Monday, October 21st Pt. 2

“His abdomen was so discolored with bruises that we had to run an ultrasound on him to verify he didn’t have internal bleeding. The bruising on his back also resulted in taking X-rays which came back positive for fractures to his ribs.
We discovered several hours later that those same linear bruises were present on his genitalia, the front of his right thigh, both his forearms, both his shins, and he had a fluid filled blister that went completely around the circumference of his left thigh. Testing on the fluid and a debridement surgery revealed a nasty second degree chemical burn that was heavily infected.
The next evening Lilly and I woke him from a night terror to find that he had a three inch laceration to the right side of his head caused by his brother slamming him into the counter before the rest of the beating happened. It was that night terror that reminded him that he had been stabbed multiple times with a hypodermic needle and injected with multiple medications with no knowledge of what they were.
After a medicated bath we stitched his head and removed a two and a half inch sixteen gauge needle from the space between his shoulder and neck. Two days later we find him suffering the classic painful effects of withdrawal. The quick test we had available showed that it was silver. It was Jessa that told us that he was both septic and suffering from silver poisoning.”
I pause as living that nightmare has created a lot of negative effects for myself and my family.
“I’m sorry that I didn’t get your permission when I walked in but I am audio recording this meeting. I will go to the committee members responsible for that department and share what you just shared. You are correct, Demetri. A report of that nature should have been turned over to the department in charge of abused and tortured wolves so they could work with you on preventing him from returning to his pack.” I nod with a quiet thank you.
“Finding out the condition Cole was in explains a lot of the fear you’re showing towards Jessa’s diagnosis.” Deven places his hand on mine. “Jessa has many positives that will help her compared to Cole.”
“What are those positives?” Tina asks.
I know that she is digging for additional information.
“Cole never told me the reason behind it but I did experience numerous issues in trying to get him to eat regular meals. It took about two months for him to become comfortable enough living in the pack house to help himself to the food in our refrigerator in between meals but when he first got to me he was severely malnourished to the point of being dangerously underweight and deficient in several critical nutrients. Jessa was able to tell us several things that we later verified with extensive testing. The two major things I remember is a heart arrhythmia and no immune system. Jessa has been with me for five years now. Even when she has come down sick, very sick, every three to four months Angela and I have made certain that she eats; that she’s taken care of.”
“That will make a big difference in her survival.” Deven nods reassuringly. “The concern, which is also the reason for her transfer, is the initial silver panel taken before I gave her the release medication showed her wolf was already shedding silver with a concentration of fifty percent purity.”
“Dr. Austin said something to that effect the day after she was admitted to your wing.” I add softly.
“Her test results weren’t back at that time so I believe that it was a hunch based on previous experience but due to that hunch she did perform a quick test on her blood. The test we have will show purity levels as high as fifty percent as well as indicate if it’s higher than fifty percent purity in an hour’s time frame. The only time we use that test is if the patient needs immediate intervention with Silvex. Based on her results she started receiving the pseudo silver designed to stabilize a wolf withdrawing from a seventy-five percent pure silver poisoning, the maximum purity a werewolf can receive without it killing them.”
I nod to indicate that I’m following along.
“Jessa’s test results indicate that she has indeed been poisoned multiple times as she has a high load of the three highest purities available; fifty, sixty, and seventy-five percent. Fifty percent purity is where the staphylococcus bacteria starts being used in the silver and her deadly load shows it.”
“What happens now?” I ask somberly.
“Any wolf withdrawing from sixty percent purity or higher is automatically transferred to the main hospital as they are always septic and poisoned at the same time. The most humane way to detox them is to heavily sedate them with Valium and Vicodin while running steroids, Silvex and binding agents. As an empath she is considered an alpha which requires around the clock monitoring to ensure that her breathing and heart rate are not compromised. In the hospital, should either become compromised, the doctors and nurses will be able to intervene and prevent permanent disability or even death. Blood panels checking the function of every organ in her body will be drawn every three days. The same will happen with urinalysis as it’s easy to contract a UTI when catheterization is required.”
“Please make certain she’s completely sedated before you do that to her.”
There’s a wavering to my voice as I choke back my desire to cry.
“With her statement that she has been raped numerous times by several packs it is in her chart that the only males allowed to enter her room are myself, Cass, you, food service and cleaning services. I also have it set up so that Cole will be hospitalized in her room as well.”
“You’re sending Cole?”
This is news that I wasn’t prepared for. He takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly as he transitions from one subject to another.
“Cole’s pain is beyond what the doctors in the wing are able to treat. He’s already on the highest levels of flexeril and Vicodin that we can give without more extensive monitoring. Dr. Hamilton is sending over the best anesthesiologist in the hospital to place an epidural just so we can move him without causing him to pass out from the pain.”
I nod as I finally let the tears fall. I know how dangerous placing an epidural can be and to do one on a highly anxious wolf with a heavily scarred back is just as terrifying as Jessa having silver poisoning and septicemia.
“I need to be there. He won’t get through that procedure on his own.”
I try to calm my nerves and steal my voice to keep them from objecting.
“While the subject is slightly off it is because of Cole’s fears and his rapidly changing maturity level that I am here. It is a necessity to assign an alpha as his guardian ad litem.”
I stare straight at Tina as she finishes her sentence.
“While it has taken the council sometime to do, we now recognize that neglect, abuse and torture as severe as Cole’s results in arrested psychological development. Some wolves go insane and become feral while others become like Cole. When things become too emotionally difficult to handle they regress. Following some very strict rules laid out by Cassius, I was able to meet and talk with Cole and based on what I saw he needs a guardian ad litem.”
“How does that get assigned if he’s already unable to make his own decisions?” I swallow hard as my head spins with emotion.
“While I didn’t dig around in his file, Deven did. He brought to my attention a guardian ad litem that Cole himself signed in January 2018. There was also a recording that I was able to listen to where he very clearly states that while he doesn’t trust you he doesn’t want his parents in charge of his care. Based on the care you had already given him up to that point, he wanted you to care for him when he could no longer reasonably do so.” I nod as I speak.
“Yes ma’am. I turned that in at the same time as the report detailing how ill Cole was.”
“I am prepared to sign two papers today.” She nods as she pulls a file from a bag at her feet. “This first one is an extension to the guardian ad litem that you filed. Your original states that the guardianship ends when he leaves your territory. I have drawn up legal papers that extends that guardianship indefinitely. It is something that only members of the high council and liaisons for abused and tortured wolves can order. Unfortunately, the only time we can order such a thing is if the individual’s abuse and/or torture has occurred for a long enough timeframe that the wolf is permanently psychologically injured.”