Mother of the Moon

Chapter 7

Zelena.

My eyes flew open and the first thing I see is a sea of burry white. I blinked a few times to focus my eyes, where am I? I blinked rapidly, thinking for some reason that would help my memory. I can remember seeing two glowing silver orbs shining down on me, then nothing. I took a deep breath, and the most deliciously intoxicating scent filled my nostrils. Warm sunshine on a summer’s day. I know that smell. I turned my head slightly and my gaze fell upon the most welcome of all sights. Gunner. I involuntarily groaned as I drank in the sight of him. I felt my heart begin to race, and my stomach tighten. Goddess how I love what he does to my body. He stood up slowly and raked his eyes over my body. He looks thin and pale. His hair is longer, and he was sporting some kind of short scruffy beard. What happened to my young and beastly Mate? Where are the rippling muscles and the sharp strong jawline, what has caused him such pain?

His eyes landed on mine, those same blue enchanting eyes that I had come to love. But they felt different now, they held so much sadness. Surrounded by dark purple circles and pale pasty skin, they looked almost dull. He stared at me blankly before rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands.

“Hey handsome” I chirped, my voice sounding so terribly coarse and husky. Gunner fell to the ground on his knees, pressing his hands to his face and slumping forward. His body jolted with ragged breaths as his chest shuddered up and down. Small weeping sounds escaped through his hands and my heart shattered inside me at the sound.

“Gunner?” I choked, trying to lift myself. My head felt light and dizzy, and my body felt weak, but I had to get over to him. I had to hold him. I pulled myself forward as I tried to lift off the bed but was pulled back by a sharp pinch on my arm. I looked at it and saw a cord attached to my skin. I followed the cord over to an IV bag hanging from a silver pole. I was in the hospital. Why was I in the hospital? I tore the needle from my arm and tried to swing my legs off the bed, only to be pulled back again by more cords and wires poking out from all over my hospital gown.

“What the f**k?” I growled. I pulled and yanked at the cords, ripping them off my body. Rapid beeping and alarms started to sound around the room. My attention was caught by two arms grasping my shoulders. I looked up to see Gunner staring down at me. His face was wet from tears and his nose was red. But his eyes now shining a bright blue with a twinkle deep inside them, those eyes were now staring deep into mine.

“You’re real” he said like he was convincing himself.

“You’re here, you’re awake?” his eyes roamed over my body, and he rubbed his hands up and down my arms, squeezing them as he did.

“Of course I’m real” I said in a ‘duh’ kind of tone. Why would I not be real? What the flipping heck was going on here. He pulled me into his chest and wrapped his arms around my back, holding me tightly as if at any minute I might float away.

“Gunner, what’s going on?” I mumbled into his chest. He didn’t answer. I could feel his chest vibrating under my cheek. His heartbeat was erratic, and his breaths sounded unsteady. I just let him hold me as I nuzzled my face harder into his chest, feeling perfectly content with this. For now. A loud gasp brought us both back to the room and we turned our heads simultaneously to the source of the sound. There in the doorway, stood a blonde woman in light purple scrubs with her hand over her mouth. Rushing in behind her came a tall man in a white doctor’s coat, followed by Roe and Lupus.

“Oh, sweet heavenly Goddess” Roe gasped as she clung to Lupus for support.

“Miss Baxter, welcome back. I’m Doctor Tenner” the doctor said stepping forward. Gunner gently unwrapped his arms and moved to the side, keeping one hand firmly entwined with mine.

“Back?” I questioned looking at the man,

“I didn’t know I left”.

The doctor chuckled softly as he came to stand in front of me and pulled out a little flashlight that he held up to my face. Holding up one finger in front of my face he moved the flashlight slowly across my eyes. I know the drill, I've done it once or twice before.

“Pupil response good” he said, I think to the nurse who was scribbling on a clipboard.

“Squeeze my hands for me please” he held out his hands and I took them in mine, squeezing hard. He hissed and pulled his hands away with a slight grimace on his face.

“Muscle response good. I need to listen to your chest please, Miss Baxter” he said holding the stethoscope out. I nodded my head and lifted my chin. He placed the end of it down my shirt to my chest. I flinched at the coldness of the metal. I half expected Gunner to growl or hit the doctor, he has never let someone touch me like this before. I looked up to his face, taking a deep breath in and out. He was watching the doctor closely but showed no aggression, he smiled with his lips pressed together and squeezed my hand tighter.

“Lungs and heart sound good” Doctor Tenner said snapping my gaze back to him. He poked around for a little while, looking at charts, writing stuff down, then disappeared. The nurse reluctantly closed the curtains around us, after Gunner refused to leave my side. She removed my catheter, which was horrible, and then pulled a long tube from my nose, which was worse. Once she was done, poking a prodding me, she threw the curtain open to reveal Roe and Lupus chatting with the Doctor.

“How do you feel Miss Baxter?” Dr. Tenner asked placing his hands on his hips.

“I feel fine, I could eat, and my throat is a little sore, but otherwise I feel normal” I answered his question looking around at each of the faces watching me intently. They were staring at me like I was an animal in a zoo. The doctor hummed rubbing his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

“You are a medical mystery young lady” he huffed with a smile.

“What?” I asked confused.

“Zee, you’ve been unconscious for three months” Gunner blurted out.

“No. No I haven’t. That’s not funny” I stammered, starting to feel my panic rise. My eyes were bulging out of my head and my breaths were quickening.

“Thank you, doctor, we’ll call if we need you” Gunner said not taking his eyes off my mine.

“I think I should...” the doctor started,

“I said we will call if we need you” Gunner snapped. The doctor lowered his head and rushed out of the room, pushing the nurse along with him. Gunner gently placed his hands on either side of my face and turned my head to look at him.

“It’s okay Little Wolf, calm down” he said soothingly.

“Three months” I snapped, feeling a sharp heat run up my arms. The windows began to rattle and the equipment and chairs around the bed started to shake and bend. Gunner pulled me into his chest, again holding me tightly against his body.

“Shh, please, it’s alright Zee take a deep breath for me okay” he said softly, rubbing his hand up and down my back. The contact made me feel safe, my skin prickled at his touch and his scent slowly calmed my breathing.