Brothers - 8. Chapter 8

DEVYN

"Give it to me!"
Devyn growled, with Jason's wolf held firmly in his mouth. His mother wanted to wash the stuffed wolf, to steal its scents. How would Jason know it was his if the smells were gone?
Margaret stood over the wolf, a deep growl in her own throat.
"Devyn, I will not ask again. Drop the stuffed animal and get ready for school."
The wolf dropped low, covering his belly as he slid back, trying to take the plushy with him.
"Leave it, or I'm getting the spray bottle!"
Huffing, Devyn let the stuffed wolf fall from his jaws. He glared at his mother as she snatched it away.
"Go get dressed. Dylan's going to be here in less than an hour," Margaret said, pulling the sheets off of Jason's bed.
Fur bristling, the wolf left the room, heading through the bathroom to his own room.
"And don't forget to brush your teeth!" Margaret called after him.
The wolf grunted as he pushed the door shut with a leg. His body rippled, crunching as Devyn took his human form. Kneeling by the bed, Devyn let out a groan. He climbed to his feet, staggering toward the clothes he still hadn't put away.
Dressing was always a struggle, but finally, he was in a shirt and skirt, the fabric rubbing against his skin in a way that made the wolf grit his teeth in a silent snarl. Tangled red hair ran down his back, matted to the point of being nearly solid. He wouldn’t let anyone come near his head with a brush — they always yanked his hair out.
Finally on two legs for the first time since the full moon started, the werewolf looked around his room with a sigh. Grabbing his bag, Devyn dusted off his laptop quickly before shoving it into the bag, charger following. It was one of those things his teachers allowed him — the werewolf's fingers were not that good at using pens. Typing was far easier, even if none of what he typed ever seemed that important to him.
He shoved his clothes haphazardly into his dresser, grabbing his cane before slinging his bag over his shoulder. He could already smell Dylan, the sharp scent of disinfectant mixing with the neko in a way that made Devyn's nose burn.
Making his way downstairs, the wolf frowned at the sight of his friend in a blue mask, the neko's mouth covered by fabric.
"It's a precaution. Etul put me on some meds that are supposed to suppress the plague," Dylan muttered, ears flicking in shame.
His voice was muffled, full of embarrassment and… fear? Devyn could definitely feel a little fear.
"It's okay Dylan. If anyone says something, you tell me," the werewolf said, hobbling past the neko and into the kitchen. “I’ll eat them.”
The scent of cooked sausage hit him full force. Devyn sneezed to clear the sharp scent of Dylan's disinfectant from his nose. The meat replaced it, making Devyn’s mouth salivate at the smell. The wolf’s nose picked out the peppers and remnants of blood within the sausages' juices.
Grabbing a plate, the werewolf limped toward the stove, grabbing a bunch of the sausages, and skipping over the eggs. They didn't smell right to him, burned and smoky.
Sitting at the table as Dylan got his own plate, Devyn began eating voraciously.
"You know, it isn't your fault Jason is sick," he said, chasing a bit of food that fell from his mouth.
"Saying it doesn't make me believe it any more," the neko sighed.
Devyn shrugged. There wasn't much he could do about that. If Dylan wanted to believe it, he would. The werewolf would just be there for moral support. And pets. Pets were always nice.
Finishing his food, Devyn carried his plate to the sink, scrubbing it clean. Grabbing his bag as Margaret entered the room, the werewolf let out a quiet growl as his mother stopped him.
"Did you brush your teeth?"
"Yes, Mom."
"Show me," Margaret commanded. Devyn grunted as he opened his mouth. "I can see stuff left over from four days ago. Go brush again."
Grumbling under his breath, the werewolf thumped back upstairs. This had to be the worst part of being human, having to deal with the mint toothpaste the two legs all seemed to love. It flooded his mouth, burning and cleaning, stealing away the taste of the sausages he had just eaten. So much for a delicious breakfast.
Making his way back downstairs, the werewolf slipped outside, escaping his mother's notice. Dylan leaned against a wall, playing with his mask.
"Dude, I know you're a wolf and everything, but even wolves have to keep their teeth clean," the neko said as they started walking toward the school.
Devyn grunted quietly, hobbling a little faster on his cane. It would be so easy to just disrobe and run down the street in his natural form. It wouldn't even be the first time he had done it. But he knew he would be forced back into this unwieldy form. As he neared the school, the wolf decided it was not worth the hassle.
Stepping into the building, the wolf tapped along with his cane, his feet slowly moving toward Marin's class.
"I'll see you at lunch," Dylan said, the neko heading into a classroom and leaving Devyn alone.
The wolf let out a grunt, looking across the hall at the dreaded WolfRoom. He wanted to skip this class so badly. But he knew if he did, he would not hear the end of it from his mother.
Taking a breath to brace himself, Devyn limped forward, passing through the gates of Zasar's plane.

