Not Alone

It was later in the evening. Wednesday was still asleep. Her condition had improved slightly thanks to Enid and Thing, though not enough for Enid's liking, and since then had more or less remained the same.

Enid had managed to wake her up just enough to eat something and give her more of her grandmama's medicinal tea and thankfully, she was able to keep it down this time. Wednesday never really became conscious enough to actually be aware of her surroundings, which made taking care of her a little easier than it would have been if she were lucid because she was so pliant and didn't resist Enid's efforts to help her.

It made things a little easier, but it was also very unnerving because it was Wednesday. She would then go right back to sleep as though she had never been woken up at all.

Enid and Thing also managed to get most of the infection in her arrow wound drained, cleaned, and bandaged, which was a nightmare to do. Enid was way out of her element. She took a first aid course once, but her extreme aversion to the sight of blood meant she couldn't finish it, something her family loved to mock her for. A werewolf who couldn't stand the sight of blood? Absurd!

Enid was just grateful that Thing knew what to do. Her knowledge was limited but she knew enough that she was able to help, and was thankfully able to keep it together this time around. Maybe it was because last night she had been forced to see more blood and gore than she would've ever liked to see ever, which numbed her to the sight a bit. Or maybe it was because Wednesday desperately needed her help. But at least she didn't faint like she did when Wednesday showed her the graphic photos of the murders. However, the task still left her shaken and she did have to rush to the bathroom to throw up afterwards, but no one needed to know that.

She glanced over at Wednesday's sleeping form. Enid had used a couple of icepacks and a wet cloth on her forehead to get her fever down and it seemed to have worked enough that she was sleeping more peacefully than she had been. Earlier, she had been mumbling in her sleep, though Enid had no idea what she was saying, just that she was most likely having some sort of nightmare.

Thing hadn't left her side once since they found her passed out last night, and when he noticed Enid looking their way he gave her a thumb's up. He had been monitoring her vitals, so Enid was relieved that she was stable, though her condition was still serious.

Enid still wanted to take her to the hospital, even if it put their friendship at risk. She didn't like how high her fever was, or how pale she was – even for her, or how fast her pulse was or how shallow and wheezy her breathing sounded or how confused and out of it she was whenever she did wake up. She was in terrible shape. She needed proper treatment, antibiotics, fluids, a transfusion, something, anything more than a disembodied sentient hand and a squeamish teenager who didn't know what she was doing could give her. Enid lost count of how many times she doubted her decision to honour Wednesday's wishes.

She was about to get up and check on her herself, but then her phone rang. She looked at the screen and her heart sank. She was tempted to ignore it for now, but not answering would've only caused more problems in the long run so instead she heaved a sigh and answered, "Hi Mom."

"Enid, honey, I heard about the attack at the school!" she exclaimed, "Why didn't you call me!? For all I know you were dead!"

"Sorry, I was…I was busy," she said quietly, "I..."

"I had to hear the news from one of your teachers!" she went on, not really paying attention, "Such a shame about your principal, she was a lovely lady. And I heard a rumour that you wolfed out last night, is that true?"

Enid froze, "Um…I…" she didn't know what to say. She had been too distracted with her worry for Wednesday and her own pain to even think about calling home and telling anyone about that. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about what happened last night, not until she was in a place where she could process the traumatic event, and she certainly didn't want to talk to her mother about it. And not on the phone.

"Well? Is it?"

"Uh…" for some reason, the thought of answering her question made her anxious. She didn't know why. The news would make her mother so happy, she could finally get her off her back about not wolfing out, so why was she suddenly afraid to tell her? "I did," she said softly, her voice breaking as she tried not to cry. She was already overwhelmed, this wasn't helping.

"Oh, how wonderful!" her mom exclaimed, completely missing the cues that Enid was upset. "I can't wait to tell the pack that you're finally one of us! You must be so relieved!"

Enid forced a smile to try and hide the sudden wave of emotions that were crashing into her, "Yeah. Sure."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" she continued. "Amazing news like that, I would think you'd want to call me! Honestly, Enid."

"I…"

"No matter, this is exciting! Why don't you sound more excited honey?"

"Well, actually it…"

"And you're a Blood Moon Wolf! That's something special, you know how rare it is for a werewolf to transform for the first time during a blood moon? I knew there had to be a reason why you were such a late bloomer! Everyone's going to be so jealous to find out that my daughter is a Blood Moon Wolf!"

