Wynta
She did not recall being rescued because she had passed out with that man, who she thought was a firefighter running towards her. Now she lay in a hospital ward there was an IV bag hung on a pole, and antibiotics were feeding into her.
She’d woken up a few days ago and been informed she’d had emergency surgery, she’d nearly died and was just lucky that there were people there to have heard her scream, and see her in the floodwaters, or she’d likely have died from injury. She had been impaled by a small tree branch and had been suffering from exposure.
The surgery had removed the stick, but they’d kept her sedated due to the infection that was trying to take hold. She’d been allowed to wake up two days post–surgery when it was seen that the antibiotics were finally working. She’d also been told she’d been infused with a pint of blood and had many scrapes, abrasions and bruising all over her body.
They’d not had much to go on with who she was, just an ID card, no driver’s license and one bank card. She already knew that, she didn’t have credit cards or store cards, saw no need to get herself into any kind of debt. She managed to tell them that first day that she didn’t drive, but she did have health insurance.
The nurse tending to her in the ICU had told her that was a good thing, considering she’d had surgery and been in the ICU for two days. She would stay there for one more day and then be moved to the ward where she would be assessed by a physiotherapist, and they’d see about getting her up and moving.
She’d been told that she had a grade three Medial Collateral Ligament sprain, or, as they referred to it, an MCL sprain as it, to her right knee and there was currently a full knee brace on it. She’d nodded and explained about her slipping off the boardwalk and how she’d injured it, how long it had taken for her to get up and put weight on it even.
She was given painkillers and that knee was treated with an icepack to help reduce the swelling. She was finally moved to another ward. It had four beds in there and two of those beds had humans in them already. She did ask the nurse where she was, and she’d been told in a private hospital called Hills Private Memorial Hospital, it was outside the city, and it had been the only accessible hospital with a surgical bay on the day she’d been found.
The hospital had opened its doors to flood victims, seeing as the main route to major hospitals in San Francisco were shut down by the floodwaters or landslides. She wasn’t overly surprised by that with the wild weather they’d been having. Just thanked the doctors and nurses for taking care of her.
The two women across from her had visitors for all the visiting hours, and they talked constantly, as Wynta had sat there in her bed, just trying to recover and be comfortable. It was a little hard to do. She was a side sleeper and couldn’t lay on her left side. That was where her penetrating injury had been, and she couldn’t lay on her right side because of her knee.
It was more than a little frustrating for her. She just sat quietly and stared out the window for the most part, though she had to give the nurse the details of her health insurance provider, Cedar Rapid Health. She knew it to be called, “I believe I have full coverage with my employer. Though don’t ask me for my membership number, I don’t know it by heart, I’ve never used it once in the five years I’ve worked for my employer.
“I’ve not heard of that one,” the nurse stated. “Private, I’m guessing.”
“I believe it’s exclusive to those that work within the conglomerate of Cedar Rapid Industries,” she nodded.
She wondered just how long it was going to take for Edward to be notified of this very hospital trying to get his pack hospital to cover human world medical bills. How long did she have until that Alpha walked into this room and insisted on having her transferred to his pack hospital for the rest of her treatment?
It wasn’t at all necessary as far as she was concerned. The nurses and doctors here were lovely and professional and were looking after her very well. Though she did know it was likely going to cost that pack a fair amount of dollars, the human world mark–up on hospital care was always increasing. Last she’d seen something on it, it stated hospitals marked up their drugs by 234% and some as much as 724%.
She didn’t know how they could justify those prices, and she wondered how most everyday patients could afford medical at all. The pack was likely going to be hit with a massive bill for her medical care right now. She wasn’t even a pack member and a part of her did worry she’d likely be roped into some contract to have to pay it back, which would see her have to continue to work for Edward.
Or maybe he would tell her he’d wipe it if she agreed to be initiated into his pack. She didn’t know, but technically she was an employee and that was how she’d gotten the medical cover, so she was hoping it would just be paid and nothing would be said about it. No new deals would be made over it.
