Chapter 287
Chapter 288
Amber’s POV
As we walked to the nearby hospital, I noticed as we approached, that it seemed more like a clinic. It was only one story and not terribly big. Even for a town of this size, I imagined they would need more space. Everything must have been cramped inside.
We were about to find out.
Julian walked beside me, wincing only slightly from the pain in his shoulder. He was holding a towel to it, something I insisted on before we began this trek. But the towel was quickly staining red, which meant he was still bleeding. We really needed to get that silver out of him as soon as possible so that the wound could properly heal.
Rafael, meanwhile, seemed to be recovering his voice. I’d hoped he might use it to explain his relationship with Jessica, the rogue leader, but instead, he was grumbling to me.
“We shouldn’t be helping them,” he said. “There are reasons they are rogues, and as such we’ve cast them out. How weak does it make us appear to then change our minds and take care of them again p>
I was already annoyed about everything that was happening here. I was stressed about my part in leading my brother and my lover to this place. And I was worried about Julian.
So I didn’t have much patience for Rafael’s mutterings.
“Every life is worth something,” I said.
“Not rogues,” Rafael said stubbornly.
“Then what about the children?” I asked. “We all saw them. You can’t pretend otherwise p>
The packs, as a rule, didn’t exile children, which meant that they had to be a second generation of rogues, or perhaps even a third.
“They aren’t supposed to procreate,” Rafael said, speaking of them more like animals than people.
“They’ve had children,” I said. “They were cast out, not killed. They still have feelings and emotions, and a desire for family p>
“Who would want to bring children into this p>
People found hope in all kinds of situations, but accidents happened too.
Regardless, the why of it didn’t matter. The fact was, children were here, and they were innocent by nature. Though I wanted to treat everyone, regardless of age, I thought that would be enough to convince Rafael. “She’s right,” Julian said from beside me. “It’s easy for us to turn our backs and stop thinking about those we exiled once they are out of the pack. I’m guilty of this too. But that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be given healthcare and shelter p>
He lowered his head as shame filled his expression. “I will need to speak with the council on this when I return
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Chapter 288
home again p>
“When we return home,” I said, and took his hand.
He smiled at me. “We,” he corrected.
+25 BONUS
“Well, I guess we don’t have much choice in the matter right now, do we?” Rafael said. “And Jessica… I can’t believe she’s here p>
“How do you know her?” I asked, unable to leash my curiosity any longer.
“We – ”
“We’re here,” the man who had led us to Jessica said. We’d earlier learned that his name was Bill, though Jessica called him Billy, which at the time had made Rafael glower. He’d been leading our little group, with two armed guards behind us. Jessica had rushed ahead.
Our conversation cut off as we stepped into the clinic. It was as I had expected but feared.
Immediately, the sound of cries and moans of pain filled our ears.
People were strewn everywhere. There didn’t seem to be enough rooms, so the waiting room was being utilized. But there mustn’t have been enough beds because people were lying on the ground with only a blanket between them and the floor.
Jessica was standing there by the counter. Behind it was a very exhausted looking nurse. They mustn’t have had electricity here, because she was scribbling everything down on a piece of paper.
I hadn’t noticed as much in city hall, with all of its windows, but here in this bigger space, it was darker. I realized the overhead lights were turned on or weren’t working.