There is a group of nurses and doctors with a gurney awaiting our arrival as we pull into the parking lot just outside of the Emergency Room. The second my dad puts the car in park everything is in total chaos. One of the nurses opens my door and ushers me out. A doctor opens the door on the other side next to the young man and hunches inside to examine him; I look over at him as I’m getting out of the car, my jackets is now drenched in blood and dripping onto the seat of the car. The doctor examines my jacket and lifts it up a little to see the bullet wound. He sticks his head back out a few seconds later and waves the others with the gurney over to him. Everyone is yelling over each other and running around like chickens with their heads cut off. My mom gets out of the car and rushes over to the crowd as they all work to get him out of the car and onto the gurney. “Approximate twenty-year-old male with a GSW to the lower abdomen.” Moms says as everyone rushes the young man into the building. From my point of view everything seems chaotic and unorganized, but to them, they all move around each other as if they’ve done this a hundred times before. “Has the O.R. been prepped?” Mom asks as everyone rushes into the E.R. and turns down a long hallway.

“Yes, they’re waiting for us.” One of the nurses responds. Just ahead there are some doors with a sign that reads ‘authorized personnel only’. A couple of nurses stop my dad and I just before we reach the doors, while my mom and all the others disappear behind them and rush towards the operating room. My dad puts his arms around me and we both stand in front of the doors, staring off into space for a few minutes, until a nurse gestures for us to go to the waiting room.

In the waiting room, dad and I sit in some chairs as we wait to hear of any news about the young man’s condition. I look down at my now clean hands, still thinking of his blood that had coated them a few hours before. My mind is all over the place; I can’t stop thinking about his strange clothes, his dark black hair, pale skin, and penetrating black eyes; they were so mesmerizing. I felt as if I could’ve vanished into their vast darkness. As I focus on the thought of his eyes, a memory begins to stir inside of me; I flash back to the night I almost froze to death, but was saved by a young boy with black hair and black eyes, and had the ability to change himself into a wolf. ‘Could it be him? Could he be the young boy that saved my life?’ My heart begins to race and my stomach starts to churn. My mind snaps back into reality when two police officers approach us. My dad stands up and greets them, shaking each of their hands.

“Excuse me, Mr. Bennett, would it be alright if my partner and I asked you and your daughter a few questions about what happened to the young man you brought in here tonight?” One of the officers asks. He’s a brawny older man with a gray mustache and a clean haircut. My dad crosses his arms and shifts his weight, while I stay seated in my chair.

“Yah, yes of course. Anything we can do to help.”

The second officer walks over to me and takes a seat next to mine. He is a very tall man who looks to be about in his early thirties. His hair is a dirty dish water blonde, and has been combed back nicely. I look at the name engraved on a small tag on his uniform pocket.

Officer D. Beckman.

“Hey Natalie, I’m Officer Beckman. Is it ok if I ask you a few questions?” His voice is soft and sincere. I nod slightly.

“Okay, do you know the name of the young man you and your parents brought in here tonight?”

I shake my head.

“Did you see what happened, or who shot him?”

I flashback to the moment I saw the two hunters aim a gun at a black wolf. I remember how I threw a rock to alert it, and how they shot it as it ran away. Then, I remember watching the wolf turn into the young man we brought to the hospital.

“No, I didn’t see anything. I was just out hiking and found him like that.” I lied. I couldn’t tell them the truth about what really happened. Either they’d just call me crazy and a liar, or they’d let the government take him and do who knows what kind of experiments on him. Either way I couldn’t let them know the truth.

“Okay, are you sure you didn’t see anyone running away or hiding when you found him? Are there any clues you can give us to help us find the person who did this?”

I think about the two hunters again. Crouched near some shrubbery, aiming their rifle at their prize kill.

“No, no I didn’t see anything. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Do you think you can remember exactly where you found him, and show us to help the investigation?”

I sit there and rub my hands together, I remember where I found him at the bottom of the hill. I know exactly where it is… But should I show them where it is? What if they find something that will show what he can do? Or what if they don’t and they can then arrest the two poachers? … What should I do?

“Miss Bennett?”

I look back at him, still trying to decide what to say, I have to make a decision. I have to say something, I open my mouth

“Yes, I can show you where I found him.”

“Okay, Thank you for your time. If you can think of anything else here’s my card,” he hands me a card with his name and number on it, “if there is anything you remember, call this number.” I nod. He gets up and walks back over to his partner who is still talking to my dad. After a few moments, all three of them look back over to me.

“What you did was very brave, young lady. Most people would run away from a situation like that; but you helped him, besides the fact that the person who shot him could’ve still been somewhere hiding.” Officer Beckman’s partner says

You have no idea. I think to myself.

“I couldn’t just let him die out there.” I shrug my shoulders. They all exchange looks.

“Well thanks to you he made it to the hospital before bleeding out.”

Before I can respond my mom walks out in her scrubs, clutching her surgical cap in her hands. I jump out of my chair and rush over to her. She looks tired, and I can’t tell whether she has good news or bad news. My dad walks over and puts his hand on my shoulder.

“Did he make it? Is he going to be alright?” I ask as I try to stop my hands from shaking. She takes in a deep breath and I wait to hear the bad news.

“There was a lot of touch and go at first, but we managed to stop the bleeding and patch up the damage caused by the bullet… he’s going to be fine.”

I let out a sigh of relief and give my mom a big hug.

“Thank goodness! So, we made it here in time.”

“He’s going to be ok thanks you.” An older man exclaims walking up from behind my mom. His hair is speckled gray, and his white coat flaps around his legs as he walks towards us.

“Jim, nice to see you.” My dad says and shakes his hand. “You performed the surgery I presume?”

Jim Halifax is an old family friend and my godfather, and has been the family doctor since before I was born. He and my parents all attended the same college together, and was roommates with my dad. He is an incredibly tall man reaching over six foot five inches; he and his wife Carol live in a house just a few acres away from ours.

“Yes, but had Amber not been there we probably would’ve lost him. She’s the one who noticed a massive bleed from one of his organs. Had she not seen it, he probably would’ve bled out on the table.”

He places his arm over mom’s shoulder, and she gives him a humble smile. She’s never really been the type that cares for words of praise.

The uneasiness in my stomach finally starts to calm down now that I know the young man’s going to be okay, for a while there I had thought we were too late. I have so many questions for him; how could he change into a wolf? Why was he wearing such weird clothes? What else could he do? Where was he from? And most of all, I want to ask him if he’s the boy who saved me.

“Can we see him?” I ask

Jim looks at me with his tired eyes, “He’s still under anesthesia, and due to the amount of bloodloss he’s not going to wake up for a couple of hours at least. He needs to rest and regain his strength. You can try seeing him tomorrow.”

I feel slightly disappointed, but I know he’s speaking for the benefits of his patient; so, I let out a sigh and nod my head. They say he’s going to be fine. I have time to ask him the questions that are pulling at the back of my mind, right now he just needs to recover.