<b>Chapter </b><b>61 </b>
Amber’s POV
After examining the patient and receiving some early <b>test </b>results back<b>, </b>Healer Eric<b>, </b>Healer Craig, and I went into Healer Eric’s office <b>to </b><b>discuss </b>possible treatments.
I had never worked with Healer Craig before<b>, </b><b>so </b>I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. He seemed kind <b>of </b>like a hothead though<b>, </b>his arms crossed like he was already ready <b>to </b>fight.
<b>“</b><b>If </b><b>it’s </b>feverfang virus<b>, </b>that would <b>ount </b>for the high fever and the tremors,” Eric said. “His wolf wants to shift but his body is <b>too </b>weak,” Eric said.
“<b>We </b><b>could </b><b>force </b><b>the </b>shift,<b>” </b>Craig suggests.
“A man his age likely wouldn’t survive that,” I said. “Right now, he’s in a kind of stasis, but I don’t know if we’ll be able to maintain this state for long.”
“Are there any other treatments for feverfang other than forcing the shift?” Craig asked, looking between Eric and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>
“Not really,” Eric <b>said</b>. “But don’t forget that to force a shift, we would need the shifter’s direct permission. Bringing him out of thea even to ask him might be too much in his weakened state. We could be signing his death warrant before we even get to the shift.”
“There are a few options we could try,” I suggested. “Like a potion to increase the body’s strength, or one that could soothe the wolf.”
“Those would only be temporary measures,” Eric said.
“They would keep him going while we searched for a better solution,” I said.
“You think you can find a cure for feverfang?” Craig said with disbelief. “No one has been able to do that, and this disease has been around for hundreds of years.”
“Modern medicine back then wasn’t what it is now,” Eric said. Looking at me, he added, “If anyone could find a cure, it’s Healer Amanda.”
<b>“</b>I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up,” I said. “His age is a majorplication.”
The others went quiet at that, as they had to know I was telling the truth. Surely, as Healers, they had seen with their own eyes, as I had with mine, how a werewolf body eventually shuts down over time.
As Healers we could fight many things, ovee many diseases and wounds. But there was still not a cure for old
age.
Eventually, time woulde for us all.
“We should speak with the family,” Eric said.
“I will,” I said. There was no need for any of the others to take the heat. Families didn’t like to hear when there were <b>a </b>limit of options.
Craig nodded, but Eric watched me. “We could go together?
“Keep running the tests,” I said. “Maybe we missed something. Then you can deliver the good news.<b>” </b>
Eric seemed grateful then. “Very well.”
Chapter <b>81 </b>
<b>Chapter </b>61
Amber’s POV
+15 <b>BONUS </b>
After examining the patient and receiving some early test results back, Healer Eric<b>, </b>Healer Craig, <b>and </b><b>I </b>went into Healer <b>Eric’s </b>office to discuss possible treatments.
I had never worked with Healer Craig before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. He seemed kind of like a hothead though, his arms crossed like he was already ready to fight.
“If it’s feverfang virus, that would ount for the high fever and the tremors,<b>” </b>Eric said. “His wolf wants to shift but his body is too weak,” Eric said.
“We could force the shift,” Craig suggests.
“A man his age likely wouldn’t survive that,” I said. “Right now, he’s in a kind of stasis, but I don’t know if <b>we’ll </b>be able to maintain this state for long.”
“Are there any other treatments for feverfang other than forcing the shift?” Craig asked, looking between Eric and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>
“Not really,” Eric said. “But don’t forget that to force a shift, we would need the shifter’s direct permission. Bringing him out of thea even to ask him might be too much in his weakened state. We could be signing his death warrant before we even get to the shift.”
“There are a few options we could try,” I suggested. “Like a potion to increase the body’s strength, or one that could soothe the wolf.”
“Those would only be temporary measures,” Eric said.
“They would keep him going while we searched for a better solution,” I said.
“You think you can find a cure for feverfang?” Craig said with disbelief. “No one has been able to do that, and this disease has been around for hundreds of years.”
“Modern medicine back then wasn’t what it is now,” Eric said. Looking at me, he added, “If anyone could find a cure, it’s Healer Amanda.”
“I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up,” I said. “His age is a majorplication.”
The others went quiet at that, as they had to know I was telling the truth. Surely, as Healers, they had seen with their own eyes, as I had with mine, how a werewolf body eventually shuts down over time.
As Healers we could fight many things, ovee many diseases and wounds. But there was still not a cure for old age.
Eventually<b>, </b>time woulde for us all.
