This was the first time Asher had ever been in William's house. The first time they met actually. But Asher, being Asher felt comfortable and friendly. Plus he didn't have a choice. David had missed a crucial meeting meant to hammer out the disagreements the Shaw Pack was having with the Solaire Clan. Now Asher had to apologize and explain.
"His mate's not doing so hot right now. It was an emergency."
"Oh?" William sat on the couch across from him, settled in with a cup of tea, ready for a story.
"I want to give you the whole story Mr. Solaire. So you have context."
"Please, it's Will"
"Ok so it seemed like it started two weeks ago but it's actually started months ago." Asher took a breath, not ready to disclose all of his best friend's secrets.
"His mate, we call them Angel, you may have met. Two months ago they were diagnosed with a brain tumor."
"Oh goodness" William
"I know, well I didn't at first. David didn't tell anyone and neither did Angel. He's always been Mr. Workaholic. But as soon as a few months ago, he started leaving work early and only doing the bare minimum for the pack. Honestly, I thought he was the one who was sick. What we know now is that David was driving Angel to doctor appointments in the unempowered world and searching for a healer who could help. Eventually, when he stopped showing up for work for days at a time, it was because he was spending every second at their side in the unempowered hospital."
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"Davey, please I don't need another sandwich. Stop making them."
"The bottle says you have to take these with food"
"Yeah, that's one meal for all 7 pills, not seven sandwiches."
David put a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the nightstand anyway. He always insisted on whole wheat bread but for once he obliged Angel's request for white bread.
David sat down on the ottoman next to Angel who was lying in the bed. Angel stood blankly at the wall in front of them for a moment. Staring at the painting on the wall. It was of a beach they has gone to last summer. Angel looked back over at the sandwich with surprise as if it was the first time they had seen the sandwich before.
"Oh my gosh, another sandwich? When did you bring this in here?"
David took their hand from the bed and put his head down on it. He didn't want them to see the tears that flowed down his face.
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"It turns out that Angel's brain was shutting down. I didn't see it myself but when David finally talked to me about it, he told me that Angel had daily migraines and had to quit work." Asher said as matter-of-factly as he could. William's sitting room was warm and comfortable, it reminded him of a therapist's office. There was something about William's calm demeanor that was making Asher say too much.
"If I can ask" William ventured, "were you acting as Alfa of the Shaw pack?"
"I wasn't actually, not officially. David was still running pack meetings. That's really the only time we've seen him in the last couple of weeks. I think the more he spent in an unempowered hospital, the more he needed to be around wolves. But recently I learned it was the only time he wasn't with Angel."
Asher listened for a moment. There was an old grandfather ticking in the hallway.
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"You're ok keeping this confidential?"
"David" Sam put a firm hand on David's shoulder, "I'm glad you're reaching out, you cain't do this alone. No one could. I took an oath as a healer of patient confidentiality and Ah don't believe bein' a vamp changes anythin'. If you want me to keep quiet, I will."
"I'm looking for someone who can help, I don't care if they're empowered or not, or even human."
"Ya mean like a demon?"
"Anyone Sam."
"What's the diagnosis?"
"The unempowered doctors are calling it an
ependymoma brain tumor." David paused for a moment. Swallowing emotions clawing at his throat.
"St John's hospital?"
David nodded, still not ready to speak.
"I'm familiar with their neurology department, it's world-class. They may be unempowered but those doctors know the inside and outside of a brain better than any healer could. It's one of the few times I'll admit that the unempowered folks got us beat."
David rubbed his hand over his forehead. Tired, flustered, angry.
"I'll ask around. Look, I caint solve the problem. But you know healers are better at easin' pain than those meds they've probably got them on. If Angel's in severe pain, call me. If it's during the day, I'll send someone."
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David cracked the bedroom door open, he made sure to turn all the other lights in the apartment off before he did no light didn't enter the room. "Angel?" He whispered.
A moan was heard from the center of the bed.
David shut the door behind him. He wished his vision in the dark was as good as when he was a wolf. But he found his way over to the bed anyway. Angel propped themselves up on an elbow and stuck their hand out into the darkness. David depoited 3 small pills into their hand. It was frail and thin, and then though it was dark, David knew it was pale.
"Could you stay please" Angel asked. Their voice had more power then he was expecting. The idea that they were doing better than his brain was leading him to believe gave him a warm feeling deep in his belly.
"Of course beautiful."
"You're not grumpy"
"I don't think I'm allowed to be grumpy at a sick person."
"I miss grumpy Davey, you're sexy when you brood."
"I promise I'll grumpy when you feel better."
"Davey?" Angel put their head back on the pillow, "can you lay with me as a wolf?"
"I can, but let me just say one more thing"
Angel waited.
"I think we should repaint the kitchen"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Yeah I..."
"Oh my god I thought you were going to say something romantic"
"Home reno is romantic"
"Come man I'm dying over here, make an effort."