"But it was…"

"We have to have a party to celebrate when you get home!" she exclaimed.

Enid cringed, her eyes watering with tears. She didn't feel like celebrating something that ended up being so traumatic. She felt powerful in the moment, and will always be grateful that she was able to save Wednesday's life, but it was also painful and jarring and she had to literally fight for her life. Transforming for the first time ended up being a matter of life and death, not a milestone in a young werewolf's life. How could she celebrate something like that?

"Sounds g-great!" she choked out. This should be a reason to celebrate if for no other reason than to be thankful that she and Wednesday were alive because of it, so why, oh, why did the thought of having a party to celebrate her wolfing out make her feel sick to her stomach?

Her mother didn't seem to notice, "Well sweetie, I am glad you're OK, we'll talk later!"

Enid wanted to tell her that she actually wasn't OK, but thanks for asking, but all she said was, "Yeah, sure. Love you, Mom."

The moment the call disconnected Enid threw her phone aside and curled up in her bed, fighting the urge to cry. Thing snapped to get her attention and asked if she was OK.

"I'm f-fine," she whimpered, "just…" she swiped away the tears building in her eyes, "I'm OK. Thank you. I think I just need a moment."

She closed her eyes.

She was so damned tired.

In the last 24 hours, she only had maybe a couple of hours of sleep total, and what she did get was not restful and she had a feeling that tonight would be no different. She ached everywhere and she could not turn off her brain and relax with Wednesday being so unwell and her mother...her mother may have meant well, but the call only gave her something else to be stressed about.

Somehow though, she did manage to drift for a few moments. Not enough to go fully under, but enough that she lost some sense of time and the next thing she knew a half hour had passed and Wednesday was growing restless again.

Enid glanced over her way just as Wednesday let out a gasp, opening her eyes as she tried and failed to sit up.

"Goody…" she choked out. She seemed to be struggling to breathe, trying again to sit up, almost as though she were in a panic.

Enid rushed to her side, "Wednesday, hey, take it easy."

Wednesday seemed confused for a moment, but when her eyes met Enid's she relaxed, "Enid?"

"Yeah, it's me."

She glanced around the room, still trying to sit up but lacking the strength, "Where…how?" but as she spoke she seemed to realize where she was. She sank back into her pillow and closed her eyes, "Ugh…"

Enid reached for her cheek to check her temperature and while Wednesday flinched slightly, she did not resist. While her fever hadn't gone down, it didn't seem like it went up either and Enid decided to take it as a small win.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm…not sure," she murmured hoarsely. She grimaced and tried to get up again, and seemed puzzled by the fact she couldn't move her left arm. She glanced down curiously at the black and white sling Enid had made out of one of her cotton fashion scarves – the only one she had that wasn't colourful. She looked back at Enid inquisitively.

"I thought it would help take pressure off your shoulder," Enid explained, "does it feel OK?"

She nodded glumly. She tried again to get up.

"You need to take it easy," Enid said, gently urging her to lie back down.

Defeated, Wednesday stopped trying to resist.

"Can I get you anything?" Enid asked.

She shook her head.

"I think you should probably drink something," Enid said, "it will help to stay hydrated."

Wednesday just shrugged slightly.

"I'll get you some water and this needs refreshing," Enid said, grabbing the cloth that had fallen from her forehead. She then grabbed the now-warm ice packs that she and Thing had placed around her body.

Wednesday's eyes followed her movements, a little curious, but she didn't say anything. She still seemed to be dizzy, and fighting to remain conscious, swaying ever so slightly as she watched.

"This was to get your fever down. It was really high," Enid explained, "it had gone down some, but there hasn't been much change since. I'm really worried about that infection. It came on so quickly and I don't think we got it all – what if you go into septic shock or something? And the blood loss…you lost too much! Wednesday, I'm really worried. Both of these on their own are serious and dangerous enough as it is… I really think we need to reconsider a hospital, or doctor or something…"

"No," she choked out, though her voice was weak it was firm.

"Please! I'm really scared. I almost lost you already, I'm so afraid I might lose you again," Enid begged.

"You won't…I'm not dying."

"Can we at least go to the infirmary? You will get better so much faster if you had more adequate care than what me and Thing can give," Enid argued.

"Why…are you even…bothering?" she asked, her eyes distant and unfocused as she feebly tried again to get up.

