Under my orders, we triage patients and set up chairs for the waiting area. Seeing that the job is beyond our resources, I call in help from other packs. Shane and Rhys send some of their best healers and laborers, who bring in equipment and help us to set up more beds. By the time the sun has fully risen, the warehouse has been transformed into a fully functioning field hospital.
Satisfied that we now have the resources we need, I take my time going around and helping treat our patients, offering what hope I can. My helplessness and guilt continue to growin my chest, almost choking me, but it only makes me more determined to make a difference.
I’m between two aisles, walking down to the lower end of the infirmary, when Merle, one of our nurses, steps into my path.
“Owen, you’ve been on your feet nonstop for almost six hours now.”
“And?” I ask, trying to get around her. She steps firmly back into my path.
“You need a break. You won’t do us any good if you drop, too.”
“I won’t. I’m fine, I promise.”
“No, you aren’t. I can tell, even if you want to deny it. Go home and rest, just for a little while. I appreciate everything you’ve done this morning—it was chaos until you got here—but please, take a break. We need you at your best.”
A faint tingle of discomfort flickers through me. My guilt is very real, but I’m also a little anxious to see Trina.
I don’t know how she’s going to react to what happened last night. We have to talk about it, though, and the situation won’t get better by ignoring it.
I’m also extremely aware of how the events of last night affected me, and I’m not sure I’ll be able to carry on a sensible conversation with her standing in front of me.
Now that I know she tastes as good as she smells…
“Okay,” I reply, sighing. “I’ll go home for a little while. Message me if you need me.”
“We will,” Merle says. “Thank you, Owen. You’ve really helped out today, and so many people were pleased to see you. It’s spread hope through the pack.”
I nod to her as I walk away, keeping my teeth together so I don’t start screaming.
I did nothing—nothing at all! They are still dying. All I did was show up and watch it happen.
Even though I’m almost dead on my feet, I break into a jog as I leave the infirmary, pushing my body just to feel my heart beating and blood pumping through my veins. It disturbs me when my body doesn’t respond the way it should, and I still feel cold and sluggish when I get home.
What happens if I get sick—really sick? I wouldn’t be able to help anyone, and we’ll all die.
I push the thought away, going inside and focusing on my next challenge instead. I call out to Trina as I come through the back door, but I don’t hear her respond, and my stomach does a little flip.
Did she run away again?
I move quickly through the house, and even though I don’t find her, it doesn’t appear that she’s run off, either. All her things are still where she left them, and there’s no sign of a hasty exit.
I walk slowly to the back door, following the flowery scent of her. As I cross the yard, her scent gets harder to track, but I manage to hold on to it as I weave through the trees. At first, it seems to lead back to the infirmary, but then it changes course and leads me deep into the woods.
Was she at the hospital this morning? Why didn’t I see her there, if she was?
Curious now, I pick up my pace and follow the thread, finally seeing Trina in a small clearing up ahead. I approach slowly, not wanting to disturb her.
Confusion overtakes curiosity, and I keep watching her for a few minutes to see if I can figure out what she’s doing. I can hear her whispering under her breath, but not the words themselves, and she keeps making strange motions with her hands, occasionally reaching out and touching the grass in front of her knees.
She’s trying to call up her magic!I realize with a jolt. It’s the same thing I saw when Sadie was trying to teach her.
Trina’s hand motions get more emphatic, and her whispering becomes harsh. Finally, she lets out a sharp cry of frustration and covers her face with her hands as if she’s trying not to cry.
I cross the field as quickly as I can, kneeling down in front of her as I reach for her hands.
“Hey, Trina, it’s okay,” I say gently.
She looks up at me, her eyes wide and shimmering. “Owen? What are you doing here?”