David leaned over his mate's face, an arm's length away. "Angel listen to me." They moved their face to his but it was still too dark to really see. "You aren't going to die" David forced as much confidence into his voice as he could. As if convincing Angel they would be ok would actually make everything ok. "You're sick and we're going to get you help."
"I appreciate your sentiment. Now turn into a wolf please."
David stepped off the bed and jumped back on as a wolf. He was, even more, intimating in the dark, his dark fur made his body disappear except for two bright yellow eyes.
Angel stroked his head resting on their stomach.
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"I'm still curious," William asked, "what happened on the night of the 17th?"
At this point in the story, Asher had his shoes up on the coffee table that was older than Benjamin Franklin and had taken off the tie that Babe forced him to wear.
"Yeah, so the night of the Solaire-Shaw meeting was not a great night for Angel."
William was thoroughly enjoying the way Asher told his stories. It was a refreshing change from the angst that his clan tugged around like a pet. Asher was a fun guy and even though the story he was telling was incredibly difficult to tell, Asher still managed to share it with his personality.
"Things were looking up at that point. Angel was out of the ICU, recovering from the first surgery. Angel's sister was staying in a hotel by the unempowered hospital, so David could get a break. I'm not sure how, but their sister managed to get him to go home." He took a breath, readjusting himself on the couch.
"I was driving David and me here for the meeting when we got the call from Angel's sister. Apparently, Angel's condition got a lot worse really fast and they were rushed into surgery. I'm sorry Mr. Solaire"
"Will"
"Mr. Solaire, the thing about being a shifter. The thing about being a shifter is that pack comes before all else. So as soon as we got the call, I had to turn the van back around. David had to be with his mate and I had to get him there. It's how we're wired. It's in his blood. When a shifter's mate is in trouble, there's no fortress, army, or meeting that is going to stop mates from saving each other."
"I understand Asher, it was a good reason to miss the meeting. I still had a pleasure meeting with the rest of the pack. Did..."
"I'm sorry, Mr. Solaire, but I don't think you understand. David would have sooner killed me, other drivers on the road, even bite his own arm off before he let something happen to his mate." Asher was rambling on but he did it with intent. "David's gonna kill me if he hears me say this but the only way to stop him from losing his mind from worry was by shifting and howling in the back of the van. He bit a chunk out of my seat because his brain needed to attack something. It wasn't because he was angry, not really Mr. Solaire, it's because it's really the only instinct we've got. He chose to fight over flight but he couldn't attack a tumor. Not with his teeth."
Asher was worried he had fucked up by interrupting William but at the same time, William felt guilty that he had no idea that David Shaw was going through a crisis. Not for the first time either, William was well aware of Gabriel Shaw and his wife passing not too long ago.
Asher sat silently. For a moment, collecting his thoughts.
"How is his mate doing now?" William asked cautiously.
"Well last I saw, good. They're eating and breathing on their own. Their thoughts are still messed up so it's difficult to have a coherent conversation but apparently, that happens even in successful brain surgery. The doctor says they can leave the hospital in a few days."
William nodded, he was cognizant that even after everything he's seen in his lifetime, there's a chance he doesn't truly understand the position David Shaw is in.
---------------
"Buddy" Asher was trying to reason with David. "They're in the hospital, with family, with doctors who know what they're doing."
David wasn't sure what his body was doing. Part of his body was falling asleep, nearly shutting down as he was moving. His brain was still on high alert. 'Go to Angel, where is Angel.' It was repeating. David wasn't even sure where he was in the room, just standing there. Asher stood in front of him and put his hand around the back of David's neck. David did the same to Asher after Asher landed the killing blow on an elk the pack was hunting. David's dad put his hand around the back of David's neck when David's crush said she wouldn't go to prom with him. It was comforting but with minimal touch for men who didn't know how else to say 'I love you.'
That was fine for a good poker game. But David needed more. Asher pulled him in for a real hug.
"You're ok and they're ok"
David put his face down on Asher's shoulder, his voice was muffled but Ashed heard him, "I should have told you, I needed you."
"I know, I know"
"I couldn't let the pack shut down, not for another crisis."
"I know it's ok, no one's mad. You needed us to not need you and that's ok."
Asher could feel his shoulder dampen. Tears seeping through cotton.
"My dude, you need sleep. Now. Or you're the one who'll be in the hospital."
"I can't" David mumbled.
"I don't doubt that. I probably wouldn't be sleeping either. As your best friend, if you asked me to drive you back to the hospital I would." He gently pushed David down on the couch, standing over him. David didn't put much of a physical fight. Only because he was still fighting his mental battle over sleep.
"Unfortunately, I'm not just your best friend, I'm also your beta. And as your beta, I will fight to keep you here until you've..." Asher read off the list Asher's mom gave him, "slept for 8 hours, eaten a full meal, showered, and, uh fuck um, yeah and also shaved."
"Asher my brain won't let me have a break. I can't sleep unless I know they're safe, breathing under my care."
"I'm standing guard my man. I'm watching the door and the windows and the phones. You know you can trust me."
It didn't take too much more convincing, David's eyes were closed.
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