Memento Mori -- Chapter 12
#6 of Eben Black Series -- Memento Mori
© All characters and storylines involving said characters belong to me: Eben Black.
The skies darkened while we sat in the waiting room of LA General Hospital. Nirvana had been in theatre for almost six hours now. Maximillian was elsewhere in the hospital speaking with a nurse about what was happening. It had been a mess. From what I had seen and what I understood, the baby that Nirvana was bearing had lashed out. Wereanimals didn't often have babies because they were feral instead of human and were more often than not vicious during the later months of pregnancy. It all sounded like something out of horror movie, but the nurse had assured us that normally it was a small manageable bleed, but apparently this one had been truly life threatening. That was the last thing we'd been told since we'd entered the maternity department of the hospital. Maximillian had been gone for an hour, he'd been fine until Nirvana had been taken to theatre, it was then that he broke down. I had never seen Maximillian sob before, he was always so dominant and dependable, and there he'd been, sobbing his heart out on Donovan's shoulder. He'd composed himself and disappeared. Donovan and I sat beside one another in the waiting room. The room was deserted. The Accident and Emergency department had a full waiting room, but it was more rare for there to be problems with pregnancies, not to mention wereanimal ones. I leaned forward, my elbows on my knees as I stared down at the floor. Blood spattered my clothes, Nirvana's blood. I remembered seeing her lying there, sobbing and holding her stomach. She'd been hysterical and weak. A few hours beforehand she'd been fine and healthy looking. I'd never truly assumed a wereanimal pregnancy could be so...lethal.
Aleksander had come with and so had Eddie. Eddie was sat across the room looking paler and paler as time passed. From what Donovan had told me, Maximillian and Nirvana lead their people like Donovan lead his. They were a caring couple who loved those around them. Right now the whole pride must have been stressing out. Eddie was no different. He'd been quiet since Nirvana had been taken down. He was usually cheerful and cracking jokes here and there, but it was an understandable situation.
Aleksander paced in front of us, hands buried in the pockets of his tracksuit bottoms. He'd not spoken, and not stopped moving either. Something told me this was Aleksander's nervousness showing.
"How much longer are they going to keep her down there?" he asked with a deep frown as he paced in front of us again.
"They're doing what they can for her at the moment, Aleksander. The best we can do is be patient," Donovan replied.
"I'm surprised how easy it was to find a doctor that would operate," Aleksander added with that frown again.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"After what happened back at the penthouse, I'd have expected the Prevention Law to have broken and for wereanimals to be taboo on LA soil," he explained, he looked around and added, "But no one's been hostile."
"That's because men and women in the medical profession do not believe in judging others," a deep voice said from behind Aleksander.
I looked and found the doctor who'd agreed to operate on Nirvana when she'd been brought in. He looked exhausted and a little pale around the edges too. From what I remembered his name was Frank Hardman and he was one of LA's best surgeons and consultants. He smiled as he stepped further into the waiting room. Donovan stood and demanded, "How is Nirvana doing?"
"Her partner, that werelion is seeing her now. She's stablilised and the baby seems to be doing fine. The internal wound was vicious and devastating, but her healing factor prevented her from arresting and bleeding out. A weeks rest and she'll be back up and around. I have never seen wereanimals who breed though before. It was new to me, but there was no one else available to take a look at her in theatre. I did what I could, and now she's resting up. I recommended medication for the pain, but I believe a wereanimals' metabolism prevents the drugs from maintaining in the system long enough for them to even kick in?"
Donovan nodded and added, "Medication would just confuse the body and make her ill."
"Her husband said as much. I'm afraid I can only allow one at a time in with her until the morning. But your more than welcome to wait here for the time being."
The conversation was stopped by the distant tone of a mobile phone. Donovan stepped back from the conversation and reached inside his back pocket, pulling a mobile phone out and answering the call.
"I'll stay back here. You guys need to head back and take care of things," Eddie said, trying to keep things vague in front of the human doctor.
"You sure you'll be fine here on your own?" I asked.
"The Lions can handle things from here, there's no need for you guys to remain here, just like Eddie said," Maximillian said as he padded into the waiting room. He looked exhausted.
"Everything ok?"
Maximillian nodded and said, "She's asleep. I'll stay here tonight, if that's alright?"
I nodded back and turned to Aleksander. "We should head back and see what Leon's doing." Sawyer had agreed to spar with the lion when the meeting was finished with. I'd left them at Basil's manor alone.
Aleksander grinned. He must have had the same thought I'd had. There was no way Sawyer would decline a match if someone challenged him outright. His pride meant too much to him.
