her wounds and the scars they leave. You standing over her observing the damage might be humiliating.” 

I admit, I had not considered how she might feel, I was looking at this from a functioning perspective only. I told the nurse I would stand at the door ready to  come back if they needed me. I walked out. 

It felt like she was in the bathroom for an hour. How long would it take to rinse her off. My wolf wanted her back where we could see her. I was listening for the sound of slipping or falling. I did not trust the nurse to let me help and I was sure Charis had no idea how badly she was injured. I heard Charis asking to see the wounds. My heart dropped. She did not want to see how bad they were. It was a miracle we got her to the hospital before she died. The ER doctor said the Rogue medicine is the only thing that saved her life. I looked around the room and realized there were no mirrors. Someone had them all removed. Now that I think of it there is not even one in the bathroom. I wonder if my Mom did that. It was smart. She should heal and let the swelling go down before she sees it. The nurse finally called me back in. Charis looked beautiful. Even in the hospital gown she was beautiful. The nurse had combed her hair, and she looked like some of her color had returned to her face. I picked her up and carried her to the room. The nurse mind linked me. “ We are not going to let her see the wound until she heals.” I was glad. She had a large rip down the side of her torso. That one was bad, but the other was worse. A claw had ripped across her leaving 3 lines deep and diagonal from her left breast to her right hip. Since her wolf was not healing her it will have a bad scar. I won’t mind the scar, it is a testament to what she went through to find me. No one else would ever risk everything to find me. I laid her back on her bed, My Mother sent some Omegas in to change the sheets while she showered. I put her on the clean sheets and found some warm blankets to tuck around her. By the time I finished she was already asleep again.

Charis Point Of View

I woke up and looked around. It was dark outside. Logan had moved the extra bed back over to me and was softly snoring holding onto my arm. Being close to him made me feel better, stronger. “Charis, we are in bad shape.” Saria was back, I was so relieved. 

``What happened, Saria?” I asked her.

“Mate saved us, but I have been to injured to help you. I have been trying to heal myself. I can’t believe we are still alive.” She said. I Heard someone shifting in the room. I looked around and saw the woman from earlier sitting on a chair on the opposite side of the room. She was watching me, she looked concerned. “Hello’, I whispered. 

She smiled and began to scoot her chair closer to me as quietly as she could. We did not want to wake Logan.  

“hello”, She replied. “My name is Beth. I am Logan’s Mother. I am so happy to meet you.”

An awkward silence followed. I did not know what to say. Was she disappointed I was her son’s mate? I tried to shift in the bed, but the pain was so strong I could not move. She stood up instantly and touched my arm. “do you need help? Can I adjust your pillows?” I shrugged, I did not know how to respond to her. I don’t want to be a burden or a disappointment. Did she know about me and my family? Did it matter where I came from, Who I came from. She sat back down and sighed heavily. 

She may have sensed my hesitancy, or maybe she just needed to say the words she had been thinking, “My son is a wonderful wolf. He has been waiting for you a long time. We are excited to bring you into our family. You can stay with s as long as you need to. Don’t worry about anything. Your new family and pack will love and defend you forever.”

I smiled at her weakly. Goddess I hope this is real. A real family to love me. I drifted back to sleep. 

I woke up and felt different. I tried to sit up, and to my surprise I was able to. It was strange. Last night I couldn't even move a little to get comfortable. Now I can sit all the way up. “Saria, did you heal us? I asked.

Saria responded sleepily, “ What? Heal us? I have not, but we are better. What happened?” Sari was just as confused as I was. 

I looked around and saw Logan snoozing in the chair beside me. “Logan?” I called him. His eyes flew open and he sat up straight. “Charis are you okay? Are you sitting up?” He asked, equally confused. 

“I feel better, But My wolf said she did not heal us.” I said. He looked concerned and relieved at the same time. “Hold on, Let me get the doctor.” He rushed into the hall. I wanted to move around and test the amount of healing, but decided to wait for the doctor. Maybe it was pain medicine making me feel better. 

The doctor walked back in with Logan. He looked at me completely perplexed. “Charis, how are you feeling?” He asked. 

“I feel better, Fine even.” I  said cautiously. 

Let me look at your stitches, he said. I lay back down while he slowly lifted my gown. I could see Logan looking over his shoulder. I was embarrassed, I haven't seen the extent of my injuries. I knew they would be ugly and I did not want my mate to see me like that . I decided not to say anything. I just wanted to know how I was. 

As he lifted my gown I saw the Doctor's eyes widen in surprise. I heard Logan gasp.

“What is it? What is wrong?” I questioned. The doctor lowered my gown without saying anything. He turned to Logan. “ Did you do that?” He asked.

Logan shook his head emphatically. “Well someone did it.” The doctor insisted. 

