Accidental Surrogate

Accidental Surrogate Chapter 371-Unleashing the Flame

Ella

I fall into a little daze as I watch Hank work, as I hold my sleeping baby in my arms. It’s not that I’m not paying attention –

it’s just that…I don’t really understand what they’re doing or saying, so to me it’s all just quiet repetitive work.

I do pay attention, of course, when Hank deems Cora patched up enough to roll her over onto her side so that they can

perform an ultrasound. Cora gives a low moan when the nurses move her, a sound which at once pains me and gives me

a little thrill of hope. Because as much as I hate to hear my sister in pain –

Damn it, at least it means she’s alive. I watch carefully as the nurses hold her still, as Hank expertly spreads some clear

jelly on her stomach and then begins to search for a heartbeat. Then I bury my head in my hand a few moments later

when he finds it – a fast, faint fluttering of noise. My little niece or nephew, still fighting for life.

I drag my hand away from my face a moment later to see Hank nodding to his nurses and Cora lowered back on her belly.

Then, Hank turns to me, pulling off his gloves as he crosses the room and falls into a crouch so that we can be almost

face-to-face while I stay seated.

“You saw?” he asks, looking up at me a little from his lowered place on the floor. “Yes,” I reply, nodding sharply. “The baby

is alive, but – ”

“Right,” he says, glancing back towards Cora. “It’s – it’s not preferable, obviously, for a mother to be so gravely wounded

so early in a pregnancy. Frequently the body will decide…” he sighs and shakes his head, trying to come up with the right

words. He looks up at me as he finishes his thought, “the body will sometimes decide, Ella, to prioritize the mother.”

“So miscarriage…” I say, looking over at my sister.

“There’s a higher risk of it right now, yes. Ella,” he says again, his voice curious now, drawing my eyes back to him. “Did

Cora ever mention to you the possibility…”

“I can do it, Hank but,

not going to understand what I’m talking about if I start

Darkness. “As we were getting away they they bound my gift and my wolf,” I say, giving a

heal her in the car, but

you can – you

wounds like that -”

at Hank suddenly, a little disturbed by his curiosity about the gift

my sister. What, really, is he asking

Hank says, putting his hands up in a little plea for forgiveness. “I’m I’m just a doctor, Ella. It’s all

bodies. The idea of being able to wield medicine like that – it’s a dream. But please forgive my professional

little sigh and nod, my eyes moving back to Cora, wanting to move

standing up to his feet and looking at Cora himself. “It

know, Ella, unbind the gift? I know a lot about wolf biology,

anyway to get around this? Perhaps one of

Ask for her aid

him suddenly as I realize that – that Hank

good idea, Hank,” I say, getting quickly to my feet and looking around the room. “Can

please?”

computer and the phone in the corner of the room. “Of

Cora now. “I’m going to

update each

to the little

the temple in the center of our city, hopping

something to help.

Sinclair

priest before us sweeps a fist out in front of him, his teeth bared in determination as

Roger, in mid- leap, takes the hit first, yelping and turning away as the fire

it gets deep

one of pain as I

back of my neck – a deep and searing touch that’s gone after an instant

the brunt of the flame, I turn back to the

back to Roger’s

gritted as he glares at

are left -”

step towards him. “Or else you’d have done it

in the Priest’s eye – frustration, I think, in being caught out. Roger, understanding my

and begins to