Chapter 55
**Roman’s POV**
“Adam, Dr. Pearce said I was healed enough to do this by myself” I whine to my overprotective mate. I have been back in Silver Eclipse for three days now and I finally am starting to feel alive again. I have been given another dose of Lillian’s mystery purple antidote each day since the first which has helped clear the fog in my mind and cool the burning in my veins. My many wounds have also greatly improved without the wolfsbane and foxglove brew deterring my healing.
I still hurt and my body still has a long way to go but the Doc declared this morning that I am strong enough to start walking around again, and do light tasks like having a shower. Goddess how I have missed showers, with my many open wounds and with me being too weak to stand I have had to make do with sponge baths which I am not a fan of but they helped break through the layers of grime on me.
Now though, with Dr. Pearces approval I am itching to wash away the past three weeks. I was entirely shocked when Luca said I had been gone for over two and a half weeks. Without sunlight I had no idea of how much time had passed, time didn't really exist down there.
“You need to put me down and let me walk” I tell Adam once again. As soon as I tried to get out of the hospital bed, he scooped me up bridal style against his chest with one arm under my knees, and the other supporting my back. I want to prove to not only him that I am strong enough but to me too so I have to force him to let me down and walk the short distance to the attached bathroom myself.
“Fine Ro, but if you feel lightheaded or sore just let me know okay?” he offers as I close the door. Adam has barely left my side since he has brought me back, staying true to his word of staying beside me till I order him away. Which I have had to do, I have sent him home to get food, to shower and to change into fresh clothes but even though he won’t leave unless I have Luca or my parents keeping me company and Ezra standing guard at my door.
As much as I think he is being a little too much, I know that even if they are not visible he has also gained many scars from my time away. It’s not so bad anyway, I get to catch up with Luca and learn all about Logan, who has actually proved himself to be much more than the prick I first took him for. The most important part though is that Luca is happy with Logan so I cannot complain. I’ve also had a chance to get to know Ezra’s mate Lillian, though she says since we’re friends I can call her Lily. She is still warming up to her mate though, Ezra however is completely smitten with her and drags her around to follow him wherever he goes.
I haven’t had the chance to see anyone else yet though outside of the medical staff, my family, Adam’s family and Ezra with Lily. as soon as I finish my shower and get dressed though I am eager to see Greta and Qiang, see how they are recovering. I also cannot wait to see Uncle Ji and Aunty Stelle, they haven't had a chance to stop by the hospital so I don’t even know if they have been told about Qi yet, everytime I ask my parents or Adam about the Beta and his wife, they just freeze up and change the subject.
As I walk into the small grey bathroom I stop in front of the mirror and staring back at me is someone I almost don’t recognise. They don’t look like the strong and happy Roman that I have spent months growing into, and they are not the quiet and detached Willa that I spent so many years hating. The reflection is someone who looks so tired with his hollow face with an ugly scar slashing down half of his face, but staring back at me are my brown eyes, duller now but my eyes nonetheless.
Any muscle that I spent years building is long gone, instead I just see my bones underneath my thin and dirty skin. Werewolves need a lot of food, three times a day at least to maintain our body weight since we burn through calories and fat so much faster than an average human so it didn't take long to shed any muscle and fat I had on my already lean body. My hair has lost its natural curl, it's now just knotted and greasy. I just look so defeated.
Closing my eyes and exhaling a deep breath, I pull my body away from the offending mirror, peeling off my hospital gown and blasting myself with hot water.
Washing the past few weeks from my body turns out to be a much harder task than I had thought it would be and my arms begin to burn hurt as I hold them up trying to detangle my hair with copious amounts of conditioner. My legs are beginning to buckle too since I haven't stood this long without being held up by chains in a very long time.
“Adam!” I call out as I lean my tired body against the cold shower tile having no energy left to sustain standing by myself. Within seconds of calling out to my mate I hear Adam burst in and make his way through the steam to see me slumped on the wall with shaky legs. “I’m not strong enough to shower”
“You are still healing my little mate, let me rinse out your hair, please stop crying” he tries to comfort me while joining me in the small shower cubicle, fully clothed just to rinse the soap from my hair and body. I didn’t even realise I was crying till he asked me to stop but I can’t help it I just feel so weak, I wasn't strong enough to not get captured, I wasn't strong enough to save myself and my friends, and now I am not even strong enough to shower.