“We should speak with the family,” Eric said.
“I will,” I said. There was no need for any of the others to take the heat. Families didn’t like to hear when there were a limit of options.
Craig nodded, but Eric watched me. “We could go together?
“Keep running the tests,” I said. “Maybe we missed something. Then you can deliver the good news.‘
Eric seemed grateful then. “Very well.<b>” </b>
e main waiting ro
<b>Leaving </b><b>the </b><b>office</b>, I walked out to the main waiting room, where more of Elder Jeffers’s family was waiting. Pete and Rachel were still there, but now his two older brothers were there too. Ken was the middle child and <b>a </b><b>known </b>yboy. Roger<b>, </b>the oldest, was known to be stern and series.
I wasn’t <b>sure </b>which of the three brothers would yell at me, but I braced myself<b>, </b>knowing it would surely be one of them. If not all of them.
And this time, Julian wasn’t here to stand up for me.
Not that I needed him too.
If I was truly going to cut Julian out of my life for good, then I needed to continue to prove that I could live without him. I certainly didn’t need him here at my ce of work.
I had been a Healer without him before, and I would continue to do so again.
Olivia’s POV
Olivia was never really someone who enjoyed watching the news. She would avoid it if she could, preferring instead to stay in a kind of fantasy world of her own design. But, with so many ns always up in the air, she needed to keep track of current events, lest she see an opportunity to act on, or something to respond to
The news that day was just that.
Elder Jeffers was in the hospital, being treated by Amber and that treacherous Healer Eric. It was Amber’s face in the news, however, taking the credit and the me. So far people remained hopeful that the Elder might recover, but more knowledgeable types in the news said there was reason for caution – like Elder Jeffers’s age, for one thing.
Elder Jeffers was said to have feverfang, a fairlymon and sometimes fatal disease where the body and the wolf stopped working in tandem. The wolf wanted to shift, but the body was physically unable. In younger wolves, it could be easily treated. In older wolves, it was more difficult.
At least that was what it said on the news, and in the search results Olivia found on her found.
She frowned a little. Something like this would be difficult to turn to her advantage, but there had to be a way. Especially if Elder Jeffers’s died, as it seemed he would, then she could twist it to make Amber seem ipetent. But she would need to be careful it wouldn’t twist around on her. She’d had fall guys for her in the past. If she put herself on the line, she might be the one to be med this time.
That just wouldn’t do.
No, she needed someone else on her side. Someone to be her voice and her shield but whom she could act through.
Then… there.
They showed the family. The elder’s three sons and the youngest son’s wife. What luck. Olivia immediately recognized the middle son, Ken.
He was someone she had spent time with in the past. Intimate time. He had been fond of her and hadn’t wanted to end things. Olivia still had his number in her phone.
With no hesitation, she picked it up and called. It rang andang at first, and she wondered if maybe he wouldn’t
answer<b>. </b>
But then, blessedly<b>, </b>came his hushed voice.
“Olivia? Why are you calling me?” he asked.
HH<b>! </b>
Chapter of
“I <b>saw </b><b>you </b><b>on </b><b>the </b>news<b>, </b>baby,” Olivia replied with a sultry <b>voice</b><b>. </b><b>“</b>I feel so badly <b>for </b><b>you</b>. <b>Are </b>the Healers doing everything <b>they </b>can<b>?</b><b>” </b>
<b>“</b><b>No</b><b>…</b><b>” </b><b>Ken </b>grumbled. “The mostmon treatment for feverfang is forcing a shift, but they are insisting they <b>can’t </b>do <b>that </b>without waking him up. And they are refusing to do it<b>!</b><b>” </b>
Just as Olivia had hoped, Ken was tired and stressed enough to vent to the first person to listen. She had to just keep making sure she was first on the list <b>of </b>people he’d turn to.
<b>“</b>Is it that Healer Amber?” Olivia asked,ying down the loose threats for her future plots. “I have seen her for other things, and she is a nasty kind of person. So cold. I really think she cares more about her reputation than her patients…<b>” </b>
“That could be,” Ken said, taking the bait. “She wouldn’t even listen to us. Who knows better what’s best for my father than us, his kids?”
“I understand,” Olivia said. “Fully.” She paused for a moment, for effect. “Have you considered going to the press with yourints? She will surely respond to the pressure of the people.”
“You think so?” Ken asked, taking the hook.
Olivia smiled. “Oh, absolutely. It’s right thing to do, for your father.”
Chapter <b>62 </b>
HQ +15 BONUS