C46 At the hospital

Artemis pov

I watched Freya from her bed as she laid still. She was cladded in white long pants and shirt, a bandage wrapped around her torso. Her breathing was even as she laid back flat staring at the ceiling with eyes shot and mouth sealed. The atmosphere was still and tender, marked with the smell of disinfectant and drugs.

Every little activity was noticed by everyone as there was one significant mode in the building, panic. People often ran in a disheveled format, hurrying like they were headed to a battle. It was a battle, just this one was to win death.

White low lights were casted in every spot, lighting up the space. The White Light was not the only thing in the fight, everyone was dressed white and had on their mouth, and nose masks to dodge spreading disease.

In the middle of all this drama was Freya, connected with tubes of wires to machines that beeped tremendously, registering and coupling with the brain.

I stood and watched her in delight as a proud grin veiled my face. Oslo, Iris all stood mirroring my expression, particularly Oslo, he wore the look of a father. A damn proud father. It was hard for him to contend his pride, boiling out, but that wasn't the only thing boiling, my rage was doing same.

“I can't believe she won, she freaking won,” Oslo breathed out for the hundredth time. Neither of us minded though, we were all in cloud nine basking in the joy of her victory.

Freya was placed in a private room. Her damage was less grotesque, she would recover in a short while, at least that's what the doctor said.

Her Wolf was kin and vigorous, even more reason she was healing fast. We were all standing, too excited to sit.

The automatic door opened, letting the cold conditioner air hit us like a wave. In sync, both I and Iris turned our attention to the door. Oslo was still inspecting and going over Freya’s body.

Racheal walked in solemnly, she wore a relatively sad face for someone that her friend just won. She took a steady pace towards the hospital bed and the beeping machine.

Is something wrong?

“Is she alright?” she stretched to touch Freya’s body but Oslo slapped her hand away and hissed.

Why was he acting like a nagging mother-in-law?

“I don't recognize you as Freya’s friend,” Oslo said, eyeing her suspiciously.

“I'm her friend,” Racheal insisted, her voice low and subtle, like she didn't want Freya to hear.

“That's a lie, I always saw you with Merona!” Oslo bit, his hand came up to fold on his chest.

“I'm… I'm.. You know what,” she suddenly bit, her confidence returning like rain, “I'm her friend, yet I don't know you,” Racheal glared at Oslo.

Oslo scoffed and did …a… freaking eyes roll. What the hell was happening? Did he suddenly change gender overnight or was this prone to Freya’s triumph? Either way, he was acting lesssss masculine. Which naturally was a thing of wonder to me.

“I'm her coach, her teacher. I taught her everything she know, how is it that I had never seen you,” he asked with sarcasm.

“Funny, because I was about to say the same thing,” she retorted.

Oslo circled the small bunk bed that Freya's body was on, his steps were sturdy as he marched down to scare her. Racheal surprisingly stood her ground with a deep, dark expression.

Oslo easily towered her as he was on the bigger size. She looked like an ant about to be squashed by an elephant, she didn't stand a chance nonetheless she didn't back down.

There was some sturdy tension between them, but I didn't care. I was reaching out to observe Frey, when the cool breeze swept us again like erosion, thrusting our focus back to the automatic transparent door.

A man on a white coverall with his name tag and title clipped to the pocket of his white coat stepped in. The badge on his coat gave out his name and profession. Doctor Gary was inscribed with a bold black thick font.

“Good day alpha,” he greeted as he walked in, unwinding the stethoscope from his neck.

His presence broke off the tension between Oslo and Rachael, as every single person broke into a single file, providing space for him to cross check Freya.

“How's she? When is she going to wake up? Are you sure she's okay?” Oslo hurled question after question at the doctor as he placed the stethoscope on her chest to listen to her heartbeat.

For him to do that, his hand was practically resting on her breast as it took every fibre in my body to look sturdy and unconcerned when all I desperately wanted to do was bite his neck.

“Is she alright?” This time I showed my concern not because she didn't seem fine, but because I had to say something before I exploded with steam.

If he caught on, I didn't give two shits, but he did turn to me and smile, “she's perfectly fine. In fact she would be up any moment from now,” he announced.

“Really?!” Racheal asked with hope and a ghost of sadness in her tone. She smiled and let down her head.