‘What is it ?" Logan asked. I waited patiently for someone to answer. I was almost afraid to know what they were talking about. Was I that hideous they could not even speak to me. I felt tears fill my eyes. 

“I have been here the entire time since her shower. No-one has been here except my parents and your staff.” No Logan sounded accusing. The doctor guffawed. “No-one on my staff would put something like that on her, What is it?” He said

My patience thinned and I could no longer wait, “What is it? What has happened?” My voice was loud and strained. I felt tears begin to slip out. 

Logan leaned down to my side. “Its Okay Charis. It just looks like someone put a sort of paste over your wounds.” He answered me, but was clearly still confused. 

A nurse entered the room. She scraped some of the paste off my wound and put it in a little dish. The doctor and Logan were inspecting it. The doctor made a clicking noise. “This looks like the paste she had in her mouth when she arrived here.” He said.

“That's not possible,” Logan responded. “ The rogues in the valley put the paste in her mouth. How could more paste appear now.?” His face clouded over and I knew he was mind linking someone. Within minutes A man I recognized from the dance as Logan’s Uncle entered the room followed by Beth and Another man. They all looked concerned.  

Logan’s  uncle shook his head at the others. He turned to face me.” Charis, I am Sterling, Alpha of the Midnight Moon pack. I need to ask you some questions.”

I nodded to him, this was starting to scare me a little. 

“I had hoped to save questions until you were feeling better, but I need to know the truth now.” Logan growled lowly at his uncle for insinuating I would lie. Sterling ignored him and continued. 

``How did you know the rogue who helped you?” He asked.

“I did not know him,” I answered weakly. Sterling looked more serious at my response. 

“Look, Charis, A rogue battled with half the rogues in the valley to save your life and get you to us. Now it appears he or some of his friends snuck into our packlands and into your room to apply some sort of miracle paste to your wounds. I am trying to understand why they would risk their lives to do that. How did they get to you and remain undetected by our warriors. I need some answers from you.” He stopped talking and looked at me expectantly.”

“I don’t know. I thought he was helping me because he felt sorry for me. I was almost dead when he found me and he helped me, but he did not say why. He said he had covered my scent to keep Warren from finding me. He stopped some rogues from killing me, he said it would bring war if they killed me. That That’s all I know.” I began to cry. If they did not believe me what would happen? Would they banish me? I did not want to lose Logan and be a rogue. 

Sterling turned from me to the Doctor. “What about surveillance? What did they find.” He asked.

“Nothing yet, No-one entered the hospital and no-one was roaming the halls. Everyone on the video has been identified.” He responded. The room was silent for a few minutes. Sterling began to rub his forehead. Logan broke the silence. “Uncle, we all heard how she grew up. I don’t think she ever had a chance to befriend rogues. There is no way she had a double secret life  where she hung out with rogues. The only answers we can get will have to come from the rogue himself.” Sterling Nodded his head in agreement. He looked at me again. “ What can you tell me about the rogue that helped you? ``I paused and thought about it. He did not tell me anything about himself. “ He only told me his name. Bennie. "His name was Bennie and he was the strongest wolf I have ever seen.” Sterling sighed, he looked uncertain. “Robert, what do you think?’ He was speaking to the man with Beth. “They helped her, as much as we want to know why, it may not be anything to worry about. He could have become attached to a young injured wolf and decided to help her. Obviously he has enough power and he has no fear of being caught by our warriors. That makes it less of a risk for him. He saw her wounds and knew the extent when he gave her to us. Whatever his plans are, they don’t involve Charis. If they did he never would have gotten her to us.” Sterling interrupted Robert, “ Unless she is a spy. He could have recruited her when he saved her life.” Logan let out a fierce growl and I gasped in shock and fear. Sterling sent out his Alpha aura to everyone in the room. Everyone took a step back and showed their necks in submission. “ We need to be careful right now, we are looking at war with the Crescent pack and now she has some sort of Rogue protector….” The room fell silent again. 

I should just be quiet but what he said shocked me. “ war with the crescent pack?’ I asked. All eyes turned to me and then they all looked at each other, everyone filed out of the room leaving Logan and I alone. Beth paused at the door  like she wanted to say something, but even she left silently. 

 Logan pulled the chair over to me and grabbed my arm. "A lot of things have happened. I don’t want you to worry. We will protect you.” My heart began to quicken and my chest was tight. He sighed a heavy sigh “ Your father killed Jameson. He is now Alpha of the Crescent moon pack.” He waited for my reaction. 

I tried to process his words. Jameson was dead, Warren murdered his own brother, He was such a monster. WAR? Why would there be a war? Was he demanding my return? Would they give me back to avoid a war? I began to shake. My Mind was reeling. I would run away, live as a rogue before I went back. Tears were falling from my eyes and I began to sob. Logan put his arm around me and tried to comfort me.