Cernunnos - 6. Chapter 6

Shea had been sitting for several hours in the hospital room. The wolf glanced out the window and saw it had grown dark outside. Giving a sniff, he could tell Kara was still outside the door. Bed time was over two hours ago. Stealing a peek at the sleeping buck, he saw the chest breathing deeply. He's out like a light. I might as well grab some shut eye. He had been dozing off for a couple minutes at a time, but after the two hour mark, he fell into slumber's embrace.

He awoke a few hours later and yearned for the comfort of his bed and large blanket. He scoped the room and found that the deer was watching him. The patient's head quickly turned back to face the ceiling with a rush of blood to the pale cheeks. He...was watching me? Shea smiled and brought his phone out from his inner jacket pocket. Half past two in the morning.

"You're awake?" The wolf was almost startled at Cyn. Wow! He's starting the conversation? He must be learning to trust me.

"Yeah. Did you get some sleep?"

Cyn nodded and gently turned his head back to face the wolf. "Y...yeah. Could...you hand me the water?" Nodding, Shea got up slowly and advanced ever so gingerly in an attempt to keep the cernunnos calm. He held the cup close to Cyn's head, but was surprised when the deer brought up his arms and grabbed the plastic cup.

"You got it? We don't need you getting all wet."

"Yeah. I think so. Thank you." Cyn gave the tiniest of smiles as he sipped from the straw. "I...couldn't reach the cup, but I can hold it."

Shea moved the wheeled table closer to the buck and when Cyn was done, he placed the cup down with shaky hands. "Do you need a refill?"

"Um...no. But...I…" Cyn began to shake once more as he felt a need. "...I...need to use the bathroom."

The wolf's smile flattened. Oh. Didn't account for that. I don't want the nursing staff to come in since the whole lot of them are wolves and a couple coyotes. They'll scare the shit out of him! Getting up from his chair, Shea stepped forward. "Alright then. Let's get you up."

Cyn blinked at the man. "Umm. Wouldn't...isn't that the nurse's job?" He doesn't work here, does he?

"It is, but I'm not going to lie. The staff consists of all shifters tonight, and I'd rather you be assisted by someone who you are used to. Is that okay?" Understanding the wolf's logic, Cyn nodded. "Okay. Let me ask a nurse how to get all this stuff taken out of you." The deer watched the shifter stroll out of the door. After a minute or so, Shea came back and got next to him. "Alright...just unclamp that...and pull that."

Not a few seconds later, Cyn was free from his IV tube. A smile came to his face. It feels good not to be attached to that thing. I know it helps me somehow, but still. "Do you want me to carry you?" Dragged from his thoughts, Cyn tried to process the offer given to him. Carry...me? The thought of the large predator lifting him caused the small man to blush even harder.

"Do you...is that necessary?"

Shea crossed his arms. "Well, you are a shifter, so your wounds heal faster. Can you try gently moving your leg? If it hurts, don't push yourself." The wolf tensed as Cyn furrowed his brow.

The deer bent his knee and winced. He seethed through his gritted teeth. The pain is manageable. Hurts, but I think I can lean on my good leg. Swinging his left leg over the edge of the bed, then his right. Cyn took a breath. "Can...you hold my arm? I can put weight on my right leg."

The larger man nodded and stepped to the cernunnos' left side. Wrapping his left arm under Cyn's left and held the deer's body with his right hand. "Easy now. We are in no hurry." Shea saw Cyn's right foot plant down to the floor. The buck was still breathing through some pain. Maybe we should have asked for a bed pan. Carrying the shifter was no issue, but he was just concerned that he was using too much of his strength. “I’m not hurting you, am I?”

Cyn let out a small breath as he hopped forward to the en suite bathroom. “No. No, you’re fine. I just...wish I could walk properly.”

“It just takes time. I’d normally suggest shifting, but I’m too afraid that your deer might panic at the sight of me.” As the two reached the door, Cyn contemplated on the idea. He’s right. I’d be frantic! My deer would try to escape and probably would get hurt even more. It would heal my leg a lot faster, but Sheamus is right. I’m stuck here for a few days while the wound heals naturally. The wolf opened the door and the two hobbled inside the small room. “Alright, let’s get you sat down.”

Curving his head in confusion, Cyn stole a glance at the shifter carrying him. He had the intention of standing. He must have been giving off some sort of pheromone because Shea started laughing. “You thought you were going to stand? Well, one of my favorite comedians once said, ‘There’s nothing wrong with taking a sit-down wee.’ Or do you think bending your leg would be too painful?”

It would be easier on me to sit. I just don’t think having a wolf watch me like that would be ideal. “Yeah...but...could you wait outside?” Shea understood that the deer would want some privacy and nodded. Letting out a sigh of relief, Cyn had made it to the toilet. Being let down gently, he sat on the seat, feeling the rigid cold of it. He almost forgot that he was wearing a gown with no coverage for his backside! How embarrassing! Seeing how his patient was seated, the larger shifter smiled and quickly made his way to the exit. Once Shea was out of sight, Cyn proceeded with his business.