JASON

Forty-nine tiles on the ceiling. And only thirty-six on the floor. He had been trying to figure out how that worked out for the last two hours. The tiles looked bigger on the floor, but the math still wasn't working out.
Not that Jason had ever been good at math.
Breakfast had been a simple affair: runny applesauce, dry wheat toast, and yogurt. It was better than the orphanage, at least. Even if it left his stomach growling louder than Devyn.
He couldn't even roll over properly without the needle in his arm moving. The neko sighed quietly, staring up at the ceiling again. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven… and seven down… good, a tile hadn't run away from the ceiling. But what about the floor again-?
"Good morning Jason."
He sat up painfully, blinking at the masked man entering the room. The doctor… nurse…? He wondered what the difference was. Probably something about money and schooling.
"Are you ready for your medicine?"
Holding out his arm, Jason shuddered as liquid was pushed through the thing in his arm. He'd heard it called PVC, whatever that meant. Knowing a name didn't prevent the liquid from feeling ice cold as the doctor injected it into his blood.
"How are you feeling this morning? Thumbs up or down?"
His free arm wiggled, his hand flat.
"Okay. And is that how you are feeling in regard to your body, or how you are feeling mentally?"
Jason shrugged, wincing as the needle dragged in his arm. He lifted his free hand with a silent sigh, pointing to his head.
"Well, your brother should be bringing you something to do this afternoon. And tomorrow, if everything goes well, we'll be able to let you go home to rest."
Please. Even homework was better than this. He didn't even feel sick anymore. If anything, the neko was dying of boredom. And he couldn't do anything to fix it.
He did pay attention to the doctor, though, watching as the man took his pulse and prodded at what felt like pressure points. The neko hissed quietly at every poke, his body starting to ache all over again.
"Great, your swelling is already retreating. I was afraid we would have to drain some of your nodes. That is not a pretty picture, trust me," the doctor chuckled.
Jason could imagine it, oozing green pus leaking out of his armpits… on second thought, he would take mindless boredom over imagining that.
The neko hoped Dylan wouldn't have to go through this. Lysander had mentioned he was a carrier, so Jason figured he was safe. And the doctor had told him his body should be able to fight this off more easily if he caught it again. The neko was rather impressed at how fast he'd caught it. He'd only seen Dylan maybe four, five times? And the calico was the first neko he had been exposed to in years.
"Oops, they forgot to turn on the tv," the doctor said, pulling Jason out of his thoughts.
He pressed a few buttons on the monitor on the wall, an old cartoon turning on.
"Ooh, Quarius the Wolf Mage. You're making me wish I was sitting in that bed."
Jason snorted quietly, shaking his head.
"I hope you enjoy it. This should alleviate some of that boredom. I'll be back to check on you in a few hours, okay?"
The neko nodded, his eyes glued to the screen. It was like a miracle sent by the gods. If he had been more religious, Jason would have thanked Lynnestra. But as it was, Jason settled on watching the show, grateful to finally have something to do.

