The First SaR Mission Ch. 08

-The Full Moon Retreat-

Episode: The First Search and Rescue Mission

Chapter 8:

Decisions made...

To the reader:

Well, dear readers, my 'take away' from chapter 7 is that the re-write was worth the effort, based upon the nice increase in the rating. Thank you. So, I shall try to 'write out' the character flags on future chapters, if I can manage the time.

There is, however, another thorny issue that I need to address. Commas, ellipses, and such! It has been a full on war with my proofreader, (my wife). My manuscripts are returned looking like the garage wall at the scene of the St. Valentine's Day massacre. Full of bloody holes, (little red circles around commas and ellipses, targeted for rubbed out)! I am not happy with it, but I am putting it out there with severely butchered punctuation. It isn't even proper grammar. I need to know if this is really what the reader wants. I am considering creating some sort of 'punctuation poll' to gain a consensus what pleases the reader. I concede, that is, in the end, all that counts.

So, chapter eight... This Chapter is a bit early and the next may be a bit late, thanks to the 'MS Blue Screen of Death'. A hardware crash. My system is in chaos. Anyway, several of you wanted to know whether Anna would 'get bit'. Well, maybe you will find out in this chapter... or maybe not.

Special Thanks to my wife, Diane for proofreading for me, with her Tommy-Gun red pen.

On to chapter 8.

[13:50 Wednesday crash site]

Anna approaches Becky who is chatting with several other volunteers...

"Becky?"

Becky steps away from her friends to speak to Anna.

"Yes, ma'am?"

Taking a deep breath Anna says: "Becky, I think that I have made my peace with the idea of life as a Werewolf. I want all four of us turned. I know that you will want to speak to Aaron if it is possible. However, I have come to terms with becoming what I see here. When I weigh the options I truly believe it is the best option for us at this point. To be honest I'm scared but strangely I also find the prospect very inviting. Tell them I want to become pack."

Becky with a slightly astonished look on her face: "Good luck Anna. I hope we can be pack mates. I'll tell George."

Becky walks away to where George is giving several pack members instructions. When he finishes he turns to face her.

"What's up, Becky"

"George, Anna Dawson is asking that she and her family be turned."

"Into Werewolves?!"

Becky laughing quietly: "Yes, George, into Werewolves. I mentioned to her that you would probably want to speak to her about this."

George gathers himself and walks over to Anna...

"Anna, we need to talk."

"Yes, I imagine so."

"Becky told me that you ask to be turned. Is that true?"

"Yes, George it's true. Do you want me to explain my reasoning?"

"Anna, you do not have to explain yourself to me but I would like to know for myself how you know about being 'turned' and why you want to become a Werewolf."

"George, for you I would like to explain myself. First of all, I am scared to death. It goes without saying; it will be a 'life changing event.' I have thought it out and I am sure that this is what is right for us especially so given our circumstances. Now, obviously I want to save my little girl and I think that you are as sure as I am that as a human Suzy has almost no chance of leaving this valley alive. I saw it in your eyes."

"The same rationale applies to my husband Aaron. His legs will very possibly kill him. It could already be too late to get him to a hospital. I suppose that you will want to discuss this with him if that is possible. I would only ask that I be allowed to explain my thinking to him before you ask his permission to turn him. If it is not possible for you to get his explicit permission because he is unconscious, I still want him turned. I will accept responsibility for turning him. We have been married for thirty-two years and I am certain that he will accept what I will have done on his behalf."

"And then there is my son, Bobby. He may be hurt internally and if that is the case he too might not survive not getting to a hospital quickly."

"Finally, for myself; where they go so, I go. And to be honest, if it is fair to judge becoming a Werewolf based upon the people that I have met here today then I am looking forward to it, however, difficult it may be to get there. Those that I have met already seem like family to me and I would welcome my family becoming a part of your family."

