Chapter 195: The Pain

Chapter 195: The Pain
Vida's POV

Two weeks had already passed, since Meredith and I became the beta of the Pack, two weeks of bliss, two weeks of peace, absolute peace.  I never thought there would be peace after the storm, but here we are. I could feel it, I could see it and it's happening to me. This wasn't another fairy tale story, but reality.

These past weeks, Meredith had spoiled me to the core. even though he was very busy, he make out time for me, sometime I felt sorry for him because I was becoming demanding and turned into a cry baby but he wasn't complaining, even when I asked him to get me stuff in the middle of the night, he didn't complain, that night I felt sorry for him, and then I asked him if he was already tired of me, he had smile pulled my cheeks gently and kiss my lips, "why would I get tired of the woman that gave me back my life?"  those words alone was reassuring and it kept me going for this week's. Pregnancy wasn't easy, it changed everything about me, and to think the changes happened within two weeks. Since we couldn't go back to the human territory immediately, Meredith had to get the pack midwives to care for me.

Today I just finished my section with the pack midwives when Meredith walked in, "Baby!" I called in surprise because he had told me earlier that he wouldn't be coming back till late at night, and now he is here? "Why are you back so early?" I asked.

He smiled, walking towards me, pecking my forehead, "Where is the doctor?"

"C'mon, they just left, tell me, why did you return so early?" I asked, studying him suspiciously.

"Don't I have the right to miss my baby?" He said playfully as he lowered his head and placed a kiss on my tummy.

"You do but..."

"You have nothing to worry about today," he cut me off, sitting close to me, "it's just that we need to go to the hospital."

My brows furrow, "I'm not sick." I pushed his hand off me.

"I know," he nodded in agreement, "we need to go to the human territory." The word hit like a stone thrown at me, and my heart palpitations increased as fear enveloped me.

"Is my aunt alright?" I asked tears already dropping.

"We will find out when we get there..." I didn't hear the rest of the words. I just gathered my things in silence. So many thoughts ran through my head. I didn't want to lose her. I didn't want to think that the storm was back again. For days, I had tried to summon my grandmother, the guardian goddess but it had failed completely, I wanted to ask her if there was a way, I could heal my aunt, but it was nothing, and today, the news that Meredith had given me had left a sour taste in my lips.

The moment we stepped into the hospital, something felt completely wrong. I couldn't explain it, whether it was the smell of antiseptic or the quiet urgency of the nurses moving through the halls that had increased my uneasiness. But the truth is, I felt like something heavy was sitting in my chest. My fingers tightened slightly around my phone as Meredith walked beside me, his presence a steady grounding, "Are you okay?" He asked softly.

I nodded, "I just want to see her." I wanted to add a few more things, but I couldn't find my voice. We had barely taken a few steps towards the ward when my phone rang; The sound cut sharply through the air. My heart skipped. I didn't recognize the number, but something told me to answer, "Hello?" I said quickly.

"Am I speaking to Miss Vida?" A rushed voice came through

"Yes!"

"I have been trying to reach you for days, you need to come immediately..." My breath stopped. "The patient, your aunt, is in critical condition, and she had demanded to see you. Although I had called earlier, I don't know if..."

My breath caught, "I'm already here," I said quickly, "I'm on my way to the ward," I didn't wait, I ran.

"Careful!" I heard Meredith's voice behind me, but I didn't stop. Everything blurred around me, and all I could hear was my heartbeat pounding loudly in my ears.

No!

Not her! Not now! Please not now! Those words I had screamed in my head, till I reached the ward and pushed the door open, and what I saw almost left me breathless, just three weeks away, and I couldn't recognize her, she had insisted on going back to the hospital after our wedding. My legs nearly gave out, I saw the monitor, the steady, terrifying beeping, and her, my aunt, lying there, pale, fragile, and barely holding on, "Aunt!" My voice broke as I rushed to her side, and her eyes fluttered open slowly.

Tears slipped down her cheeks when she saw me, "Vida..." She whispered weakly, her voice barely above a whisper.

I reach out, grabbing her hand immediately, "I'm here," I said, my voice trembling, "I'm here now." My gaze scanned her body, her condition, the energy around her, and that was when I felt it, her life was slowly fading away.

"I'm glad you are here..." She whispered, "I'm running out of time..."

"No!" I shook my head quickly, "You are going to be okay." My hands moved instinctively, "I'm going to heal you."

She looked at me, gave me a real look before a weak smile spread across her face, "Are they as beautiful as your mother's wings?" She asked suddenly.

My voice stuttered, "You know?"

Her fingers tightened slightly around mine. Though weak, she nodded, "I know what you are. Have you already met them?"