She’d been gotten out of the bed this afternoon with that leg brace on and assisted to weight bare, the physio had locked it in at 30 degrees and told her to use the crutches if she was getting up for the bathroom, and had sat them next to the bed. She’d nodded, there wasn’t much she could do about it. He’d come back tomorrow, and they’d go for a walk again, to try not to weight bare unless it was necessary for a week.
Her doctor had come and seen her, checked on her surgical wound and asked about her pain, spoke with the nurses about any further signs of infection. There didn’t seem to be any, and he’d smiled at her. “That is good news, I’ll likely release you when those antibiotics are complete in two days‘ time.”
She’d nodded, and then the nurse had sat with her and asked her about who would be looking. after her when she went home, because she’d had no visitors at all. Wynta had shaken her head and stated, “I’m an orphan, and not in a relationship of any kind, it will be just me when I leave and go home.”
That had made the nurse frown deeply and ask her about her home. She’d stated simply, just three steps up into the apartment building, and she lived on the ground floor, her place was clutter–free, and she didn’t see a problem with being on her own, told her she would manage because she had to.
She’d seen the woman across from her looking at her, obviously listening to her conversation. She had a husband and two kids around her all the time. They were quite noisy and fussed unnecessarily, she thought. But that was what family’s did, she supposed. She was actually getting to see what it was like with those two other women in this room to have a family that would visit and bring one, things. It annoyed her at times, and she turned to stare out the window for the most part of the day.
She was standing by that window just looking when she heard her name being stated by a male voice. She turned and looked to see a tall muscled man with brown hair talking to the nurse. He turned and looked at her when directed and looked her over. Frowned near instantly and then sighed and shook his head.
She picked up that wolfen scent as he pulled his phone out. “I got her,” he stated to who was at the other end of the line, and then he walked over to her and muttered, “You’re a hard person to find Wynta.”
“And you are?” she asked right back.
“Hey, come on sis, don’t be like that now. I know you’re made at mum, but I didn’t do anything
“I’m here to bring to you.” He smiled at her and then nodded to the other women in the ward you home, and you’ll be treated in our private hospital from now on.”
Sis? She stared at him a little uncomprehending of what the hell was going on, until those last words came out of him, and then she understood what was going on. He nor anyone from Edwards‘ pack could come in here and just remove her from the human hospital and take her back to the pack. They needed to establish some sort of family support system to have her discharged into their care, she supposed.
Wynta turned to face him fully. “I don’t know you,” she stated plainly, and it wasn’t a lie. “I’m also not going anywhere with a stranger.” She told him.
“Ah come on, Wynta, don’t be like that, I get it. Mum was really harsh on you, the estate angry. I understand you’re mad about what happened, likely have a right to be even, but we’re family, you know that.” He sighed. “Now let me help you back into bed while I sort the paperwork out.” He offered and took another step towards her.
“Don’t you touch me,” she snapped at him. “I don’t know you, not even your name, so I am not going anywhere willingly with you. Leave,” she stated firmly.
“Wynta, please don’t be like this. You do know I am your brother, Dwane. Uncle Edward is very upset that you’ve been missing, and he’s already had words with those that need it, about what happened to you that saw you leave before you arrived home.”
“I don’t know what you want from me, Dwane, if that is even your real name, but I do know you are not my brother. Leave or I’ll have the nurse call security.”
“Come on sis, don’t be like that now.” He frowned at her.
She called out for the nurse and when she came in she looked at her “Kim, I don’t know this man. I don’t have any family. I’ve already told you I’m an orphan. Please remove this stranger from my room. I don’t know who he is or what he wants, but he’s starting to scare me with his act,” she told the nurse.
She saw Kim look from her to the man and frown, then ask him to leave. Dwane frowned, She’s just upset, she got into a big fight with our mum is all. She is being difficult is all I assure you, Kim, I am her brother.”
“Prove it,” Wynta stated. “Get out your ID and show you’ve got the same last name or produce a family photograph of us all together, you and I and this so–called family I’m supposed to belong to.”
She watched as his jaw tightened, and he turned hard eyes on her.
“No. I didn’t think you could. He lies Kim. Please call security.”

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