"As to how I know about being turned... I saw a wolf come into camp, a female I am pretty sure and she saw Suzy and wanted to lick her. Becky stopped her, telling the wolf she couldn't lick her, that Suzy was human and that it might turn her. The wolf left the camp crying; at least I interpreted it as crying. I proceeded to pump Becky to tell me what was going on and why. Then I insisted that she tell me about becoming a Werewolf. She told as much as she knew about the process and the obligations and responsibilities of being a new wolf. She clearly explained that she could only tell me that which was common knowledge among Werewolves and that I would have to discuss being turned with the Alpha and ask for his permission."

"Well Anna, it certainly sounds like you understand the process, as well as anyone in your position could, and your reasoning seems solid. I need to ask; do you understand that if you and your family are turned that it is a one-way ticket, there is no way back and that you cannot renege on going through the process and obeying the Alpha's rules and instructions?"

"Yes, George, Becky explained that and I understand and accept those conditions."

"Did Becky mention that on rare occasions a turned wolf might have to be put down?"

"She did and I can only pray that will not happen to us."

"Anna, I truly hope that the Alpha grants his permission. I will pass the word to him. Obviously, he most likely will want to talk to you. Here's hoping that you will join our family soon. I as well as many others will be there to help you where we can."

"Thank you, George. As scared as I am I am also looking forward to it."

George moves off to sit on a fallen tree and calls the base camp.

"41' to base camp..."

[14:05 Wednesday base camp radio]

Jane Goodman has the radio watch...

"41' go ahead"

"Base camp would you please get the Alpha on the radio? It's important."

"Roger '41'. I'll go find him."

[14:11 Wednesday base camp radio]

Goodman returns with Jack...

"41' I have the Alpha here for you. Standby."

"Yes, George this is Jack; what have you got?"

"Alpha, Anna Dawson has asked that her family be turned."

After a moment of stunned silence, Jack says: "George, would you repeat that please?"

"Yes, sir. Anna Dawson has asked that her entire family including her be changed into Werewolves"

"Does she have any idea what she is asking and all of the consequences?"

"Yes, sir. She knows as much as an ordinary pack member can tell her. I quizzed her myself. She seems reasonably informed about the process and the obligations and responsibilities of a new wolf. She even seems to understand that there is a slight chance that a family member could go rogue and what that would mean."

"George, tell her that I have to call the Were Council and find out if I even have the authority to change them and find out what they will require. Tell her that this is not a sure thing until she starts to feel fury."

[14:28 Wednesday base camp the operations room]

Jack makes a sat-phone call to Osmon Hamil of the Were Council...

"Hello, Osmon this is John McClintock Alpha of The Full Moon Pack."

"Hello, Jack. What have you gotten yourself into?"

"Osmon, sometimes I bolt from a sound sleep with that question on my lips."

Laughing Osmon says: "Unfortunately, I know exactly what you mean. What can I do for you, Jack?"

"I suppose that you know what the pack has been up to. The whole world seems to know."

"Yes, Jack. It's pretty much all that has been on the tube for the last couple of days. Excellent work, Jack. We may snatch you away and put you on the PR committee. What you have done there has raised the stock in Weres more than any ad campaign could have ever done."

"Well, thanks, Osmon, I hope that you still think that after this call."

"Oh, Luna."

"Osmon, you may know that there was a family of four humans on the plane that went down and that we have found them. Well, the weather is fighting us and there is a serious chance that we may not be able to get a chopper in here to extract them for several days. Also, we can't get them out overland either. It would take two or three days under the best circumstances. Two and possibly three of them would not survive the trip. The worst is a four-year-old girl she is unconscious with third-degree burns over eighty percent of her body. Honestly, we don't expect her to make it out of the valley, helicopter or not. The second worst is the father, he was the pilot and he is unconscious as well. He has at a minimum two very badly broken legs. They may be compound fractures. We're still trying to get medically trained wolves over there to do an official triage. The third is a boy of six. He may have internal injuries. We're not sure because he is also unconscious. The fourth survivor is the family's mother, Anna Dawson. She is relatively uninjured. She is rational and holding up pretty well all things considered. We're setting up a camp to try to stabilize the injured until the weather clears."

"However while this is all going on Anna has asked that she and her entire family be turned."

