Chapter 52

"The first thing we need to do is call Liam," Marcus says, checking his phone. "I called him earlier, so he knows that Father is here at the hospital, but I need to update him. We're going to need his help, both with Jack Darlington and the press."

Marcus makes a face and shakes his head, scrolling down his screen.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Only about the 35,000 missed calls I have from everyone from Mother to Joel's wife to about 16 different news agencies," Marcus sighs. "Damn it, what a mess. All right. Liam first. I'll step out into the hallway – is there a private place to make this call?" He addresses this question to Dr. Madison.

"I'll show you to the conference room on this floor," she says. "You can make the call in privacy from there."

They leave together, and I'm left with the unconscious Alpha. I scoot over closer to his bed and take his hand in mine. It's very cold.

"I'll see about getting you another blanket or two," I murmur to him, reaching my other hand to sweep his hair off his face. "Oh, Emmett, I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

I bite my lip, trying desperately not to start crying again. Where has all my professional composure gone, I ask myself in frustration, scrubbing at my eyes with the back of my hand. I need to pull it together, for everyone's sake.

The machines beep softly, rhythmically. I've always found the sound of machines in a hospital to be soothing and reassuring, personally. Medicine has come so far, in such a short amount of time. If anyone can save the Alpha, it'll be the excellent staff here at the hospital.

I have to hold onto that hope, I tell myself. Emmett is strong; he's been strong his entire life. His new medication was working – I could see that myself. And werewolves in particular are hardy, much more so than humans.

Whoever poisoned the Alpha definitely gave him enough poison to kill a human, but they didn't know much about werewolf anatomy. There's a good chance that, since Emmett hasn't succumbed yet, he'll pull through.

Again, another sign that points to Charles. I'll have to make sure that this Jack Darlington understands that. Not because I want to save my own ass as much as because I want to see Charles finally nailed to the wall.

He's ruined so many lives, hurt so many people. He's just such a – a – well, I'm not even sure that I can think of a name bad enough for Charles. He's a rat, a louse, a weasel, a tick. He leeches off of other people and doesn't care who he stomps as long as he gets his way.

I can't believe I ever saw anything in him, I reflect, smoothing the covers on the Alpha's bed. Contrast him with Marcus, who is honor, and loyalty, and compassion itself. He's kind and warm and funny.

Marcus would rather run a sword through his own heart than hurt someone innocent.

The door opens, and Dr. Madison and Marcus return. Marcus looks a little calmer than he did before.

"It'll be all right," he says. "Liam is already here, in the waiting room. He's going to call Jack, just as soon as he escorts my mother back here. She's apparently been causing quite a scene in the lobby," he says apologetically to Dr. Madison.

Dr. Madison just rolls her eyes.

"Honey, I've been an ER doctor for almost 20 years. I've seen it all," she says. "And so have my staff. Don't worry about it."

"Your staff may not have met anyone like my mother before," Marcus counters.

Dr. Madison just grins, looking almost wolfish herself.

"And your mother has never met anyone like my nursing staff," she says confidently. "I'd bet my stethoscope on it. She's not back here without permission, is she?"

That pulls Marcus up, and a slow smile spreads across his face.

"Touche," he says. "Honestly, it's good for her. She gets her way far too often, and she's been ignoring my father's health for far too long, too. Maybe this will be the wakeup call she needs."

We don't have to wait long to find out. Soon, voices are echoing loudly down the hallway. I recognize the Luna's – apparently she's still raging at having been locked out of her husband's sick room for so long.

"...of all the insults I've ever had to endure in my time, Liam…someone's about to lose their job, I can tell you that right now…" Her voice gets louder as she approaches the hospital room, and then the door flings open somewhat violently.

"Marcus, I don't know what kind of shoddy, second-rate charlatan is running this place, but I'm going to get your father transferred to a more suitable facility immediately. Imagine locking me out of my own husband's room, during a medical emergency…"

The Luna's voice falters and tapers off as she takes in the full view of Emmett lying in his bed. He looks terrible, I have to admit – his face is gray and covered in a sheen of sweat, and he's hooked up to at least half a dozen monitors and IVs.

He looks so small, lying there unconscious in his hospital gown. For the first time since I've met him, Emmett looks like the unwell elderly man that he is. He looks deathly frail, like a light breeze could finish him off if it blew him over.

A silence falls, heavy and thick with emotion.

"Emmett?" the Luna whispers tentatively. She sweeps over to his bedside, and I quickly vacate my chair and offer it to her. She sits and leans over the side of the bed to clutch her husband's hand.

"Can he – can he hear me?" she looks up, tears in her eyes. For the first time I've seen her, she looks uncertain and afraid.

"Probably not, ma'am," Dr. Madison says gently, laying a hand on the Luna's shoulder. Instead of shrugging it off with a sharp remark, like I'd expected, the Luna leans into the touch. "But some patients can, so do feel free to talk to him as much as you'd like."

"I didn't realize how bad…" the Luna's voice chokes a little, and she clears her throat. "Doctor, what on earth happened?"

Marcus, Dr. Madison, and I fill her in on everything we know so far. Liam is leaning against the door, which he had closed behind the Luna, looking serious and worried.

"My god," the Luna says, reaching up to wipe away the tears that are starting to trickle down her cheeks. "I've been a goddamn fool."

I'm shocked. This reaction seems so unlike the Luna…I look up at Marcus, who looks tired but gratified.

"Mother, I tried to tell you," he says softly.

"I know," she says. "And if I hadn't been so goddamn stubborn and combative, I would have listened. And perhaps Dr. Prism would have felt comfortable coming to me earlier with her concerns, instead of seeing me as someone who would only cause more danger."

I really almost fall over in shock at that one, especially when she straightens her shoulders and turns to look up at me, still not letting go of her husband's hand.

"Dr. Prism, I owe you a deep and sincere apology, which I freely give now. I have been nothing but rude and offensive to you, when you've done nothing except save my husband's life, over and over."

She extends her free hand to me, which I shake.

"Please accept my most heartfelt regrets, and I do hope that you and I can come to be better friends. I would like you to be able to come to me in the future, once I have proved to you that I'm not the ignorant and foolish old woman I've been acting."

"Of course, ma'am," I say softly. "I'd like nothing better. I have nothing but your husband's best interests at heart."

"I know that now," she says. "Marcus, I apologize to you as well. You tried to get me to see, and I refused. I'm sorry, darling."

Then she turns to Dr. Madison, who is still standing by the Alpha's bedside opposite her.

"And to you, Doctor," she says. "My remarks when I entered this room were uncalled for and out of line. I do hope you'll forgive me for them."

Dr. Madison only smiles.

"Ma'am, trust me, I've heard far worse," she says. "Everybody tends to get a little hot under the collar in situations like these. We'll consider it forgotten."

"Thank you," the Luna says. "Now, can someone please help me understand my husband's current situation, and what we can expect in terms of likelihood of recovery, and what that recovery might look like?"