"We may have to hold off on heading home for the time being," Donovan said as he slipped his mobile back inside his back pocket.
"What do you mean?" I asked with a curious expression.
"That was Basil. Its all over the news, Walker's Law has been abolished, and effective immediately all non-human citizens of LA are under house arrest until we can be...dealt with." Donovan frowned at his own words.
"And if we're seen on the street?" Aleksander demanded.
"Shoot on sight, according to the news channels. Wereanimals across LA have been deemed a threat," he explained.
"A threat?" Aleksander snapped back.
"Excuse me, doctor? I don't suppose you have a television on sight somewhere?" Donovan asked, looking at the human surgeon now.
"The private rooms all have televisions. I think there's a vacant one down the Hall," Hardman explained as he gestured. Donovan thanked him and walked in the direction the doctor had pointed. I shrugged at Aleksander and we followed. Maximillian and Eddie brought up the rear.
Donovan burst through the door of the darkened private room and crossed the room, turning on the television mounted on the wall in the corner. He found the remote and clicked from channel to channel until he found what he was looking for. What met us was a true horror scene. It was an image of the courthouses based in LA, standing outside were wereanimal protestors, parading by the front doors and shouting while armed policemen stood guard at the doors. There was also paprazzi standing closer to the doors, surrounding a podium with a man dressed in a tailored suit, trimmed hair and glasses perched upon his nose as he addressed the newspapers and news channels that had showed up.
"...it is because of these reasons that hence forth, wereanimals who are seen out in public during the house arrest will be shot and killed on sight. No exceptions are to be made until LA's safety can be assured. This has not been a decision that has been made on a whim. We have taken into account the problems that wereanimals have caused in the previous months and have decided this is the best step we can take to prevent harm coming to humans." The lawyer smiled politely and turned his back to the paparazzi.
"Just like that we're the monsters again?" Aleksander snarled as he looked up at the television.
"Looks that way. But what do we do now?" Donovan asked.
"What do you mean?" I replied with a confused look.
"Law states that wereanimals seen on the streets are to be killed on sight. Meaning we are stuck here," he explained.
"Not necessarily," Aleksander replied with a broad grin as he padded across the room and leaned against the window sill. "Have Basil take us back to his manor."
"Teleportation?" Donovan realised with a smile of determination.
"Nirvana is not ready yet to be moved, so she'll be staying here. Law states that the wereanimals are not to be harmed whilst indoors, so she'll be safe here," doctor Hardman added.
Maximillian nodded and said, "Thank you."
I smiled and said, "So we'll head back while you wait here for Nirvana to heal up and then we'll have Basil come and get you."
We were all confident things we going well when the door opened and a nurse stepped in, looking panicked. What was with people bursting in and delivering good news all of a sudden? It was getting annoying.
"Doctor! There is a group of protestors outside!" she explained.
"Protestors?" I repeated.
"What would protestors be doing here? The problem is at the courthouse, not the hospital," the doctor added with a confused look.
"They aren't here to protest against the wereanimal law being abolished, doctor. They are here bating for wereanimal blood. They know the lioness is here," the nurse explained.
"W-What?" Aleksander demanded. Maximillian was a blur as he rushed out and headed for Nirvana's room.
Donovan lead the way out of the private room, we stepped into the corridor and had barely taken a breath when a loud shatter echoed down the corridor. The doctor rushed passed us and headed for the loud eruption. Whoever was here to do us harm had broken in through a window and was now heading for us. We needed to get out of here, now! Donovan grabbed my hand and we ran, ran down the corridor toward where Maximillian had run to. Both Eddie and Aleksander followed. We needed to find Maximillian and Nirvana and get out of here as soon as possible.
Donovan called back over his shoulder, "Eddie! Can you sense where Maximillian or Nirvana are?"
"One floor up," Eddie called back.
"Good. We find them and we call Basil. I'd rather risk transporting Nirvana now than having her here when those humans get here," Donovan snapped.
"I never knew there were hostile groups against wereanimals. I mean, I knew discrimination existed, but actual organisations against us?" I stammered.
"There are a few, and I think being able to shoot on sight is something they've been waiting for for months," Aleksander replied as we neared the end of the corridor.
I heard someone in the distance shout, "There! The fucking monsters are here!" Gunshots then echoed after those harsh words.
"Guns? They're here with fucking guns!" Aleksander growled. He skidded and stopped, sliding along the floor and crouching as he went.
We all stopped dead and watched as the small band of armed human protestors rushed toward us.
