The Last Shewolf Ch. 01-06

Werewolves have always been present in the States, but never in the mainstream. We couldn't be in the military, we couldn't live among humans for extended periods. When I went to medical school and internships, I had to be Alpha ordered for my wolf not to shift; even if it cost me my life, I was not allowed to shift outside of visits to my home Pack in Zumbrota.

There were only about four hundred Packs in North America, and almost all were in remote locations where their homes were away from humans. The risks increased with exposure, so there weren't careers among the humans, you were lucky if you even got college through them. My fellow doctors and nurses had to be exceptions; we needed training not available through Packs, and we had to keep up our medical licenses and an official practice, so we could have access to drugs and equipment.

I worked as a relief doctor at two clinics, one in Silver Bay and one in Grand Marais. I had done a surgical residency, but never got board-certified. I knew I would never be able to maintain THAT license living in a remote Pack. Instead, I dropped back to General Practice, doing rotations in obstetrics and pediatrics that would be more helpful to my Pack career. I had a lot of help, my Alphas were supportive and so were my parents; my father was the Pack doctor, and my mother his nurse. This rotation was a good way to get me experience and pay off the loans I had taken from my Pack to get my education.

So, there were few people I could reach out to, but the first one was my Dad. I emailed him with photos of my samples and a summary of my findings, and asked him to call me when he'd had a chance to review them. I then called Larry Jennings, he was the Pack Doctor in Duluth, and the most experienced one around. I wanted to drive down and meet with him, bringing my samples so he could examine them himself. I left a message on his phone, knowing it was late and he was probably asleep. Turning off all the lights, I walked out of the lab towards the stairs. Matt was in wolf form, guarding the door to the clinic. I told him goodnight and went upstairs to my apartment.

Two AM, and I was asleep again.

I slept until nine, when my phone rang. It was Larry, he had gotten permission from his Alpha for me to visit and was available after dinner. I got dressed and grabbed a late breakfast before heading back to my office to do research. Early in the afternoon my father called; he didn't have much to add, but he did promise to look into it for me. Neither of us had found anything helpful in our research yet.

I swung by the kitchen to get a sandwich and cookies to go before hopping in my Ford Ranger extended cab 4x4 to head down to Duluth. I loved my little truck, it never let me down. I would do house calls at allied Packs, so I had medical supplies and a full trauma kit in the back seat. I waved to the sentry as I left, and put a CD in the stereo as I drove.

The Duluth Pack was located northwest of the city, at the very edge of the changeover to the deep Northern woods. The Pack was the second largest in the state, about five hundred wolves, and owned every home in their isolated development. Their homes were built in a way unlike the cookie-cutter suburbs that were springing up in the sixties and seventies. Build around a community center and small downtown, the homes were in concentric circles around the center, with open spaces and parks maintained around them. It looked like a nice place to live, and the wolf in me understood how it made their Pack defenses easier.

I rolled up to the entry, a good half mile off the paved road, and was stopped by one of their sentries. "Hi Alex," I said as he opened the door and jumped in. "How are Mary and little Robert doing?"

"Go right to the clinic, Vivian. Doc's in an emergency and can use your help." I pulled forward, I could smell his distress. "One of our pregnant females started bleeding at dinnertime, the whole Pack is worried."

Shit.

Going as fast as I was comfortable, I went to the clinic building. It wasn't enough. I could tell by Alex's face she didn't make it. "I'm sorry," he said.

He didn't say anything, he ran off, probably to be with his mate. I got out, leaving my samples on the seat. If I was right I wouldn't need them.

The family was filled with grief, Pack members were trying to comfort his mate as he broke down. I walked past them to the procedure room, just as Larry walked out. His scrubs were bloody, and he was taking off his gloves and tossing them in a bin. "I'm sorry, Larry."

"It was just like you said," he said as his shoulders slumped. "It came on so fast, I couldn't get the bleeding stopped in time. Even after I delivered the baby, the placenta was falling apart. It's like her tissue was dissolving in front of me, sections would discolor and then rupture."

I looked past him, his nurse was helping to clean up. "Go talk to the family, I'll help get her cleaned up and then we can talk." He nodded and walked off.