Realizing that this was the first solitary moment he acquired in quite some time, Cyn’s world began to collapse around his mind. He was stuck in a hospital and surrounded by wolves! Thoughts of his recent herd and Colman flowed to him, bringing himself back to the snowy forest. What could I have done differently? Did I know they were near? No...I didn’t. Could I have ran faster? Was...I really hopeless? Was I meant to die there?

The buck shut his eyes as hard as he could and coughed out a sob. Warm tears rushed down his face. He felt hopeless and trapped. Despite his previous experience, he longed to be back in the woods. Lifting his hands to hold his head, Cyn let his emotions run wild and cried.

On the other side of the wall, Shea wanted to snarl at himself. While he knew the longer he left the cernunnos alone, the smaller shifter would grow further away from trusting him. But he was almost unconcerned with the mission he was given. Instead, he wanted to let the deer know that he had a friend in this world. His animal may be a predator for Cyn, but the wolf inside him carried no ill will for the smaller man. I just want to be in there! Shea worked up the nerve to knock on the door. “Cyn? Do...do you want to talk?” Silence was his only response, and Shea leaned against the door frame. “Listen, Cyn. I know I’m a wolf, and I can’t change that. But I want you to know that it’s killing me to hear you right now. I know I wouldn’t trust me if I were in your shoes, but I want the best for you. I really am here to help you through this.”

The crying in the bathroom ceased and Shea almost tempted to open the door to see how the little buck was managing. “Sh...Sheamus?”

“Yes?”

“I...I’m done. Can you help me up?” The wolf was concerned with how cracked the voice sounded. If I was human, I wouldn’t have heard him. He turned the knob and stepped in slowly. Seeing the small man sitting and wiping his face brought a warming smile to Shea’s face. “Did...you mean that? What you said about you wanting to help me?”

He beamed at Cyn with determination. “Absolutely!” He stepped forward and returned to the left side of the injured man, helping him up to his feet. “You’re a person...not food, Cyn. My wolf doesn’t see you as something I should hunt. Do you understand that?”

Cyn swallowed and tried to put his thoughts into words for the big man. “No. I kind of don’t.” His voice began to dwindle into a somber whisper. “We’re deer, and we’re meant to be eaten. The fact that I’m still alive right now...it’s like torture. I don’t know when everyone is going to turn and...and kill me.” He looked up to the large man and was stunned by the wide eyes and grimace on his face.

“Cyn. I’m...I’m sorry that you feel that way. Here...let’s get you back in bed. I think I need to tell you some things, and I can only hope that they bring you some happiness.” Cyn began hopping on his good foot as Shea supported his left side back to the bed. Getting back in the uncomfortable bed, Cyn blinked in disbelief when the large man brought up his blanket to his forearms. “Now, I think you’re calm enough for me to talk to you about why you’re here. Okay?” Getting a faint nod from the frail man, Shea brought over the wheeled office chair and sat next to him.

“I’m going to start with this. You are not being held here in any form of imprisonment. Remember Arric? Big scary dude with the ponytail? He’s in charge around here.”

The deer widened his eyes and gasped. “He’s...the Alpha?” Getting a nod from Sheamus, Cyn grew even more confused. And he didn’t...want to...eat me?

“I’m under orders to watch over you. Orders made by him.” The wolf watched carefully to observe Cyn's reactions. Seeing the buck remain calm, he proceeded, “You are under Arric’s protection. I’m here and my teammates, Kara and Jaime, are outside that door. No one, unless I say otherwise, is to walk through that door.” Shea placed a hand on the bed, deciding against laying it on Cyn’s hand. “You may think you are being hunted...but you are actually being protected by us.”

Taking in a deep breath, Cyn tried to reason with himself of how he was put in such a situation. “W...why, though?”

Recalling what he was told by Doctor Ronnet about the cernunnos race and how they kept themselves away from shifter civilizations, Shea closed his eyes. Just as the doctor thought, he doesn’t know. “A year ago, the shapeshifting government made a declaration affecting predatorial shapeshifters and their way of life. Cernunnos, as well as other commonly hunted shapeshifter species, such as all bison, elk, swine, and all of their branches of descent, were declared protected entities throughout the supernatural world. It was to be understood that these shifters were also capable of human intelligence, and therefore not meant for consumption.”

Shea let the information soak into the smaller man’s mind for a moment before landing the summarized blow. “Cyn...you are not meant to be hunted by other shifters. There are laws now to protect you and your species.” He couldn’t help but wrinkle his brow with the upcoming part of his speech. “What happened to you...was not allowed. Those wolves broke the law.”

Cyn held up his hand, stopping Shea immediately. His mind was drowning. I’m a protected species? We...aren’t to be hunted by other shifters? My...My God! That’s… “That’s why...that wolf saved me. That darker wolf was there to stop the silver one!”

Shea’s eyelids flashed wide for a split second as the deer spoke, but his heart nearly stopped as Cyn’s eyes grew wide as well. “Wait…” The buck quickly looked at the wolf in the face and inhaled through his nostrils, causing the small man to breath in deep. Shea could almost hear Cyn’s heart beat increasing in pace. He saw the beady brown eyes darting up and down his entire body, but kept fixating on his face every few seconds. Letting out a slow exhalation, Cyn could only muster one word.

“You…”