Chapter 47: Uncertainty.

HELENA Vee left us the next week. She was able to walk a certain distance with her cane, and she made everyone know about it. She went almost everywhere, mostly where Aaron was. I could almost feel his pain. Sweet, funny pain. We were all going to miss her. I promised to come visit as soon as I could, and Luna gave her some protective potions in case the perpetrators of her accident decided to try again. I couldn't imagine what that would be like. Aaron had started his new job as a chef at The Cuisine, a popular Italian restaurant in Henley. His first day went well, although he had some help with mom's cookbook. Turns out she had some Italian recipes in there too. Luna and I had another talk about when we should search for the scroll. I told her I had visited the library already, and apparently, she knew. The artifacts housed there had a great aura, and she could already sense it the moment I got home that night. We decided to tell Aaron properly, and he'd join us. Now, it was Monday, and I sat in the office, balancing some accounts when the hotline rang. 'Yes sir?" I answered Mr. James' call. 'Are you busy Helena?" He asked. 'Not really. I'm adding up the figures for Mrs. Jordan's accounts." There was a slight pause. 'Schedule a general meeting for tomorrow morning. I want to make an announcement." 'Okay sir." His tone was weird, a little agitated, yet calm. At the same time unsure, but firm in decision. I shrugged it off. Mr. James was indeed a strange man. I made the necessary preparations, and sent the newsletter out. I still wondered what he had to say. General meetings weren't called often. I got off work early that evening, and decided to stop by the bakery for some freshly baked coconut bread. I needed a treat. The bakery was bubbling with activity. Workers were dashing in and out of the ovens, carrying different variations of bread. Besides bacon, I think bread was my second favorite food. Fluffy and delicious goodness. What could possibly beat it? I stood in line, patiently waiting for my turn when my phone rang. 'Aaron? What's up?" 'Are you home yet?" He sounded breathless. 'No, I'm at the bakery. What happened?" I felt a sense of uneasiness. 'Oh, alright. I'm still at the restaurant. I think my boss is mad at me." I could hear faint sounds of chatter, but it didn't sound like anyone was yelling. I furrowed my brows. 'What did you do?" 'Absolutely nothing. He says my food is too delicious." '..." I will so murder him when I get home. 'Not funny." 'Oh come on. Not even a smile? I can feel it, you know." He said, in a babyish voice. I smiled, but I wasn't gonna tell him. 'No. No smiles for you. And certainly no bread either." 'Oh come on… I can bake mine, you know." 'You're such a cocky idiot." I giggled. 'Well, you've smiled. Mission accomplished. When do you get home? I've got a lot of things I wanna ask." 'I don't know, the line's not that long anymore so probably around 8pm." 'I'll wait for you then." CALEB. I sped through the dirt, dodging shrubs and woodland animals. The urgency in Brielle's voice made me leave early that night, and I was slowly losing it. Kyle… What have you gotten yourself into? He had always been adventurous, maybe too adventurous. How did he discover …. I'll worry about all this when I get back. Dr. Flora called earlier and said Brielle had brought him, so I drove straight to the hospital. Surprised, Traffic was low, and the roads were relatively free. It was mid-April, I wasn't . I got to the hospital in record time, and dashed out, calling Brielle at once. She picked up on the second ring. 'Caleb. Are you here yet?" her voice was sober, detached. 'Yes. What ward is he?" '34. Doctor Flora hasn't arrived yet." I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. I sped through the dimly lit corridors of the hospital. My mind raced with different possibilities. He could actually have been right. This period has been filled with all sorts of crazy stuff. Crazy stuff I hoped I would understand. I finally got to ward 34, and I peered inside through the transparent glass. Kyle was strapped to a special bed, probably used for the mentally deranged. Brielle stood beside him, at a safe distance. Her eyes were red and puffy. Kyle's muscles twitched at intervals, and his eyes were wide and wild. This wasn't the Kyle I knew, he was something else. His skin was pale, but there were red scratches and marks across his arms and chest. He had been struggling with something, or someone. I turned the knob and walked inside slowly, startling an already shaken Brielle. 'Caleb…" she whispered the moment she saw me. She ran over and hugged me tightly, sobbing and soaking my shirt with her tears. I patted her back, keeping my gaze on Kyle. His breathing was ragged, and every other second a low growl emanated from deep within his chest. His muscles twitched intermittently, and the wildness in his eyes was much more prominent now. It sent chills down my spine. It was like he was fighting an internal battle, trying to keep his humanity from the reach of the feral urge. Brielle calmed down after a bit and I led her to the nearby bed. She looked tired, too tired. Who knows how long she'd been up. I laid her on the bed, covering her up with the blanket. She held onto my arm, and I carefully removed it. 'Be careful." She whispered, before falling asleep. I walked over to Kyle's bed. His tremors had stopped, and he was a lot calmer now. A lot more sane. He glanced at me, and turned his gaze away almost immediately. I touched his shoulder. 'Kyle?" No response. 'Kyle. Talk to me. What exactly happened?" I touched his arm, and he flinched. 'C-Caleb? Is that you? I don't know what's wrong with me man, I…I don't know. Julia left me. She said I tried to kill her. I don't remember trying to kill her. I love her…." He snarled midway, and lunged at me. The straps held him in place, but I still took a few paces backwards. I stared at his convulsing body for minutes. Dr. Flora walked in moments later, with a concerned and confused expression on her face. Brielle was still asleep. She motioned for me to come outside into the hallway, and I obliged. She took off her mask and gloves and sighed. 'Caleb, Kyle's condition is very….unusual. Believe me I wasn't expecting…this. It's like the werewolf cells have completely mutated his original DNA, and are threatening to take over his entire body." She began. 'So what are you saying?" I replied, looking at her intently. 'There's no plausible conclusion just yet. I have to keep him out of anyone else's eyes though. Until I can come up with something. His wounds are healing at an accelerated rate too." She glanced back into the ward at his thrashing form. 'What about survival?" Probably the most important element here. 'His chances of survival actually depend on his ability to adapt to the changes going on in his body. His regenerative powers are what is keeping him stable for now. I'll do what I can, but it all comes down to Kyle's resilience." I nodded, glancing back at Kyle. 'Did he say if it was an actual werewolf that bit him? Or just a wolf?" She asked, a mixture of intrigue and uncertainty plain in her voice. 'Does it look like it could just be a wolf?" She rubbed her neck. 'Well, there are possibilities."