Chapter 42: Taking care

Allan placed her on his bed, taking care not to disturb her. He didn't care about his blanket because it would soon be covered in Althea's blood. They didn't say anything on the way back, but there was a peaceful silence. They both know they need each other but don't know how to express it.

"Here," he grabs a pillow and places it under her chin, being mindful not to touch any wounds while trying to lift her head. "Don't move, it could get much worse," he says as he pulls out a bandage, some alcohol, and some pads to help her out.

He instantly removes the paws caught in the booby traps, muttering in concern as he does so. She doesn't recall ever seeing him so concerned. He mended the back of her body, even covering one of her eyes, saying, "I'll call a physician to see what you broke," petting her ear. Althea remained silent, unsure of what to say or think.

It all felt so unexpected, but a part of her felt joyful every time Allan petted her fur. Allan then pulls out a phone and dials a number, staying close to her bedside.

"Hello, this is Allan, may I have a physician come to my apartment?- Well, my mates have a serious injury and possibly fractured bones, so we can't go there- That'll do," he hangs up the phone and turns back to her, petting her fur once more. "A physician will be here soon," he says, looking into her eyes, then at her body. "You've gotten so skinny," he wincingly observes. "Are you hungry?" he asks as he rises from the ground.

He huffs and goes to the kitchen anyway, helping to bring out a breadstick as she shakes her head. He sits on the floor and rips it into small pieces.

"Open your mouth," he says, holding the small piece close to her lips. Her jaw ached as she opened it slightly. He lets out a small whimper and closes his eyes. "Here," he says as he places the piece in her mouth. She chewed it slowly, trying to disregard the pain that was coursing through her face at the time.

When the doorbell rings, Allan gets up to answer it. "You were fast," he says to the physician.

"I was in the housing complex doing other regular visits, overdoses, and such. It's pleasant to have a change of pace," the doctor says as he walks over to her and sits on a nearby chair. He cracks a smile at Allan and then glanced at her, horrified.

"Can I ask what happened?" he inquired as he took out his toolkits. He takes her vital signs and does other fun things she has no idea about.

"Let's not talk about it, but a pair of her paws got busted in booby traps," Allan huffs, leaning against the wall and watching carefully the physician. His wolf was more attentive than anything else right now.

The physician nods, trying to poke her and m

waking her and Allan to roar a few times. "Well, you have four rib fractures, a broken ankle, an arm, and that's it; the rest are severe and deep wounds, particularly in the stomach area," he explained, pointing to the various parts as he went.

"I have things with me for wrapping her up," he says, seemingly from nowhere pulling out a black bag.

Althea flinched, beginning to wonder if he had brought that in. "All right, but you'll have to shift back; it may hurt, but bandages don't stick to fur," he says, standing up and looking away. She blushed deeply, refusing to move even though his back was turned away.

Allan walks over to his dresser and takes some of his clothes off, laying them next to her. He turns around and takes a deep breath.

She closed her eyes and slowly shifted back, every bone in her body hurt. She whimpered as she noticed Allan tense up.

She was now lying on the bed in her human form, unable to get up. She placed her hand on the bed and pushed up, but she quickly let go due to a rush of pain.

She sighs and bites her lip, "A-Allan," she stutters, her voice very quiet. He turns around and nods, raising an eyebrow at her. At the very least, he assists her in putting on a shirt. "You're so thin, but you're still so beautiful," Allan says in her ear before calling the physician. As she lay there awkwardly, her face turned a deep red.

The physician turns around and starts to treat her, giving her tranquilizing shots to keep her from moving when he touches sensitive areas. She was finally fixed up and ready to recover after an hour of silence.

"Okay Althea, just take a rest and don't move much and you'll be fine. I will come back in for a check-up in a couple of weeks," the doctor says before departing, but not until Allan gives him some money. She thought she saw a few hundred thousand in his arm, which was absurd.

The room is quiet now that the door is shut. Allan went to the kitchen and got two spoons and some banana pancakes.

She looked at him, wondering if he expected her to eat something else. She wasn't in a good mood, and her entire body felt like a squish ball because she couldn't feel anything. She doubts she'll be able to move her jaw much.

Allan returns to the floor, slices some banana pancakes, and retrieves a fork. "Open your mouth," he says. He shoved the fork into her mouth after she opened it slightly. She gagged slightly because

He wasn't particularly gentle. "Whoops, sorry," he chuckles as he pulls out the fork. She gives him a sidelong glance, but he shrugs it off.

He puts the fork and pulls out another, trying once more. "Open up your mouth," he says, but she closes her mouth, not wishing him to do it again. "If you finish these pancakes, I promise to buy you a dog and a rabbit," he promises. Her eyes widen and she opens her mouth in surprise. He placed the pancake lightly in her mouth, and she chewed it, eating the pancake.

"Good girl," he said as he stroked her hair. She looks away, unsure of what to think as her heartbeat quickens. "Is he just doing this for my affection? Or does he care about me?" she wondered.

~

Althea awoke to Allan kissing her neck and his hand caressing her stomach; she tried to move, but his grip on her tightened. She shifted her weight to the other side to face him.

"You look like an angel, sweetie," he said softly in my ear. He grabbed her hands and drew her closer, almost touching their lips.

"I-I have to go to the bathroom," she stutteringly said.

"Stay," he mumbled softly, his gaze fixed on her lips.

"I can't," she said, trying to get up and move to the other side, but he caught her wrists and suddenly his mouth was on hers, pulling her in hungrily and kissing her roughly. Althea tried to flaunt him, but he tightened his grip.

"Now you can go," he said, finally letting go of her.

Althea entered the bathroom, closed the door, and leaned against it, her eyes closed. She took a shower and cleaned herself; she couldn't deny that her heart skipped a beat when Allan kissed her; she dried herself with a towel and took his long shirt.

"Did I finally fall in love with him?" she asked, staring at herself in the bathroom mirror.