DEVYN

"Devyn! I was hoping to see you today!"
He hobbled past the old man, dropping his cane as he plopped into a large wolf bed. Sniffing slightly, Devyn let out a quiet sigh. The room always smelled off to him, full of disinfectants and wolves. Even the violet walls did little to set his mind at ease. The room was large, and relatively open, but it still felt like a prison, a place where Devyn would be forced to be human.
He wasn't the first one there; a terrified-looking boy was curled up in the far corner of the room, ignoring another bed in favour of the tiled floor. The werewolf could sympathize with the human. This place was draining, mentally exhausting.
"We have some warm tea if you'd like," Doctor Marin said, motioning to a kettle on a range.
Devyn shook his head, his ears twitching even in human form, though they didn't have the full range of motion they usually enjoyed.
The door opened again, and a pair of girls entered the room. Devyn recognized them from last year, Anna and Chloe, near-identical twins. But he could always tell them apart easily. Chloe wore a more fruity scent, while Anna avoided artificial scents.
Over the next few minutes, two others entered the room, both sharing an unkempt appearance. Doctor Marin greeted them with a smile, the older werewolf making sure everyone was comfortable.
A quiet chime sounded through the school, and the white-haired werewolf settled into a chair in the centre of the room.
"Good morning everyone. I'm seeing a few fresh faces this year," he said, looking around. "I want you all to understand that this room is open to you at any time. Some of you are new to the life of a werewolf, and I understand things can be overwhelming."
He pointed toward another door leading into a sizable closet.
"If you have an accident, there are clothes of several sizes in the closet. The school does have a policy against shifting on campus, outside of official wolf events, but we all understand that accidents do happen."
Devyn scoffed quietly. He wasn't allowed to have an accident anymore. Something about having been a werewolf for seventeen years. Apparently, he was supposed to be more controlled.
"Now, why don't we go around the room and introduce ourselves? I'm Doctor Oliver Marin. I have been a werewolf for fifty years and a teacher for ten years. I became a werewolf after experimenting with a friend. So, if anyone does any messing around here with a non-wolf, take it from me, you're going to want to use protection."
He nodded at a grey-haired man in what smelled like a plastic jacket, who shrugged at the doctor.
"I'm Charlie, and I've been a werewolf for sixteen years. I have control over shadows."
He looked toward Devyn; the wolf sighing heavily.
"Devyn, born wolf. And I am here against my will."
"Zasar damn it Devyn, stop being so dramatic," Chloe sighed. "I'm Anna, and this is Chloe. Yes, we're twins, and we were born werewolves."
"Don't pull the twin thing, Chloe," Devyn grunted. "We can smell, you know."
"Let us have our fun," Anna pouted.
"Come on, you three, behave," Doctor Marin frowned. "Silas, why don't you go next?"
The other newcomer, a dark-skinned man, winked at the twins.
"Silas. I've been a werewolf for three months. It was a voluntary change, but he and I didn't last. He refused to move here with me."
Devyn's nose wrinkled at the pheromones flooding out of the man. The twins giggled quietly as Silas blew them a kiss.
"And last, but certainly not least, Blake. Would you like to introduce yourself, Blake?" Doctor Marin asked the boy gently.
The kid shook his head quickly, still stuck in his corner. Devyn could smell another wolf on him, and his hackles rose as he realized what that smell was.
"This is Blake. He had his first change this last full moon. Normally he would be with the other werewolves his age, but none of them has his… particular history," Doctor Marin said, clearing his throat roughly. "Now, a few rules. There are a lot of wolves who come through here. This room belongs to no one. I am sure this goes without saying, but marking territory here is strictly forbidden. The school is pack property. Take that behaviour off campus. Understood?"
He stared at Devyn as he spoke, the wolf growling quietly at being singled out.
"Next, this room is open. You all have this class, but you are not restricted to the room just for one class. You may come and go as desired, though I advise you to take advantage of this period for homework if nothing else."
Standing, Devyn crossed the room, stopping next to Blake. The wolf sat cross-legged against the wall, listening to Doctor Marin go over the rules. It appalled him that this kid was here. Devyn doubted that he could help Blake at all, but he wanted to at least try.