Chapter 109

Claire POV

Heart pounding, head throbbing, I threw all of my energy into stabilizing Andy as he lay there in that rainy, muddy field.

With Nathan’s help, it was just enough to keep his heart beating, his lungs breathing, and keep his brain alive.

I prayed for the Betas to get help to us quickly, though.

I needed more help getting and keeping him stabilized, so I could then begin addressing his actual injuries.

After what seemed like forever, an emergency medical team ran through the woods and into the clearing, with a stretcher ready to take Andy back to their waiting ambulance.

“Alright, Princess, Alpha, let’s get him onto the stretcher. Easy, everyone.

“Ready? One, two, three!”

With as much care as possible, our four sets of hands slipped under Andy’s body and shifted him onto the stretcher.

He was so light it broke my heart.

How could Sabrina hurt someone so small, so helpless and fragile?

How could she have done this to our son??

I buried the tears that wanted to fall, locking down the wail that was trying to claw its way out of my throat.

Instead I walked with the emergency team out of the woods, my hands to Andy’s chest, never breaking the healing. I was vaguely aware of other voices, and the wash of the blue and red emergency lights cutting through the night as we got closer to the ambulance.

Aware, but unable to focus on anything except the small body beneath my hands.

We loaded the stretcher into the back of the ambulance gently, awkwardly shifting it so I could climb in with him at the same time.

“Drive fast,” I begged the emergency team. “He needs blood, he’s lost so much.”

They nodded as Nathan hopped up into the back of the ambulance, squeezing in beside me. They shut the doors then ran around front.

“We’ll radio ahead and tell the clinic to be ready for a transfusion.”

I nodded, unable to answer as I focused on healing him continuously.

I could only pray that we had enough of his blood type at the clinic. The rogue attacks left our reserves nearly bone dry.

Knowing I was a match helped. If we could get to the clinic in time, I would be happy to give my son every drop of blood that I had.

But first we had to make it there.

The ride was torture. The emergency team was forced to go slowly through the woods, being careful not to get stuck in a rut on the old unused road they’d managed to find.

Once we hit the main roads, they turned on the sirens and lights and floored it.

Beside me, I heard Nathan continue to talk to Andy, telling him to hold on, to just keep breathing.

Muscles tensed against the swaying of the ambulance, I sent my own prayers down into his body, letting them give me the strength I needed to keep holding him steady.

At long last we arrived at the clinic, tires squealing to a stop on the wet pavement in front of the emergency room.

Immediately Amelia came out of the clinic, running to open the ambulance doors herself.

“Claire! Oh god, little Andy. How is he?”

She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears.

“I’ve got him holding steady,” I told her. “But we need blood…”

She nodded briskly, wiping the tears that had fallen and going into command mode.

“We got the message while you were on the way. The transfusion team is ready and waiting upstairs.”

Turning to the other staff gathering around her, she began issuing orders.

I’d never been so grateful to have her there.

It meant everything that someone I trusted with my life was there to help me save my son’s.

As staff helped get the stretcher out of the ambulance, I felt a strong familiar hand at my elbow, giving me the assistance I needed to step down without slipping.

I looked up, and breathed out a sigh of relief. “Dr. Baldwin, you’re here. Thank go.

“I need your help,” I told him, making room for him beside me as we began to wheel Andy in through the emergency room doors. “Please, help me save my son.”

Dr. Baldwin stared at me for a moment, amazed, looking back and forth between Andy and me, then at Nathan who stood on the other side of the stretcher.

“Your son…??”

Then he shook his head, as if reminding himself that there were more important things to focus on at the moment.

“Yes, of course. I’ll do everything I can to help.”

He put his hands to either side of Andy’s head, and began adding his own healing abilities to mine.

I immediately felt a difference, and nearly sobbed with relief.

I hadn’t realized how much my own energy had been lagging, even fading, until I felt the strength of his fresh energy rush in to braid itself with mine.

For the first time since I stared down at my son’s broken body in that field, I felt something more than just the determination to give him everything I had.

I felt hope.

Redoubling my efforts, I hurried with everyone else down the hall and into a room, where the transfusion team stood ready.

Nathan POV

I watched from the edge of the room as the large group of medical professionals worked on Andy, feeling helpless.

All I could do was watch, and wait.

The smell of my own son’s blood on my hands was overpowering. I wanted nothing more than to wash it off, scrubbing away every last trace of the stain I knew it would leave.

But nothing in the world could make me leave that room.

Not until I knew Andy was safe.

I didn’t let myself think about the alternative. About what I would do if Andy didn’t make it.

But I knew it would be the death of me as well.

Being careful to stay out of the way, I watched as the medical team worked together, almost like a kind of dance. It was graceful, the way they worked around each other, one person neatly slipping a needle into Andy’s arm while another carefully cut away his ragged bloody shirt.

I would have admired it more, if I hadn’t been frozen with absolute terror.

Within moments Andy was hooked up to the machine, and life-saving blood was being pumped slowly into his starving veins.

Medical staff began to leave the room, some coming back to hook Andy up to other machines and monitors. Soon a steady mechanical “beep” filled the room.

His heartbeat, I realized.

That was the sound of his heart.

And it was beating steadily.

Suddenly feeling weak and dizzy with relief, I realized Andy was alive.

And he was going to stay that way.

Our son was going to live.

At that moment both Claire and Baldwin lowered their hands, cutting off the soft gold healing light that had surrounded Andy.

Baldwin sighed and rolled his head as if his shoulders were stiff.

Claire swayed with exhaustion.

Both Baldwin and I hurried to her side.

But I was faster.

Backing Baldwin off with a fierce look, I simply picked Claire up and sat down with her in a nearby chair, settling her onto my lap. Her head rested against my shoulder, and I could tell she was barely conscious.

She’d truly given Andy everything she had.

Amelia stepped over to Andy’s side, checking his vitals.

Then she shook her head in amazement. “I didn’t think it was possible…Not with the state he was in when you arrived.”

She looked over at Claire, a look of wonder on her face.

“Nathan…Andy’s stable. And already showing signs of recovering!

“He’s going to be alright.”

Overwhelmed, I simply nodded.

Then I buried my face into Claire’s shoulder, shaking with relief.