Doctor Gary spared Freya a glance and muttered absentmindedly, “She's a fighter,” and to me, he said, “She’s a real gem. You found yourself a rare one. Keep her,” he smiled.

The sound of soft grunts and movement pulled us back to a groaning Freya. Her head was equally draped with bandages. She groaned once more as she attempted to sit up, her hand pushing up to massage her head or touch the weird discomfort she was feeling.

We scurried to her side, aiding her effort of sitting up. The doctor was by the side as we assisted her to sit up and lean against the head bed. She relaxed her back and tried to breathe. Our hand constantly collided with the doctors as we would always sprang to help her with every soft groan she let out from pain.

“Would you all give the doctor space?!” Iris snapped. We cleared our throat and stepped back.

“It's no problem, I understand,” Doctor Gary said and smoothened it with a smile of ‘really it was no problem’.

He peered Freya’s eyes open and flashed a tiny torch light into it. He placed the stethoscope on her breast again, “breath,” he said to Freya. She obliged, taking in slow and steady oxygen. She picked pace as she proceeded.

“You are fine,” the doctor said to her more than to us, he set back the stethoscope on his neck.

“How’s your head, feeling anything?” In queue to his question, she raised her hand to physically inspect her head as we all stared at her with equal curiosity, waiting for her reply.

Satisfied with her observation, “nothing,” she answered.

“Alright then….” the doctor's voice faded out as he went behind her head to unclip something, “we are going to be taking this off,” he notified.

Slowly, he unwrapped the white bandage on her head, allowing her black ebony hair to flow. He did the same to the one wrapped around her torso.

“Congratulations,” doctor Gary said, fixing the drip line to run a bit faster.

“What?” she asked, confused. Doctor Gary chuckled warmly, I hated the fact that he was acting all cozy and charming towards my mate. His hands were on her breast not so long ago and now…..

“Artemis,” I heard my name sharply and it took a short while to know that I had let my possessiveness show. I can't blame me, anyone who had her would never let her go.

“It's alright, I understand, he's her mate, it's only natural,” the doctor said. He adjusted the drip line and turned to Freya, “I heard you defeated our champion, congrats,” he congratulated which made Freya smile a thank you in response.

His full attention was channelled towards us now, “she should rest up, I've increased the drip, it should finish any time now. The nurses would put her on the last one then she can be discharged,” he explained.

“Are you sure? If she's not fit—-”

“He's the doctor, not you Oslo,” Freya said sharply, plastering a fake smile that was nothing but apparent.

Gary smiled, “she's fine, her Wolf has sped up her recovery, the last drip is just to be too careful,” Gary explained warmly. Why was he so nice?

“Thank you doctor,” Oslo said.

“Anytime,” he answered and walked out.

The moment he was out, Freya cried out, “can we leave already?—-”

“No!!” her cries were cut shut with a firm ‘no’ from all of us.

She slumped her shoulder in defeat.

“Where is tha….” Oslo’s voice burned out when he turned and looked around for Racheal, I did same.

“Where did she go?” Oslo questioned. He shrugged his shoulders when he didn't see her and focused back on Freya.

Weird, when did she leave?

“You won!!” the boys shouted in excitement.

Freya smiled, “that's because I had a good teacher,” she said, stroking Oslo’s ego unknowingly.

“You hear that!!! That's what I said!! That's what I told you all!!” he yelled in our faces, pointing at I and Iris like we said otherwise.

“And nobody said you were wrong,” Iris responded, deflating his confidence like a balloon. Well, I think there was suddenly a new side to Oslo that I didn't know about.

Freya chuckled lightly, sitting up better. Her movement pulled me from the thought of Oslo acting weird.

“I'm proud of you Frey,” I told her, earning a deep blush from her. It never gets old.

“How are you feeling, any pain?” I asked, finally taking the vacant seat close to her bed.

“No, I just feel dizzy,” she answered with a yawn.

The sound of a notification pulled us back from Freya to locate the source of the message. Iris glided his hand Into his pocket as he drew out his phone. His hand went in a slide motion, unlocking the phone. Once he did, his jawline clenched.

“What is it?” everyone asked.

“The council,” he answered simply.

“What. Did. They. Say?"That was me, asking slowly as I stood to my feet.

“Freya,” he called wearily and I clenched my hands by my side.