Brave One (Completed)

Chapter 30

**I'm in the infirmary.** I mindlinked Caleb, who appeared a second later in his human form, my clothes in hand. I stand up, carefully walking down the hallway, making sure not to step on worn pack members who lined the walls. Some were sitting, some standing, all waiting to be seen by the short-handed medical crew.

Caleb followed me as I walked to an empty room, standing outside the door as I slowly shifting back. Just focusing on my human form, remembering the scrawny body, that skeleton freak that was me. The bruise-covered, pathetic, trembling body that turned my eyes away from mirrors. The same body that made me turn away from stores and shops that were dying to sell me their trendy clothes that would probably only be in style for maybe a month.

Ignoring the bitter feeling in my stomach I unravel a sweater that looked like it had a kitten on it with sunglasses.

Thanks Clint?

Wrapped up in the sweater was some classic black leggings, underwear, and my maple leaf clip.

I have no idea where he found this clip, but looking at it put another feeling in my stomach, one that makes me want to puke sunshine and rainbows.

Sliding and securing it right into my hair, making sure it pushed the curtain away from my face, I changed fully, taking a wary glance in my reflection on the window, I was satisfied with my appearance. Sorta.

I guess I'll never be happy with the way I look.

Opening the door, I was greeted by Caleb who looked me up and down, a small smile spread on his usually stiff face.

"You look beautiful."

In my sweater-clad and leggings-self? "Thanks."

Feeling my face heat up I looked to the floor, taking my place beside him we walked the halls of the infirmary. A bit more people occupied the rooms of the infirmary, rather the walls of the halls.

I was pulled to a particular room, lightly pulling Caleb in that direction.

Knocking lightly, I was met with a tired looking Clint - well more tired than usual, with his arm bandaged up and put into a light blue sling.

"Oh my god, Cl-" I started but was quickly interrupted by screams.

I looked to Caleb who just gave me his classic indifferent look.

**That reminds me, I have some interrogating to do.** Caleb leaned down, pressing his forehead to the side of my head, basking in my scent just one last moment before walking off.

The screams have died down, but their pain leaks through the walls.

"I feel it too." Clint suddenly says, limping back to his hospital bed, plopping down with a loud sigh. "Their suffering," he states, "It's so strong that I don't need to see them to know exactly what is wrong with them: broken bones, small bullet holes, and so many scars."

I just stand there, in his doorway, speechless.

"Can you just stop them? Order their pain away and stop their despair?" Clint looked at me lifelessly, sitting in the orange lighting as the sun set on such a dreadful day. "I know you can't, you don't have to answer that question." He sighed, slouching more into the bed's single pillow, "It would be easy, huh? To just tell the pain to go away, to have everything just how you want it with just a flap of your gums."

"That sounds so..." I trailed off, not knowing what to say as I slowly moved into the room, plopping myself on a stool near his bedside.

"Boring, right?" Clint scoffed, closing his eyes and finally relaxing into the cushiness, his hair blending into the wrinkly white sheets and pillow case, "I think life would be boring if you can control every aspect of it." He yawned, dozing off as he kept mumbling, "So, so boring."

He snuggled into the sheets, making it extremely difficult to tuck him into bed.

Finally I managed to wrap him burrito-style, just rolling him gently around as he had a vice-grip on the sheets.

"I've been looking for you," a voice come behind me as I walked out to the hall, sounding quite out of breath from running around.

I spun around to see Axel, his previously clean shirt stained with dried blood most likely from carrying his injured pack mates.

"I'm relieved to see you're okay." I turn fully towards him, sensing this will be a long conversation.

He finally caught his breath, sighing out dramatically and nodding. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you." He slumped down, still catching his breath with his arms propped on his knees.

"Oh," I awkwardly shift foot to foot, "Thanks, I guess?" Holding my arms across my chest I awkwardly rub my elbows, not liking where this is heading.

"When I heard the gunfire, I just knew you were gonna go right into the frey."

"Yeah."

"Black wolf or not that's too dangerous."

"Yeah?"

"You need to be more careful with your life, not throwing it at danger like you mean nothing."

"Yea-"

"Stop that!" He suddenly grabbed onto my shoulders, shaking me slightly, "Stop acting like this is some, some, some casual thing that happens often!"

"Axel, stop it. I'm fine." I push him away, noticing some curious pack mates peeking from there hospital rooms.

"I-I know your fine!" his voice cracked, shocking me and everyone around us, "But Mable, you don't know how it was for us- for me - to see you lifeless, lying on my bed dead. To see my mate, our Luna, dead. It, it was too much. And now this! Another attack on the pack and all you seem to want to do is get yourself killed."

I felt my eyes threaten to start a waterfall.

"And I know that your some Demi-god or whatever the hell black wolves are but Saiph, that girl who revived you, she told me that no matter how immortal your kind are. You can still die. You, whatever level-command-thingy you are, you can die. If having your throat slit didn't give you a clear enough message: You. Aren't. Immortal."

He was heaving at this point.

And I?

I wasn't crying.