Shifting Destiny

Chapter Two

The wolf doesn't stir as I step closer to the examination table. Up close, he's even larger than I thought, with black fur matted by dirt and blood along his side. I stay behind his shoulder, where Alis told me to stand, and keep my hands away from his head.

Alis opens a packet of gauze and begins cleaning one of the wounds. I move the cart within her reach, careful not to bump the table. The antiseptic smell is stronger in here, but I can still smell damp fur beneath it.

"What happened to him?" I keep my eyes on the cut Alis is cleaning. There are several marks along his side, and I can't tell which ones are old.

"I'm not sure." Alis parts the fur around a deeper wound and uses fresh gauze on it. "There are bite marks. He could have fought another wolf, or it could be something else."

I hand her another packet when she reaches for it. The wolf's breathing is still labored. Alis works her way down his side before turning her attention to the hind leg I noticed when we came in. She touches the limb gently, feeling along it with her fingers. A low whimper comes from the wolf, and I glance toward his mouth.

His eyes remain closed.

"It's broken," Alis tells me. She supports the leg while she checks the position of his paw. "I need to set it." I have never watched anyone do that before. The whimper is still in my ears, and I know moving the leg will hurt him, even with the sedative.

"What do you need me to do?" I look at Alis rather than coming any closer on my own.

"Hold him steady while I work." Alis points out where I should place my hands, one behind his shoulder and the other near his hip. "Keep clear of his head."

I put my palms where she showed me. His body is hot beneath the thick fur, and I can feel a muscle tighten under my hand when Alis lifts the injured leg. I won't be able to hold him if he wakes, but I can keep him from rolling while she works.

Alis waits for his breathing to settle, then straightens the leg. His body jerks. I keep one hand at his shoulder and the other at his hip as she instructed, though my first instinct is to pull away. A low growl comes from his throat, and I check his eyes again before easing my grip.

"Easy," I murmur to the wolf. I don't know whether he hears me, but speaking gives me something to do while Alis secures the leg. His muscles slowly relax beneath my hands.

"That should hold." Alis finishes the wrap and checks his paw. "We'll monitor him and make sure there isn't any further damage." I let go when she tells me to. My fingers shake as I move back from the table, and I press them against my palms until they steady. The wolf lies still again, his wrapped leg supported on the table.

"Is he going to be okay?" I watch his chest, looking for the same steady movement I saw before we touched the leg.

"He's strong. That helps." Alis puts the used gauze aside and checks him once more. She doesn't promise anything beyond that, and after seeing his wounds, I don't expect her to.

I take a closer look while she makes a note on his chart. There are scars beneath the fresh cuts, partly hidden by his fur. He has survived injuries before, but I can't tell what caused them. His ear moves once, and I stop beside the cart to see whether he'll wake. He doesn't open his eyes.

"Will he stay here?" I keep my voice down while Alis finishes writing. I don't know whether she can safely keep a wolf this size in isolation once the sedative wears off.

"For now." Alis sets down her pen and looks at him. "It depends on how he responds when he wakes and whether we have what he needs. He's in a feral state, and I won't put him or the staff at risk by pretending we can handle more than we can."

I nod and pull off my gloves at the disposal bin. Alis turns back to his chart, and I leave her to work. I can still feel the movement of his body under my hands as I walk back down the corridor.