I had time to shout, "Aleksander!" before Donovan grabbed me and ducked, holding me close. I looked up and watched as Aleksander crossed the corridor in a heartbeat and skidded to a halt behind the humans. They dropped their guns, and all dropped unconscious to the floor. Aleksander turned, a broad grin across his face as he rushed to rejoin us.
"When did you learn how to do that?" Donovan asked as Aleksander walked passed us and followed Eddie.
"You think Kane is the only one whose been training? I do have a role as cheetah king to maintain, Donovan," he replied with that broad grin, "I know their scent now though, and I could smell more of them."
"Don't think you can handle them like that?" I asked with a slight smile. I felt a little bit safer now.
He grinned and said, "I was lucky. That kind of move is something that can only be used if the opponents are gathered in a narrow space, I may not be able to do that again."
I thought about that and then looked to Eddie again, "Lead the way."
He nodded and turned, hurrying on while we all followed behind him. We hurried upstairs and rushed across the corridor and soon found Nirvana's room. We walked in and the scene we met was one of panic. Nirvana was sat at the edge of her bed, hands gripped her bump as she winced and looked up, pain streaked across her face. Maximillian had a duffel bag over one shoulder and offered her is large, long-fingered hand. He turned and smiled weakly as Nirvana took her husbands hand and stood.
"I'll call Basil," Donovan said, he took out his mobile and punched in the number.
"Are you feeling okay, Nirvana?" I asked.
She looked up at me, and the look alone told me no. I looked apologetic and smiled.
"So how are we doing this then? Basil drops in and we all leave together?" Maximillian asked.
"It might be better to have Basil take Nirvana on his own, and then have him come back for us the second time round," Aleksander explained, "The last time we all jumped together, we ended up sprawled."
"Only Eben remained in one piece, Basil was holding him by the threshhold when he landed," Donovan said as he slipped his mobile phone out of sight and frowned.
"Is he coming?"
"Two minutes, he reckons bringing Nirvana back alone would be best, so he needs someone there to take her off his hands when he lands back at the manor house," Donovan explained.
"In the meantime, we have problems!" Eddie said as he stepped in from the corridor. He'd been keeping watch.
"Problems?" I repeated.
"More of those protestors outside! And they don't look pleased to see me!" Eddie replied as he slammed the door. Donovan and I shoved the room's bed across and pinned the door closed.
"Now what?" I demanded.
"We wait. Basil said two minutes, give him a chance," Donovan replied.
A loud crash echoed and the door itself buckled.
"What in God's name are they punching the door in with?" Eddie declared as we all backed away and stood at the farthest corner of the room.
Another crash, the door snapped and the top half was prized away.
A lean looking man peeked inside, and then held up what looked like a sawed-off shotgun in his hands. He took aim for Donovan. He pulled the trigger and for a second the world swam, Donovan's chest erupted and blood blossomed from the open wound that was at his chest now. Several things happened at once. Donovan dropped, and Basil arrived, landing between us and the shotgun-wielding bastard that had fired on us. Blood spilled across the floor and pooled, while Donovan coughed and spluttered. He could heal. He'd heal this! He had to. I cradled him as we sank to the floor. Basil gripped my shoulder and grabbed Maximillian's shoulder. Aleksander gripped Basil by the arm and a second later the hospital room swam and vanished, replaced by the back yard of the manor house. Nausea swam as the world centered and stopped swaying. I was doubled over the bloodied body of Donovan as he stared upward, his eyes unfocused as his voice sounded strained. Was he actually dying? Surely it had been buckshot? The only way he'd have had this bad a reaction was if they'd used silver in their ammunition. Aleksander stood and helped Maximillian with Nirvana while Basil remained with me. Donovan took two more ragged breaths and then just stopped. He stopped and the world seemed to stop with him. I stared down and felt something deep inside me. Adelheid howled, she howled and mourned. Mourned? Why was she mourning? I touched a hand to Donovan's arm and already he was growing colder and colder. His eyes glazed and seemed to grow stiller and stiller with each passing second.
Kane came sprinting from the manor house blade in hand, with Sawyer behind him. Kane slowed and then stopped when I looked up, my face blank and haunted, lost for words and unable to comprehend what had happened. The wolf who'd guided me, the alpha I'd served under, the reason this coalition had started, was now dead. Kane looked at me and then dropped to his knees, his blade pierced the grass as he leaned upon its, tears visible from all way across the back yard were seen trailing down his face. Sawyer stopped dead beside him and upon realising what was wrong touched a hand to Kane's shoulder. Kane remained still for a second and then his free hand reached up and grasped Sawyer's as his tears continued to fall. The alpha we loved, and the one we'd shared, protected and looked up to was dead.