"Oh, dear Luna. I knew that was coming. Well, this is a delicate situation. First I would have to say that Anna is not only rational but also smart. I gather that she has been advised of all of the ramifications?"

"I have been told that in general, she has had it explained and that she understands everything including the dire possibilities should a member of her family go rouge. I am told that she said that she understood that and that she accepted the possibility but was praying that that would not come to pass. By the way, if this does go through I will interview her myself and make absolutely sure that she understands and accepts all of the possible ramifications."

"Jack, if we play this right with the press then it could be a very good thing for us but we will have to handle it carefully."

"Yes, sir."

"Jack, let me call you back. I need to go round up some of the other council members and figure out how to handle this."

[14:45 Wednesday base camp the operations room]

Jack is speaking to Berry Thornton...

"Jack, the National Guard has said that they have two crews that have volunteered to fly a pair of Seahawk helicopters in and try to extract the survivors. They say that they can get to the crash but they are not sure if they will be able to land and they don't have winches and baskets.

"When will they be here,` Berry?

"They said that they would be here within the next hour to an hour and a half."

"Did you pass the GPS coordinates?"

"Yes, and they ask if we had an aviation band transceiver. I asked your radio room and was told that you do have one here at the base camp but not down at the crash site. You are going to have to relay communication between the crash site and the helicopters."

"That sounds risky Berry but we will make it work."

"Berry, are you ready for the latest?"

"What's happening?"

"Well you know the part about of the four crash victims, one is almost certainly not going to make it, that's the young girl and two more are sort of 'iffy'."

"Yeah."

"Well, the mother of the family who is substantially uninjured has asked for the entire family to be 'turned'."

"I don't understand. What is 'turned?'"

"Turned into Werewolves..."

"Why? Is that even possible?"

"It's physically possible. In fact, we have to be careful not to do it accidentally. However, it is one of our most strict laws that we do not turn humans without their permission and the permission of an Alpha. That's me. I've got a call into the Were Council asking if I even still have the authority to give that permission."

"Well, why would she want to be a Werewolf all of a sudden?"

"She apparently heard snippets of conversation, saw some things and then cornered one of my people and pumped her for information. She found out that the injuries that her family has would not be life threatening to a Werewolf. We actually have the ability to completely heal their injuries. The little girl with the third-degree burns could be healed without scarring by tomorrow morning but the process would have a high probability of turning her. The other two survivors would have to be turned and allowed to heal on their own and that would be complete in a day or two."

"You can really do that?"

"Yeah. We just don't advertise it. It isn't that we don't want to help those that need it but we fear the stigma that goes along with turning a human. We would prefer not to tell the public that the old movie theme of 'get bit by a Werewolf and you become a Werewolf' is true. And...can you imagine the blow back that would go with the general public finding out that as a Werewolf you very rarely need a doctor and that we virtually never need any of the very expensive medicines that the pharmaceutical companies crank out?"

"Well, I can see why she wants to be turned. Smart lady."

"If this goes through I am pretty sure that I will have to find two human witnesses to the fact that she asked to be turned. Berry, would you be willing to be a witness? If this is allowed by the Council then I will get her on the radio and go through all of the significant possibilities consequences and responsibilities of being a new Werewolf. At the end of that, I will ask her if she understands what I have told her and accepts those possibilities, consequences, and responsibilities; that there will be no going back. And then ask her if she still wants to be turned. I expect to be required to have two people witness all of this."

"Yes. I'll witness it."

"Do you think that Bob Renford would be a witness?"

"I don't know, Jack. Let me talk to him and we'll see."

"Thanks, Berry."

Jack opens his pack bond with his Beta Prime Leon...

"Leon, are you busy at the moment? I need you to run an errand."

"Never too busy boss. What do you need"

"I need you to get the housekeeping credit card and go to the nearest town that has a 'wholesale club', a good sized sporting goods store, a Big Orange Box store, and a Bed Bath and whatever store."

"Got that so far?"

"Yeah, boss."