"Yes," I said softly, nodding. "I met them, I understand now that I am not just a girl in the street but a guardian."

Her gaze softened, "Your mother told me, they will come for you."

My breath caught, "my mother..." I whisper.

"Yes," she studied me carefully, while her eyes moved to Meredith, who was standing behind me. She gave Meredith a weak smile.

"Aunty, let me heal you."

"No," her breathing grew heavier, like I was stressing her. Then, with trembling hands, she reached slightly beneath her pillow, and it took real effort for her to get it. I could see her pain but she didn't stop.

"Aunt don't..." But she didn't listen till she slowly pulled out a small object.

A pendrive!

My brows furrow, "this..." She said weakly, placing it in my hand, "Your mother wanted you to have it."

My heart stopped, "my mother" my fingers curled tightly around it.

"Wait!" I looked at her with confusion and fear mixing inside me. "You are my aunt right?" I asked

Her expression softened, then she shook her head, "No!"

"Then you are from my father's." She shakes her head weakly again, and my eyes blurred with tears. The world tilted.

"I'm not!" She whispered.

My chest tightened painfully, "So we are not related?" I asked with a shaking voice, like I didn't hear what she said the first time, "Then who are you?"

Her gaze felt distant, like she was reaching back into a memory, "she came to me one night..." Her voice was faint and fragile, "It was a cold night..." My grip on her hand tightened, while Meredith rubbed soothing circles on my back. "She was bleeding..." My breath hitched, "and she was holding you," tears blurred my vision, "she placed you in my arms..." Her lips trembled, "I asked her to stay, to let me help her..." My heart pounded, "but she refused."

"Why?" I whispered desperately.

Her eyes filled with regret, “I don’t know." My vision shook. "She left..." Her voice cracked, "and I never saw her again." Silence filled the space between us, "all I know..." She continues weakly, "Is that she told me her name, and she said she is a guardian."

My breath stopped. "What was it?"

Her lips parted, "Veronica," the name echoed in my mind, that is my mother's name, that is the name, those guardians call her. I barely had time to process it, before she suddenly coughed violently.

"Aunt!" I called out, then I saw blood; it spilled from the side of her lips. Panic shot through me, "No!" My hands moved quickly, instinctively, pressing gently against her as I tried to channel my energy, "heal..." I whisper desperately, "power flows through me into her..." I continue, saying words I thought could make it happen because I had no idea how to go about it. Even though I had done these two times, I still have no idea how I did it. But silence was all that met me, my heart dropped when nothing was walking, no matter how hard I tried. "No please!" My voice broke. "I can do this, I know I can..."

Her hand weakly reached up touching my arm, "Vida,"

"No!" I shook my head, tears streaming freely now, "You are not leaving me!" I pushed harder, focused harder, but it was like something was blocking me, like her body was already letting go, "please..." I begged, "You can't leave now, now that life is getting better, I have enough for your medical bills"

Her grip weakened, but her eyes stayed on me, soft, loving, "You were the best thing that ever happened to me."

My heart shattered, "No!" Her breathing slowed, "Aunt, please..." Her hand slipped slightly from mine, "stay..." My words stopped when the monitor flatlined, the sound echoed loudly in the room, sharp and final, "no! You can't give up now." I pressed harder on her hand, my voice croaked. Tears were streaming down my face uncontrollably.

"Baby, that is enough!" He tried to pull me away.

"No, I was supposed to save her," my voice broke completely, "I'm a guardian, I can save her," I said with determination, wanting to go back but Meredith stopped me.

"It's enough you can't put the baby at risk." My tears dropped as Meredith pulled me completely from her.

"I just want her to be fine," I whisper. "I felt like a useless child, I couldn't do anything, I couldn't even save the one person who raised me."

My tears streamed more down my face, "It's not your fault, baby. Maybe it was better to let her rest." Meredith said, wrapping his arms around me and leading me out of the room. I turned one more time to her; the nurses were already removing those machines attached to her. My tears dropped more; I felt more useless than ever before. She was already gone. I waited in the car for Meredith to finish the arrangements, my eyes were red and swollen from crying, and I felt like my heart was been ripped from my chest. I sat in the car and remembered all the moments we shared together, the memories. She was the mother I didn't have.

So why couldn’t I save the one person who raised me? Why couldn’t I save her? So many questions ring in my head, as my grip tightens around the pendrive in my hand, the only thing left of my mother. My shoulders shook as I leaned forward, resting my forehead gently against the dashboard, "I'm sorry!" I whisper, and suddenly I feel Meredith's presence beside me.

"Let's go home."