赤裸裸的滑稽故事

The convoy returned to Summer as quickly as they had left. Alice was immediately rushed to the hospital when they arrived.

While she was sent to surgery, Ashleigh gave Fiona and Caleb a full debrief. Then, they argued about sending a team to investigate the lab. In the end, it was decided that they would wait a few days. The chances of Spring having already dispatched a team to clean the building were too high.

Right now, they already had too many of their resources spread out to the lesser packs. They couldn’t afford to invite trouble to their doorstep.

Ashleigh herself spent a few hours in a hospital bed. They believed she was alright. Still, they wanted to monitor her lungs to ensure there were no complications from the smoke inhalation.

The children were also sent to the hospital for essential physical examinations and wellness checks. She warned them about the children’s unique heritage, and it was agreed to be kept quiet for now.

Fiona and Caleb had a lot to do. Ashleigh was left alone for the couple of hours she was being monitored. She kept asking for updates on Alice, but the surgery took a long time.

There had been complications. Her previous injuries in Autumn were not fully healed, and the scar tissue alone made the procedure that much more difficult.

Finally, Ashleigh was told that the surgery was over.

Unfortunately, it was over because Alice’s body could not handle it anymore. The surgeons had been forced to put her in a medically induced coma in order to let her body rest for a time before they could continue.

Her healing was delayed, almost non-existent. She had lost a lot of blood, and her lungs had been weakened by the smoke.

Ashleigh closed her eyes and rested her head against her knees as she processed the information. She took a deep breath, and as she did, she sensed his presence before he even entered the room. She lifted her head and looked toward the door. Unsurprised when he suddenly appeared before her.

“What the fuck happened, Ashleigh!” Axel shouted. His tone was angry, irate. But the look in his eyes was filled with fear and worry.

“Axel–”

“How the hell does Alice go from getting a brain scan to having surgery and being put into a coma!” he growled.

“A brain scan?” Ashleigh asked, sitting up and looking at him with confusion. “What brain scan?”

“She was coming to get a brain scan,” Axel continued. “That’s why she was in Summer. To make sure the headaches weren’t related to the fracturing. So how the hell did this happen!”

“Axel… I’m sorry, I don’t know anything about any headaches or a brain scan.”

Axel furrowed his brow.

“She didn’t… she didn’t come about her migraines?” he asked, his tone calming down, but growing in concern.

“If she did, she didn’t tell me about it,” Ashleigh said. “But we aren’t exactly close, are we?”

Axel sighed and entered further into the room.

“She’s had migraines for a while. Bad ones. Peter couldn’t do anything. At the end, he suggested she come to Summer for a more in-depth scan. She was on her way back from the rogues and said she would stop by to get checked.”

“She really didn’t say anything to me,” Ashleigh said softly. “I didn’t know she was having trouble.”

Axel closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“Just tell me what happened to my mate, please,” his voice was gentle and strained.

Ashleigh looked up at her brother, and for a moment, she saw Caleb. How upset he was every time she was in danger and thought he would lose her.

‘He loves her so much…’ Ashleigh smiled. ‘Just like she does him.’

Ashleigh sighed.

“I’m sorry, Axel,” she said. “I haven’t been fair to you or Alice.”

Ashleigh pointed to the chair beside her bed. Reluctantly, Axel sat down.

“I’m guessing, based on what you and everyone else have tried over and over to tell me and what Alice herself said, the migraines were a prelude to this adventure.”

“What does that mean?” Axel asked.

“Maybe, one memory started it, and she couldn’t let it go. Maybe the migraines were because she was actively trying to pull the memory out instead of letting it come naturally.”

“Why would she do that?” Axel asked. “What was the memory?”

“To know how to get there. The guard count and routine, the hidden entrances and exits. The codes for the doors or who had them,” Ashleigh sighed. “Maybe Alice remembered the horror of the lab, but she forced herself to remember all the details before her mind was ready.”

Axel sighed.

“Please… just tell me what you’re talking about.”

Ashleigh told Axel about the lab. About Alice approaching her for help, about the human children being experimented on. About the explosions, about Holden, and how Alice intended to stay behind.

Axel was quiet.

“Axel?” Ashleigh called to him gently. “Are you ok?”

Axel licked his lips and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

“Alice… struggles with understanding her worth,” he said quietly. “She still sees herself as a weapon, a tool. Something to be used and discarded, rather than as a person.”

‘The only aim I have in my life is to be a useful partner to Axel.’

Alice’s words replayed in Ashleigh’s mind.

A useful partner.

That was her only wish, to be useful. Not to be his Luna, not to be his wife. All she wanted was to be useful to him.

Ashleigh swallowed. Thinking of the child in the picture, the one who could still smile without a trick or secret.

“I know you don’t believe me….” Axel said mournfully. “But she is so much more than you realize.”

“I know,” Ashleigh said, reaching her hand out to touch her brother’s shoulder.

Axel lifted his gaze to his sister. His eyes were red, and Ashleigh instantly knew how worried he must have been the entire time he was on his way from Winter.

“You know?” he asked. “What the hell happened in that lab?”

Ashleigh couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

“Let’s just say, Alice helped me to finally hear my own voice.” Ashleigh smiled.