Chapter 227
We slow the bed to a gentle stop as I’m certain Cole fell asleep during the short ride down the hall to the last room on the left. Even though I’m certain his injuries are still screaming in pain it seems being dry and warm has relaxed him some.
“Dem?” I look up from locking the wheels so the bed doesn’t move.
“I have some of your clothes in the small dresser by the door of my office. I almost forgot that you store some there in case you have to shift suddenly.”
“Thank you.” I nod once as I head to her office.
It doesn’t take me long to change and get my wet clothes into a hamper for washing but it’s long enough for Kathy to come into the room and start arguing with Angela.
“You weren’t here to see the fallout the last time a prospect had pups in his care off camera!” She yells as I walk in.
I can tell that Cole is struggling with the commotion prompting me to speak calmly but with authority.
“Let’s back up a minute, Kathy. What is it that you need right now? We have a lot to do with Cole and I need to check on the girls.”
“I need you to sign off on doing the sexual assault exam on the girls. Lilly won’t do it no matter how I explain what the protocol is. I also need you to sign off on doing one on Cole since he’s unconscious and Angela is refusing.”
“Hold on, Kathy. No. I won’t consent to any of it.”
“You’re the one that created the protocol six years ago to protect the pups of this pack and now you won’t follow through with it because he’s abused? He’s already branded? Your affection for the boy is clouding your judgment and endangering your girls.” She speaks her mind forcefully and I can hear Cole starting to whine behind her.
“The answer is no. You're out of line in trying to order the exam before an interview has even been done. Madilyn linked with me and told me about what happened. That’s how I knew where they were at and what they would need. She indicated nothing concerning. True to the character that we’ve seen the entire time he’s been here his only concern was getting them out of danger.”
“Madilyn’s view is skewed from all the time you have allowed her to spend with him. The same for you and Lilly. You have heard his stories and feel sorry for him. He can’t do anything wrong at this point. Why are you so quick to ignore the fact that he’s had your girls out of camera view for five hours?”
“Why are you so quick to assume that something happened before you even talk to them? What you are asking me to order is not part of the protocol I put in place and you will accept my answer.”
“Why are you so willing to believe he’s done nothing wrong after all the problems we’ve had with this pack? With the damage the previous Alpha Redmen caused? Why are you so willing to protect him?”
“HE’S NOT KRISTOPH!”
Our conflict has gotten quite loud attracting the attention of everyone currently in the wing or even passing by it. Kathy finally steps back, bowing her head in submission, finally acknowledging her position as a beta.
She is still a doctor and started caring for me in my late teens so I do respect her but she’s crossed the line and she knows it.
“If that’s the way you feel then I request to be removed from this situation.”
“Granted.” I don’t hesitate with my answer and my voice matches the tone she’s giving me.
She steps swiftly away leaving me to deal with a room full of shocked people and a quietly crying Cole.
“What was that all about?”
A shocked and confused Angela speaks as I turn away from Cole. I know he can feel the aura I was trying to keep quiet.
“I’m sorry Angela but it’s not something to be discussed right now but I will discuss it with you. Right now we need to get an IV started on Cole. We need X-rays on his arm and head so we can put him in twilight and reduce his fracture. We need to shave his hair down so it’s easier to find where his head is split open and stitch it up. Since he needs twilight for the fracture, doing his head while he’s sleeping would be best.”
“He didn’t come out of twilight sleep easily when we used Valium.”
“Do you carry Ketamine here?”
“Yes and its reversal.” I nod my head as I continue calming down.
“Get with Jessa. His right arm is obviously broken and his left is a nightmare for IVs. She needs to try to get one in another spot, his ankle preferably. He didn’t react well when I told him of how Damian got an IV in his neck. I don't think he could stay still even with it being his mate doing it.”
I ramble my thoughts as I try to reign in my emotions but there’s something about what Kathy has said that has unnerved me and it’s proving exceptionally hard to do.
“Dem.” Angela uses the pet name I’ve had since childhood.
“Dem.” She tries again but for some reason I can’t pull it together. She touches my face but I pull out of her grip, turning my body so no one can see the tears fall.
“Demetri.”
She steps in front of me, this time she wraps both her hands around the sides of my neck and I know exactly what’s going to happen next.
“Demetri, I’m pulling rank.”
She speaks gently as I nod my head, my eyes closed as I mentally crash.
“Everything is okay now. The prospects are all locked down and the ones involved in the assault are in your jail. Willow was found and is comfortably resting at General recovering from the injuries caused by the prospect’s attack and with the help of his friend, Cole successfully returned your girls to you. I had a feeling that I would need to do this. I just didn’t anticipate an argument with Kathy being the final straw. Before I send you on your way, I do need to know, is Kathy correct at all?”
“No….” I sigh hard, not fully capable of understanding the question. “Yes.”
I take several deep breaths before I continue as I know she needs an explanation.
“She is correct about my creation of a protocol that was implemented after a prospect hurt many pups but she’s wrong about the way she wants to go about it.”
“I’m concerned about her mentioning your fondness for Cole. That it’s clouding your judgment on following the protocol.”
“No ma’am, it’s not. Kathy is allowing her own bias towards Cole being a Redmen to jump the protocol. I followed the protocol when my own son was pointed out as having sex with a preshift. Even with Cole smelling sex on her and Lucas admitting he was targeting preshifts. Even after listening to the absolute disrespect of his phone call and her saying that she didn’t want it, I still brought her to my office and had her tell her story before ordering an invasive exam and tests on her. Interviewing the pups has always been the protocol. Exams and tests only happen if something is wrong.”
She nods her head easily before following through with what I need.
“I’m taking control from here. Take a walk down the hall and hold your girls before we transfer Madilyn to general. She needs surgery to get that glass out of her foot. Hold them, cry with them Dem. You need to release the emotions otherwise you are no good to us. As you know, this is simply a temporary partnership where I’m going to help you make rational decisions until you're not so emotional.”
“I need to help Cole. I can’t tap out now.”
“While he is still very fearful of the wing and the hospital, he will be fine with me. Jessa, Jamie and Day just walked in. Jessa has already laid down with him. He’s clinging to her as hard as he appears to cling to you. I’ve got enough hands and you need to take a break. Go see your girls for a while. The only thing worse than what happened would be if you had actually lost them. It’s okay to feel that.”
I nod my head slowly. I have no ability to argue with her taking temporary control. While ordinarily it would be my beta that declares such a thing, I run my pack differently. I saw the emotional toll being an alpha causes when my father was in power and decided early in my transition to leader to create a law that allowed this without necessitating me being incapacitated for it to happen. Angela saw the signs she needed and is giving me the very thing I need.
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