'Ella said we would only be able to tell if she had conceived after two weeks. Could it be Millicent is inexperienced and didn't know what she was talking about, after all?' I thought with my eyes fixed on Ash who is dead to the world.
I bring out my phone then, to call Anders, the healer we brought with us from Denmark. Anders comes from a family of healers. Apart from being a medical doctor, Anders, like his ancestors, is also a herbalist, who practices healing through the use of herbs.
"Hello..." He answers the call with a voice that sounds like he's already in bed, sleeping.
"Are you sleeping, already?" I ask as I check my wristwatch. "C'mon man, it's just past nine!" I add in mock disappointment.
"I'm a healer Eric, not a warrior. What the fuck do you want? Is there an emergency?" I can picture him rolling his eyes upward in exasperation like he always does each time I take a jibe at him.
"Kinda. Can you quickly drive down to Council Yard Penitentiary?" I say and immediately hear the rustle of bedding as he rises from the bed without asking further questions.
"Yeah sure, be there soon." He replies
"Hey listen, Thor doesn't know about this and I want it to stay that way. I'll explain to you when you arrive"
"Yeah, yeah, got it"
"When you arrive, ask for Neal. He will bring you to me"
"Alright," He says and ends the call
Neal returns with Ash's stuff, which consists of just toiletries, energy bars, dried fruits, and other snacks plus some bottled water. Boy, am I glad Ella thought of packing her some clothes with the care package? Sure I am.
"Stay with her, let me quickly get something in my car," I say and hurry out of the room.
Some seconds after I return to the room with Ella's care package, Millicent returns almost immediately, bearing a tray that contains an IV bag, line, and other stuff that she will need to administer the medication to Ash.
"Thank you, doctor. Just set it down over there..." I tell her, pointing toward the cabinet beside Ash's bed.
"Set it down? But I need to immediately set the line right now. I told you she's severely dehydrated and..." I listen to her talk and explain as I bring out my wallet.
"Can she wait for another ten minutes for the IV?" I ask her and she nods
"Yes of course but..."
"Then please put the tray on the cabinet." I softly but firmly say this time. I count out some hundred dollar bills from my wallet before stretching the money towards her.
"Oh, I see..." She nods when she realizes I no longer need her service.
She smiles
"The money is not necessary then. We're inside the Council Yard building and since they pay my salary, you don't need to pay me again. I'll just take my leave." She says and turn to leave
"Take the money, doctor. It's your consultation fee. I don't like free things or services. Not accepting it will mean I owe you and I don't like to owe anyone. Besides, this is not goodbye. I might still need your services, just not at the moment."
She nods again
"Okay..." She says and accepts the money. She then removes three hundred dollars from it and puts the rest on the bedside cabinet.
"Three hundred dollars is what I would charge in this sort of situation. The IV and stuff are Council Yard's property, not mine. I'd be glad to be of service the next time you call me. Good night, Beta." With a curt nod, she turns her attention to her mate.
"I'll see you at home, babe."
Immediately after she left, Neal says...
"If I'm no longer needed here then permit me to leave. You can..."
"No Neal!..." I interrupts him mid-sentence.
"No?..."
"No!... I still have a lot of questions and you, a lot of answers to give me... Like the CCTV feed that I requested for. The file of the inmate the Luna allegedly murdered that I asked you to get. The reason why you and your guards decided to lock the Luna in a cell with a decomposing corpse. A lot of questions Neal..."
His face becomes ashen as I talk. His adam's apple bobs up and down as he struggles to get words out of his mouth.
"Beta, I don't. I mean..."
"Please no explanation is needed. Kindly get me the file and CCTV feed that I requested for. We'll talk about the rest later... And I'm expecting someone. I told him to ask for you at the gate when he arrives."
"Yes, Beta. Understood" He replies and hurries away.
After he leaves, I bring a chair closer to Ash's bed and sit on it. Even though she appears to be sleeping peacefully I still check her pulse to be sure she's still breathing and I'm not mistaken.
Her pulse is very strong. She's breathing alright. I take her hand in mine. Her palm is calloused, like the hand of a person who has been doing hard labor all her life. Despite that, her fingers are long and graceful with clean, well-trimmed nails. She is still a beautiful woman. Her's is the kind of beauty that can't be hidden even with her badly dyed hair and worn-out clothes.
"Ash?... Hey girl, wake up!" I call softly as I tighten my hands around her fingers but it's no use. She's indeed in deep sleep.
A few minutes later, my wolf's hearing picks up some sounds. I let go of her hand so I'll be able to concentrate. My hearing picks up the footsteps of two people. One heavy and the other light.
'Anders is here.'
I can even perceive his herby smell. I stand up and walk to the window. He's already with Neal and they're almost entering the psych building.
I walk outside the room and see them walking up the long passageway.
"Thank you, Neal. I'll take it from here." I say and Neal nods.
"Okay Beta," he says and turns back to leave
"Psych ward?" Anders asks questioningly with a raised brow. "I'm not a psychiatrist, Eric. Do you still need me to remind you of that fact?"
I flash him a grin.
"Nope, just come," I say
As soon as he enters, I point to the bed Ash is lying on...
"Meet Ash," I say and watch as his eyes widen with surprise
"Ash?... Thor's Ash?" He says, looking from the bed and back at me with surprise
"Yeah. Or have you ever heard of any girl bearing Ash before?"
"She's Thor's mate, Eric and she's wrapped only in a blanket!" He looks alarmed as he emphasizes the word 'only'
"Yeah, it's a long story. I'll tell you all about it but not at the moment. Right now, I want you to examine her. She fell unconscious some minutes ago."
"Examine her!" His eyes are almost bulging out with shock as he asks back. "Thor is not here and you want me to touch his mate who is obviously half naked, Eric! Are you looking to get me killed!?"
"I won't tell him if you don't tell him, now get on to it!" I firmly say but he takes some steps back instead
"I'm sorry Eric I can't. I will help you get a very good female healer right now if that's..."
"Anders!..." I snaps out loud to get him to stop blabbing and he immediately stopped.
"Do you want her to die? Guess what Thor would do to you if she dies and I tell him you refused to treat her..."
He doesn't need any more convictions. He hurriedly moves closer to Ash and starts to examine her. He doesn't even bring out his stethoscope. He checks her palms and opens her eyelids before he says what I was dreading to hear
"Is Thor aware that she's pregnant?"