"From the 'Wholesale Club', buy two cases of unscented Lysol aerosol spray. From the sporting goods store, buy eight of the largest nylon tents that they have. The tents must be waterproof, have both solid fabric closures and bug screens for the windows and doors. Also get four cot mattresses, two dozen of those full-size inflatable camping pillows and ten battery operated camp lanterns with batteries and two cases of extra batteries. Then at Bed Bath and Whatever buy two dozen high-thread-count white flat sheets. Any size, mix them if you need to. Buy two dozen heavy white pillowcases and two dozen heavy wool blankets. Finally, at the Big Orange Box store buy a dozen empty thirty-two-ounce pump-spray bottles. You don't have to use those stores but they are the places that I expect it to be the easiest to get the supplies from. Have you got that?"

"Yes, I was writing it down, Boss."

"Thanks, Leon."

"Life is always an adventure around you, Boss."

[15:00 Wednesday base camp]

Jack tries out one of the re-programmed radios...

"Alpha to Unit 41."

"This is '41' go ahead, Alpha."

"George, this is Jack. You may want to get Anna close enough to the radio that she can hear what I have to say."

"Alright. Stand by, Alpha."

a minute passes...

"Alright, Alpha. I have Anna standing next to me and the radio volume is all the way up. Go ahead, Alpha."

"Anna, I want to tell you and George what is happening with your request, what to expect next if it is approved and what we going to do either way. Alright, this is how things are playing out. I called the Were Council explained the request and the circumstances. They are considering the request and will call me back with either an approval or disapproval. If they approve the request and if there are any conditions then I will try to address those. If we can meet their conditions and if you still wish to proceed then the first step will be for you and me to get on the radio and I will list out all of the 'pros and cons' of becoming a Werewolf. To the extent possible I will also tell you the things that could go wrong. I will explain what you and your family's obligations and responsibilities will be. I will also give you my best estimate as to how you all will be integrated into the pack. At the end of all of that, I will once again ask you if it is your wish to be 'turned' to Werewolves. If at the time, Aaron is conscious he will also have to answer that question. If he awakens let me know. We will delay the process until you have had time to discuss being 'turned' and then we will proceed if you haven't changed your mind."

"Now, I need you to know that I will have two human witnesses with me as I expect that to be a requirement set by the Were Council. Finally, I don't want to make you more nervous than you already are but I believe that you have a right to know, I expect that the press and news media will be listening to our conversation live. Try to steel yourself for that. Choose your words slowly and carefully, take your time. Time is not important, what you answer will be. I'm sorry about the press. I don't know if you realize it or not, but you being rescued by us has become worldwide news with live hourly updates. We as Werewolves with all of the old legends that are out there cannot afford for it to seem as if we coerced you into this decision although we realize that the situation has. Some of the questions that I ask you may seem pedantic but they will be asked out of necessity. Please just bear with me when I ask them."

"Now the next topic is what is going to be happening in the meantime. We are going to proceed as if the request had never been made. We are going to set up to treat your family's injuries as best as we can and be prepared to wait until the weather breaks. I have ordered tents, cots, mattresses, pillows, and sheets. Three of the tents will be set up; one for each patient, sterilized as best as we can and kept that way. The patients will be treated by our medics with a doctor at the other end of the radio. We aren't able to get large equipment down there because everything has to be packed in by "Wolf-Train" but short of that, we are going to do our best to replicate a hospital environment and treatment. When the equipment arrives we will start packing it in into saddle packs for our wolves and they will make the fourteen-mile trek down there to deliver it and then return to base camp to pick up another load. Now there will also be five additional tents. They will have to be used communally. We will pack in the three tents for the patients first along with food and water. I'm afraid that tonight's meal might be 'MREs'. At this point, I am not sure how efficient our transport system will be."

"There are over one hundred Werewolves with us on this search and I expect that most of those will be packing supplies to you. Wolves can run as fast as forty-five or fifty miles per hour but I expect that a comfortable trot with loaded packs will be fourteen or fifteen miles per hour. Given that and the terrain, I expect that the trip will take between one and a half and two hours each way. We will start sending what we can but some of the equipment including the tents may not arrive until tomorrow."