"Bothering to what? Take care of you?" Enid tried to gently get her to keep lying down but Wednesday fought her this time, though it was a losing fight, which only made her more visibly frustrated. "Um, maybe it's because I friggin' care about you Wednesday! Is that so hard to figure out?"

"I'll only…only…" she winced, her voice drifting off as she struggled to find the words, "I…I'll only h-hurt you again."

"You didn't hurt me," Enid said, cupping her hand over the scratches on her face, "that was my choice, remember? And I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

"Why?"

"Because you're my best friend. I don't want to lose you. And I don't believe you would hurt me."

"But…what if…what if I'm not…me?"

Enid cocked her head to the side, "What do you mean?"

"Goody…" she whispered.

"What about Goody?"

"I…um," she clutched her head with her right hand, wincing with pain, "she…" Wednesday glanced at Enid and seemed to return to the here and now. Her eyes widened with embarrassment like she said more than she meant to. "Nothing. I…I'm sorry. I'm not quite…I don't feel like myself…"

"Hey, it's OK," Enid soothed, "you've been through a lot."

"Ugh, what's wrong with me?" she lamented so quietly that Enid wasn't sure if her words were meant for her. "My head it's so…muddled."

"Considering what you're dealing with? I think that's allowed."

"I should be stronger than this," she mumbled.

"Cut yourself some slack, you almost died," Enid said, "and you're hurt. It's understandable that you'd be a little out of it."

"I know but…" Wednesday sighed, "never mind."

Enid wanted to press the issue, but she didn't want to add to Wednesday's distress so she didn't. "Well, the deal still stands. If you get worse, you're at least going to the infirmary."

Wednesday nodded, though she clearly wasn't happy about it.

"OK, I'm going to put these ice packs in the freezer and get you more water to drink, do you need anything else?"

She shook her head slightly, her eyes downcast.

"I'll only be a few minutes," she said, "try and take it easy while I'm gone."

Wednesday nodded.

By the time Enid returned from the common kitchen area with a fresh glass of water, it looked like Wednesday had dozed off again but her eyes opened when she heard Enid return.

"Here," Enid said, holding out the glass, suddenly unsure of what to do. When Wednesday wasn't lucid she had no trouble holding her upright and helping her drink, but now she was conscious and aware and Enid couldn't see things going well if she tried that now. "You need to stay hydrated."

Wednesday grimaced as she tried to find the strength to sit up on her own with only one functioning arm but couldn't seem to do it. Enid silently asked permission to help and reluctantly she nodded in defeat, allowing Enid to reach behind her back to help her. She swung her legs over the side of her bed and had to pause to catch her breath from the effort. Enid sat on the bed beside her and Wednesday wearily leaned against her, reaching her right hand across to clutch at Enid's opposite shoulder.

Enid winced as she grabbed a tender spot, but Wednesday didn't notice. "Help me to my desk?" Wednesday whispered, trying to appear natural when it was clear she was holding on for dear life just to stay upright.

"I think you should…"

"No. I'm tired of lying down."

"Um…sure," Enid said, taken aback by the request. Not that the request itself was odd – though Enid wasn't sure if getting out of bed was the best idea – but the fact that she was asking in the first place instead of stubbornly trying to do it herself. To Enid, it felt like progress, but to Wednesday, the way she said it and the way she carried herself, she seemed to treat it more like a failure.

Enid did most of the work getting Wednesday on her feet and into her desk chair. She tried to hand her the glass of water but she waved it away.

"Thing? I need my brush and comb. And where's my mirror?"

Enid grabbed her mirror while Thing brought her comb. Wednesday stared at her reflection for a few moments, a deep frown on her face. She looked so dishevelled, her bangs clinging to her forehead, her hair in tangles, and her complexion was almost grey. She took a breath through her nose and attempted to comb her hair, but she was having trouble gripping it in her bandaged right hand and her left was still restrained by the sling, not that she had much mobility anyway.

"Can I help?" Enid asked.

"No." She took her brush and tried working it down her long, tangled locks but seemed to wear herself out. After a moment she gave up and grumbled in frustration, "Fine. You can help."

"Thank you," Enid said with a smile, "you know, I've always wanted to do your hair."

"I regret this already," Wednesday muttered.

"Don't worry, I won't do anything crazy. I'll fix it the way you like it."

"Good. I really don't feel like myself when my hair is down."

"What's wrong with wearing your hair down?" Enid asked, "Just needs a comb and it would be a good look for you. You look…"

"If you say I look like my mother, I swear…"

"I wasn't going to," Enid said, "I just think you have gorgeous hair. It's a little messy now, but I think looks pretty down."