I pushed the door open, the smell of blood and death was strong in the room. A young woman, not even twenty, was cut open on the table, her baby by her side. Perfectly formed, maybe 18 weeks, and he never had a shot at life.

Whatever this was, we had to figure it out quickly.

Ch. 3

I stayed long enough to assist Larry with the autopsy, which was pretty much the same as what I had found. I left him with a tissue sample for comparison, and when he had to leave for the funeral, I left for home. It was almost midnight, and the quarter moon was casting a glow on the empty road ahead of me.

I stayed away from Lake Superior and the weekend traffic, using roads farther inland instead, maybe thirty minutes from home. Normally, I enjoyed the road and the night, but tonight my brain just wouldn't turn off. I had the radio off and the windows down, enjoying the warm evening. I crested a hill, below me I could see the road winding down to a creek before continuing up the other side. Motorcycles were coming my way, a dozen or so of them. This was pretty common, the North Shore area was a popular summer route for biker runs.

We were going to meet somewhere near the creek, and I had my hand out the window, ready to wave as they passed.

None of us saw the deer bolting into the road near the bridge until it was too late. I locked up my brakes, steering towards the narrow shoulder as I prayed to Luna I would stop in time. I did, but not the way I wanted. The right front tire dug into the soft ground, pulling it off its rim, catching and spinning the truck around to a stop. The first deer passed in front, but the second tried to pass just as the first riders were passing. I heard a thud, then a screech and the sounds of brakes as the dual line of bikers tried to stop.

I hit the hazard flashers and jumped out of the truck. Three bikes were on their sides, five had steered past and were turning around, and the rest had stopped in time. Reaching into the back seat, I grabbed my emergency medical case and pulled it out. "I'M A DOCTOR, WHO IS HURT?"

The men quickly checked the downed bikers, two were standing up. I could smell blood, I could see the road rash, but the one who wasn't moving was the one I was already moving towards. "OVER HERE, DOC." I set the bag down next to a big guy, he was in his forties, beard and hair going grey.

He was trying to sit up, but I quickly pushed him down. "Don't move, let me examine you," I said as I broke the case open. I had a helmet light, I quickly pulled it on so I could see what I was doing. Putting on rubber gloves, I introduced myself and asked him if it was all right to treat him. He said yes, rasping his breath, blood-tinged spit rolling out his mouth. Checking him from head to toe, his pupils were unequal but reactive, and I could feel the bump on the back of his head. He had a broken arm, some good road rash, and an antler tine that had broken off in his chest below his collarbone. I couldn't tell how deep it went, but I couldn't remove it here. "Who's in charge here?"

"I am," a tall man with a long beard, rubber bands holding it together, said as he approached.

"OK, I need you to send someone to call 911."

"I'll go," a younger, lanky man said.

"Fine, there's a town about five miles ahead. Tell them Dr. DelMara," I grabbed my card and handed it to him, "has a patient with a puncture wound to his left chest and a head injury. I need an air ambulance to take him to the trauma center in Duluth. You know where we are?" He nodded. "Make sure they send the helicopter. Get out of here." He ran off, another man joining him. They started their Harleys and burned rubber as they were taking off down the road.

"You-" I pointed at another guy, "In the back seat of my truck is an oxygen canister. Get it."

Another man came up. "I was a medic, I'll take care of the other two. No serious injuries," he said. He started looking through my kit, taking some supplies he walked back to the two me who were sitting in the headlights of the other bikes.

"Get a couple bikes up here, shine the headlights on him," I told the leader. He shouted out orders and soon I could see a lot better.

I ripped open a large patch bandage, it was plastic backed. I used gauze to pack the wound as best I could, then put the bandage over it. The adhesive was only on the outside, and it would keep the wound from sucking any more air into his chest cavity. I checked his chest, his left lung had partially collapsed, there wasn't much I could do about it immediately. I pulled out a splint and used it to immobilize his forearm. He didn't move.

Looking up, I saw he had passed out. Not good with a head injury.

The oxygen arrived, I put the mask on him and set the flow. I pulled out the portable monitor, setting up the cuff for blood pressure on his good arm, along with the heart monitor pads and the pulseox monitor for his finger. I took a deep breath; he was stable for now. "Watch him," I said. I went over to the other two, getting a quick report from the medic. A quick exam confirmed they were all right. "Can you ride?"

