Joe fake sighed. “If I must.”
Frank laughed and gave Joe an all-too-short kiss.
Aubrey, Berni, and Frank all left the room together.
“So, I brought my e-reader with me,” Finn said, holding it up. “Want me to continue with the story? It might help.”
“Sure,” Jacob said.
Everyone got settled around the bed and Finn started reading. He stopped when Jacob was sick before starting again, and that is how the hours passed. And when Fran woke up he joined them.
CHAPTER 31
It was early evening and Emory was getting worried. The first twenty-four hours had well and truly passed and Jacob was still getting sick and getting paler and weaker. He hooked Jacob up to the heart monitor, his pulse was slowing down, but his blood pressure was high, too high, tipping towards dangerously high.
Emory saw Fran look at the reading and grimace.
“What’s wrong?” Joe asked.
“That’s a high reading,” Ezzy commented looking at the numbers.
“Yeah. We need to somehow bring his blood pressure down. We can’t use medication as we don’t have any designed for shifters,” Emory replied.
Jacob was beyond exhausted, he could barely stay awake, but every time he tried settling down he was sick. Anyone looking at Jacob could see the toll it was taking on him. “I’m not sure I can do this anymore, Doc,” Jacob said weakly. Hair had started sprouting on his arms as he continued to battle with his wolf not to shift.
“You can, Jacob, you need to hold on a little longer,” Finn begged.
Fran was sat beside Jacob, an arm around him, with Jacob leaning into his side. “Just rest, Jacob,” Fran said softly, blinking back his tears. He didn’t need to see the monitor to know Jacob was slipping away.
“I have an idea,” Ezzy suddenly announced, pulling his phone out of his pocket and making a call. “Hey Dad, can you come up? It’s urgent.”
“On my way,”Berni replied, hanging up.
“Sweetheart?” Emory asked.
“It’s a completely random idea, completely out there,” he started to say just as Berni and Frank dashed into the room.
Neither Berni or Frank were out of breath from the quick run.
“What’s wrong?” Berni asked, stopping by the bed and looking at everyone.
“Jacob’s dying,” Fran told them solemnly.
Joe and Finn gasped.
“Dad, use your Alpha powers to command Jacob to rest and sleep,” Ezzy said.
Berni looked at Emory. “Is something like that even possible?”
Emory sighed. “I’ve never heard of it working before but then I’ve never heard of anyone trying it before, but you are the strongest Alpha there is. If anyone can do it, you can.”
“You’re his Alpha, you accepted him into your pack, if you can help him, please try,” Joe practically begged, wiping his eyes.
Frank walked to his side, standing so he could hold Fran’s hand and hug Joe to him.
“Okay,” Berni said, looking down at Jacob. “Jacob Bishop, listen to me. As your Alpha, I’m commanding you to sleep and rest. You’re not allowed to die. Sleep and rest, Jacob,” he commanded, pushing out some of his Alpha power.
Fran felt Jacob slump into him. He was about to panic but realised the monitor was still beeping. “He’s asleep.”
