Chapter 16
"Ashe, honey, please wake up." His mother was crying and his right shoulder ached.
"He's coming around," Radomir's voice was close. Ashe blinked at the Enforcer, who stood behind his mother. Adele Evans sat on the edge of Ashe's bed, his fingers gripped tightly in her hand.
"What happened?" Ashe croaked. His mouth was so dry he almost couldn't speak.
"Somebody shot you. Your dad, Nathan and most of the werewolves are out looking for the gunman. Or woman."
"Mom, it wasn't Dawn Smith. You have to believe me," Ashe squeezed his mother’s fingers. Right then, he felt as weak as a newborn lamb.
"Baby, I want to believe you. I do. But what if you're wrong?" Adele choked back a sob.
"I'm not."
"Ashe, do you need something for pain?" Radomir asked. "I should go help your father while I can."
"Mom, do we have ibuprofen?" Ashe's pain was waking. "Who got the bullet out?"
"It went all the way through, young one," Radomir almost smiled at Ashe. "While I have some experience removing bullets from a vampire's flesh, I would have been afraid to take one from your shoulder. Thankfully, that was not necessary, although you have wounds on both sides, now." He pointed to Ashe's shoulder. "We have bandaged the wounds as well as we could, but you must rest after your mother brings the medicine."
"Mom, they were aiming for my heart. I jumped to catch the Frisbee. Sali's terrible aim saved my life." Adele wiped away more tears at Ashe's explanation.
"We'll buy Sali a nice dinner soon," she said, and rose to go find the bottle of pain reliever.
"I will go now, since the young one is awake," Radomir did smile this time. He nodded at Ashe and left the room.
Ashe discovered he still wore the cargo pants he'd had on earlier, although his shirt had been removed and a thick pad of gauze showing a bit of red was taped to his right shoulder. Reaching down, Ashe patted the large pocket on the side of his pants. The photograph was still there. Now he had to make careful plans, and having a bullet wound in his shoulder certainly limited what he might be able to do. Pulling the photograph out, although it shot shards of pain through his shoulder to do it, Ashe placed it in the drawer of his bedside table and shut it as quietly as he could.
"Here, baby," Adele handed two ibuprofen to Ashe and helped him sit up so he could take them with the glass of water his mother held for him. Ashe discovered how shaky he was when he sat up.
"What time is it?" Ashe whispered, once he was settled back in the bed and the awful pain of sitting up had subsided.
"It's after two in the morning," his mother replied.
"Mom, I don't think Dad and the others are going to find anything," Ashe sighed. Already his eyes wanted to close again. Sleep might take away the pain if the ibuprofen didn't.
"Honey, why do you say that?" Adele brushed hair away from Ashe's forehead.
"Because they don't know what to look for," Ashe mumbled and fell asleep.
* * *
"Nothing," Aedan shook his head as he and Radomir walked into the house half an hour before dawn. Sunday, April twenty-fifth had arrived, three days before the full moon. "How's Ashe doing?"
"Sleeping. I gave him ibuprofen and he went back to sleep, but he may be waking soon and need more." Adele hugged herself and stared out the kitchen window. Light would come soon, and Aedan would have to go to his bunker.
"Perhaps you should petition the Council for a physician to live in the community," Radomir said. "If a vampire physician cannot be found, then perhaps one of the humans the Council employs might be willing."
"We'll see," Aedan agreed. "I want to see my boy before dawn comes." Aedan followed Adele to Ashe's bedroom.
* * *
"Son?" Aedan touched Ashe's face carefully, waking Ashe.
"Dad?" Ashe thought his voice sounded as rough as bark on a pine tree. "Mom?" Adele was standing right behind Aedan. "Can I have some water?"
"Sure, honey. Do you need more ibuprofen?"
"Yeah." Ashe's shoulder felt as if it was on fire. Aedan lifted him up this time, and with his strength, it wasn't as difficult. Ashe swallowed pills and gulped water thirstily.
"Take it slow, son." Aedan's hand rubbed Ashe's back gently as Ashe did as his father asked. "Done?" at Ashe's nod, Aedan lowered Ashe into the bed. "I think Denise and Sali may come over after a bit so your mother can get some sleep," Aedan smiled. "Ask for medication if it's needed, all right?"
"I will." Ashe closed his eyes, hoping the pain would go away soon.
* * *
"I got him here as quickly as I could," Winkler brought a werewolf Adele and Denise didn't know two hours later. "He works as a paramedic for the Denton Fire Department," Winkler added. "I asked him to come and take a look at our young man."
"Thank you," Adele wiped tears away. "We've been giving him ibuprofen; that's all we had."
"I have something a little stronger," the werewolf said. "I'm David Lang," he added, holding a hand out to Adele. His other hand gripped what looked to be a case filled with medical supplies.
* * *
"We'll redress the wounds," David introduced himself to Ashe and sat down to examine Ashe's injuries. Sali had come in initially, but the room had become too crowded, so he'd backed out to wait until the adults were finished.
Ashe watched with trepidation as David produced a syringe wrapped in plastic, peeled the plastic away and expertly stuck the needle into Ashe's left arm after swiping the area with an alcohol wipe.
"What's that?" Ashe asked.
"Something for pain, young man. You'll feel sleepy in no time. That way it won't hurt so much when we rip off the tape and gauze. I reckon it's stuck to the wound already."
"Great," Ashe muttered. It wasn't long before Ashe's eyes did close, and he was asleep while David removed both dressings, cleaned out the wounds and bandaged them again. Then Winkler lifted Ashe off the bed and held him while Denise and Adele changed sheets.
"He'll sleep for three or four hours, I hope," David said, handing bottles of medication to Adele. "One of these every four to six hours for pain if he asks. This is an antibiotic," David held up another bottle. "Chances are he won't really need it, but we want to cover all the bases. Give it to him every eight hours. Clear liquids at first, but let him eat a little solid food tomorrow if he's up to it. Don't send him to school or let him do anything strenuous for two weeks. Longer if it looks like he's not healing as fast. Change the dressing every day and use those tubes of ointment with the bandages." David handed over a bag filled with bandages and medication to Adele.