"Hell yeah," one said, "It's just a little road rash. How is Hammer?"

"It's not good, but he's stable for now," I said. I went back to my patient, checking him again his oxygen levels had improved, and his breathing wasn't as strained. I had a chest tube ready, but as long as he wasn't deteriorating, I could avoid more blacktop surgery. I checked his other injuries, cleaning them with alcohol and covering them with gauze wraps.

"Anything else we can do, Doc?"

I thought for a moment. "Yeah, uh... Viper." It was on his cut, he was the President of the Northwoods Riders Motorcycle Club. "The helicopter will need a landing spot; flat, open and no power lines. I need you to find one and surround it with motorcycles to mark it. I have flares under my passenger seat, we'll need those to guide it in."

"I'll take care of it. Is he going to make it?"

"It could be serious, he has a head injury. When are you guys going to learn to wear helmets?" Motorcycles were called "donorcycles" in some of the hospitals I had trained at, for good reason.

"Kind of screws up the views and the sights," he said. "I'll get your tire changed as well."

"No hurry, I'm going with him," I said. "We're going to be going to St. Lukes, northern Duluth."

I continued to monitor Hammer's condition, and it was getting worse. I checked his pupils again; the left side was unequal and not reactive. I was glad I asked for the air ambulance, it might not be fast enough with a normal one. The symptoms were of an intracranial bleed, basically a vessel leaking blood into his skull and causing the pressure on the brain tissue to increase. Left untreated, it could result in permanent damage, even death. I didn't have the machines to monitor that pressure, and he didn't have much time if I was right. "Viper, there's a couple blankets in the back of my truck, I need them. And grab my toolbox."

I didn't like this, but it wasn't like I carried this equipment around. Taking the folded blankets, I had the guys roll him onto his good side. I used a razor to shave the hair from the area that was swollen, then cleaned it with a pad. Using a scalpel, I made an incision, draining the excess blood. Viper came back, carrying my toolbox. "There is a small DeWalt drill in there, grab it and put a quarter inch bit in it."

"You need this?" He held the drill up. "For him?"

"Yep, I need to drill through his skull and relieve the pressure. Bits are in that black box there." A minute later, I had doused the bit in alcohol and was placing the wood bit against his skull. "I need help here, hold his head really still. I can't apply much pressure, or I could break through and shove this hallway into his brain," I said.

This wasn't the way I had seen this done, but it was effective. The bit had spurs on the outside and a flat bottom, and by carefully controlling speed and pressure I had made the required hole. I got lucky; I could see the blood draining. I set the drill down and changed gloves before using gauze and a wrap to hold it in place.

I could hear the helicopter but didn't say anything until the other guys noticed. "Snake used to be Army, he's got the flares and will guide it down," he said. I just kept working on Hammer as they landed.

A few minutes later, the EMT's were next to me with their gurney. Working together, we got him strapped in place. "I'm going with them," I told Viper, tossing him my keys.

"We'll take care of your stuff," he said. "See you at the hospital."

I pulled on a spare helmet after we loaded so I could talk to the crew and the hospital. I'd only been down there a couple times, visiting patients from the clinics I worked at, so they knew me. It was a short flight, and after turning over to the neurosurgeon and thoracic surgeons who were waiting, I was looking around for water and a change of clothing.

The guys arrived about forty-five minutes later, rushing into the waiting room. "How is he, Doc?"

"He's in surgery. The neurosurgeon is done, he stopped the bleeder. They are removing the antler now."

Snake had made a coffee run, and I gratefully took the tall coffee and the muffin he offered. We waited another hour as I got to know the guys, and they got me to talk a little about myself. President Viper was married, a former Marine and Vietnam combat vet. Most of the guys in his club were vets, the younger ones had been in the Iraq war. If you weren't a veteran, you were a brother of one. The group was very tight, and clearly Hammer was loved by them. He was the Master at Arms, responsible for discipline in the club. The VP was the medic, he had served in the late 70's at stateside hospitals. He was, of course, nicknamed Doc.

After hearing that Hammer was going to pull through, the guys relaxed. "Pres, I got a half-dozen rooms reserved at the hotel a few blocks from here," he said. "That's all they have."