"Oh," Wednesday seemed taken aback, "last time I wore my hair down everyone gushed about how I looked like my mother. Drove me crazy. Haven't worn it down since."

"Your mother doesn't have bangs," Enid pointed out.

"Yeah, I cut myself bangs after that just so no one could say that again," Wednesday said. Her reflection in the mirror revealed a small smirk crossing her pallid face. "Mother hated them at first. Unfortunately, the look grew on her and she likes them now. Luckily for her, I happen to like them too."

Enid smiled, relieved to see her more or less acting a little bit more like her usual self, and gently combed out the tangles in her hair. "Are you going to call her?"

"Who?"

"Your mother."

"Why?"

"Well, because she called last night? She somehow knew something bad had happened and was worried. I told you, remember?"

There was a pause, "Vaguely." She let out a soft sigh, her head tilting forward, she took a moment to lower her head onto her desk, resting her forehead in the crook of her right elbow, "I'll call her later. Right now, I'm so tired."

"That's to be expected, I think," Enid said. She adjusted to Wednesday's new position and continued to comb her hair until all the tangles were out.

"I hate this."

"I know."

Wednesday shivered, letting out a soft groan.

"Are you OK?"

"Mm-hmm."

"You sure?"

"I'm just…" she sighed. She seemed to be fading.

"If you want to go back to sleep, I can finish this later," Enid offered.

"No. Just get it done."

"Sure thing," Enid said. She worked in silence to part Wednesday's hair and braid it. It didn't look as perfect as she always made it look, but Enid thought it still looked good, especially considering how awkward it was with Wednesday resting her head on her desk. "All done," she announced once she was finished, "what do you think?"

Wednesday blearily opened her eyes and sat upright, swaying dizzily in the chair. She glanced in the mirror and nodded, "It'll do."

Even though she didn't say thank you, there was obvious gratitude in her tone and Enid grinned, "No problem." While Wednesday still looked like she was knocking at Death's door, there was a slight shift in how she carried herself. She seemed more at ease and Enid caught a ghost of a smile in the corner of her mouth. Enid took it as a god sign, which helped quiet down some of the anxiety that lingered within her.

After getting more fluids into her system, Enid helped Wednesday back to bed. She was so weak and unsteady on her feet that Enid practically had to carry her, but Wednesday stubbornly held her own, taking one step at a time. By the time Wednesday was sitting down, she was out of breath from the effort.

It didn't take long for Wednesday to pass out again but when Enid checked her temperature one more time, while it was still high, she seemed to be showing signs of improvement. Enid wondered if it had something to do with the fact her hair was done. Wednesday did say she didn't feel like herself, and her incoherent mumblings in her sleep and when she wasn't quite awake hinted at that as well, so maybe with her hair now in braids and she looked more like her usual self, maybe it actually helped her feel better, even if it was only slightly. It did seem to lift her spirits at least.

Exhausted, Enid decided to go to bed early. While her body ached so much that she couldn't get comfortable, and her mind was still reeling from everything that had happened, and her phone call with her mother gave her something new to stress about, Enid took comfort in the fact that while Wednesday still had a long way to go before she recovered, she did appear to be finally on the mend. Enid had been so afraid of losing her, but now she felt like she could, at last, get some actual rest. Maybe now, the worst of their ordeal was finally over.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

Hours later, after a lot of tossing and turning, Enid had eventually fallen asleep and was having a nightmare about the night before.

She was reliving the moment when Wednesday, still shaky after being healed, was being attacked by the Hyde. As it happened in reality, Enid wolfed out, but this time, her mother was there, nagging at her about how disappointed she was by how her wolf form had turned out and that she had expected better and how could she possibly save her friend? How could she ever be of any good? But then Thing was there trying to pull her away from her mother and towards Wednesday who was back to bleeding out from her stomach on the floor of the crypt. Or was it from her shoulder on the floor of their dorm room? The images seemed to shift back and forth. As Enid knelt beside the nightmare version of Wednesday's near-death, Thing was trying to get her attention, grabbing her shoulder and insisting that she turn around. And so, she did.

That was when she found herself suddenly awake and Thing was still there, trying to get her attention.

"Thing?"

He pointed at Wednesday's bed, frantic, then tugged at her hand, urging her to move and to hurry.

Something was wrong.