Broken Bear(3)

Lily watched the broken man struggling within himself. He was either oblivious that she had spoken to him or maybe he was just choosing to ignore her. It pained her that he carried such a large burden on his shoulders. What happened was an accident. No charges were filed against him. And somebody came forward who had witnessed the accident. The truck driver was responsible. He was drinking and driving, and swerved into oncoming traffic.

She sighed. He’d be leaving soon. They weren’t equipped to handle him there. He’d need specialized treatment, time, and intense therapy. They were simply waiting on the official paperwork before they moved him. She would miss him. She mourned his leaving before he even left. She wanted to watch over him. She was his angel. That’s what he called her the first time he opened his eyes. Her stomach twisted on hearing the word angel. She needed somebody to believe in her. Maybe in saving him, she could save herself. She’d watch over him. Somebody had to care. Was it too late for salvation?





Chapter 3 - Phoenix





Phoenix woke to find new people looking at him. He didn’t recognize their faces. His arms were strapped down to the bed, but he had no fight left in him. When the others left the room, only a doctor remained.

“How are you feeling today?” The doctor’s hair was pulled back tight. Her rimless glasses blended into her face. She wore little to no makeup, just a dab of nude lipstick. It feathered at the edges, showing her age as it snuck into the tiny wrinkles around her mouth. She knew not to turn her back on patients in this wing of the hospital. He didn’t answer. “I want to help you, but you’re going to need to help me.” She watched his eyes, but they gave nothing away. “Until you’re willing to talk to me, we won’t get anywhere. And until you heal, you won’t be allowed to leave.”

“Where am I?” Phoenix stared at the woman, unaffected.

“You’re at the Swan Epstein facility in Chestnut Grove. You were transferred here from the trauma center. They felt you were a danger to yourself and possibly others. Because this is not a voluntary commitment, you do not get to choose when you leave. And until you talk to me, I can’t help you. So this brooding of yours will not help. The sooner you work with me, the sooner you get out.”

“How can I talk when all you people do is drug me?” His anger and frustration were apparent.

“You are drugged because you act as if you are an animal. You can’t seem to control your aggression when they lower your dosage,” she warned with an icy stare. She’d been at this job too long. There was no empathy left; she only felt bitter that this was her chosen profession. The money was too good to leave, but she hated the work.

“Funny you should say that,” Phoenix growled. He realized she didn’t know he was a shifter. How could she know? She hadn’t seen his bear. He knew his bear could free him, but the pain inside would remain. It didn’t matter anyhow, he was a broken man. No amount of fixing him would help.

“When you’re ready to speak to me, let the staff know. I don’t have time to just stand around. When you can behave, we will talk in a more comfortable environment. Until that time, you will remain subdued via medication and restraints. Do we understand each other?” Her face was hard, as if her hair was pulled back too tightly. It made her translucent skin taut, but left her looking almost unnatural. Warmth was not her middle name.

“What I understand is that you’re all a bunch of assholes who think analyzing me will change the fact that I killed my mother. Nothing you do or say will ever change that fact. That’s for me to live with. Forever. That fact will never change. Do you understand that? There, I have spoken. Now leave me the fuck alone.” He wanted to roll over and turn away from her, but the restraints made it difficult and kept him on his back.

She simply stared at him. “I’ll be going home at the end of the day. If you’re not ready to talk today, there’s always tomorrow. You, on the other hand, will not be going home,” she snapped.

“I have no home. I can never go home. There’s nothing left for me. My life is over.” The pain was surreal, unlike any physical pain he’d ever suffered. He’d been in many fights over the years, roughhousing with the other bears, getting territorial, and just doing stupid shit. And yet, the pain inflicted in that single moment of seeing his mother’s life pass right before him was the worst pain he’d ever know. It was a pain that would never heal.





Chapter 4 - Lily





Lily sat in the corner of the room, waiting for Phoenix to wake up. She was his only visitor. She needed to see him, but didn’t know why. She wanted to save him. Lily knew he needed her, he just didn’t know it yet. She was drawn to him the moment she saw him, or maybe it was the moment he saw her, squinting into the light. It didn’t really matter. All she knew was that he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She had this silly illusion that they could heal one another. Healing would be nice.