Viper looked around at his club members. "Two brothers stay here with Hammer, we'll do eight-hour shifts," he said. He looked at me. "Doc, we can offer you a room or we can take you back home. Snake looked at your truck, the tie rod broke and he had to call for a tow truck."

Shit. I really needed to get back to the Pack. If we had two cases, who knew what was happening next. "I have to get home, I can't stay here," I said.

"Whatever you need from us, you have," Viper said. "We are in your debt for saving our friend."

I blushed a little. "That's my job, it's what I'm trained for."

"We know," Doc said, "but you still have it. Boss, I'll stay here with the prospect until morning."

"Dagger, Gasket with me. The rest of you get to the hotel." I followed them down the elevator, their Harleys were parked in a line near the entrance. "You can ride with me, Doc."

"You have a helmet for me?"

"None of us do," he said. "Helmets are for rice burners, cuts are for Harleys."

I needed the ride, so I got on behind him. "I've never ridden," I told him.

"Just hold on to me and lean when I do," he said. He started his big Harley and pulled out, the other two falling in line behind him. It was the most enjoyable trip I'd had in a long time; I loved the freedom, the speed as we covered the miles quickly. There was a guest house at the edge of our territory we could get to without getting close to the main Pack, so I gave him directions there. It was nearly sunrise when we got there.

There were no fresh scents, so no one was using it. The key was in its normal place, so I opened it up and let them in. "I'm going to take a shower and go to bed, and you guys should get a few hours sleep before you head back," I said. "There's a bathroom down the hall, towels in the closet inside. There are two beds in this room, and one of you can take this couch."

"Thank you, Vivian," Viper said. "We'll let ourselves out, you get your sleep."

I went into the bedroom and called the Alpha, letting him know what happened and that I had humans staying with me for a short time. He said he would keep the Pack away, and asked me to come see him once I had some sleep.

I was asleep before my pillow warmed up. When I woke, there was a note from Viper along with his card. Who would have thought that this big biker owned a computer company in St. Paul? He thanked me again and told me I was always welcome to visit them if I went down to the cities. I smiled and put the note in my pocket, before going to talk to the Alpha.

Ch. 4

I knocked on the Alpha's office door, I could smell Luna Connie's scent in there with him along with Beta Charles. "Come in," he said.

I opened the door nervously. "You wanted to see me, Alpha Clark?"

"Please, Vivian, sit. I'd like to hear more about what you found in Duluth, as well as what happened last night." Mitch had Connie in his lap, her hand was protectively held over the small baby bump she had.

Charles was sitting in one chair in front of his desk, so I took the other, keeping my eyes down respectfully. "As you know, I went to speak with Dr. Jennings, as he is the closest and most experienced Pack Doctor. As I arrived, a woman in his Pack had just died, her baby lost at eighteen weeks. From the symptoms and how quickly it progressed, it appears to be the same cause as what killed Laura."

Connie was pale, nervously looking at me. "How can that be? You said this had never happened before."

I nodded. "I have found nothing like this in my training or in the human training. Human medical texts have been no help, and until yesterday, I'm not aware of any other doctor seeing it. Dr. Jennings had the same problem; for an unknown reason, the placenta started to detach from the uterine wall while the pre-term fetus was still viable. The mechanism prevents the normal process that stops the bleeding, in fact, it seems to promote bleeding. He got to her faster than I did, delivered the baby by C-section, but couldn't stop the bleeding before she died." I looked at my hands. "I've also called my father, he is helping me research, but as to cause or treatment, we are at a loss."

"Could it happen again?"

"I don't know WHY it is happening, much less why in two different Packs so close together. Anything is possible, I'm afraid."

Connie looked at her husband, he pulled her close before looking at me again. "If it happens again, what will you do?"

"Get the female into the clinic at the first sign of fever or bleeding. If I see any evidence on the ultrasound or physically it is starting, I'd have to take aggressive measures." I gulped, what I was about to say went against every instinct a wolf had. "I'd do an emergency C-section, even if the fetus is not viable, which for us is up to twenty-eight weeks gestation since I don't have access to neonatal intensive care. Then I would remove the placenta and attempt to stop the bleeding; if it doesn't stop, I would be forced to perform a hysterectomy in order to save the mother."