The medical wing was relatively quiet as food was brought in. Sunny and Luna had volunteered to take care of the meat being delivered to those having breakfast before they came to help or check on those in the medical area. So Beatrice and Anne quickly shifted to dealing with preparing the breakfast for those in the medical wing.
When they arrived they found that Fran had relieved her sisters of "doctor" duty while two of Ingrid and Joy's heads were asleep, but the third head was going strong. They also notice that Tad arrived and was helping with Ingrid and some of the pride members. All heads turned at the scent of meat though.
Anne set one tray down on the table next to Julie's good luck totem, "this tray has assorted odds and ends for you Beta Fran and all your conscious helpers to snack on. The others have what will do for everyone else's breakfast."
"Here, here!" Nick cheered from his bed.
Beatrice chuckled and began passing out the plates those could still use their arms and what were essentially meat slushies to those that couldn't. Anne did the same. As they finished, Anne made her way to her sister wives, Ashley, Megan, and Margot.
"Are you three alright?" Anne asked.
"Okay, I guess," Ashley commented after a moment, "the morphine shots that Julie gave us yesterday have worn off... but with everything either sewed up or put back together it's just a dull ache now."
"That's good," Anne smiled weakly.
"Has Lawrence come back yet?" Margot asked, "Did he come to bed last night?"
"If he did, he left before I got up," Anne gave a slight whimper, "but I think I heard someone mention that he was looking after Omega Whitney's pups in the mirrorverse."
Megan and Margot watched Anne absentmindedly rub her stomach with a paw.
"You need to have the betas test you," Margot spoke up.
"What?"
"Anne,this was going on before all this stuff with the curse blew up," Margot answered, "You've been eating more..."
"We can hear you retching in the mornings," Megan added.
"And it's not like it's a bad thing," Ashley finished, "Kaylee, Julie, Fran, Darla, June, and Pearl all enjoy being mothers."
"But we have Jay, Pence, Toni, and Paula to look after," Anne said weakly.
"And we've done a fine job so far," Megan commented, "what are two more pups to love?"
"This from the one who decided she wanted to abandon her husband and sister wives?" Anne questioned.
Megan and Margot looked down, getting the clear indication that Anne didn't approve of what they did.
"It is not that we didn't love you or Lawrence," Megan answered, "Quite the contrary. You know we love you both deeply."
"But why?" Anne asked, "why did you do it? And without even telling Ashley, Lawrence, and me?"
"It was a spur of the moment thing," Margot admitted, "I don't think we were really thinking when the decision was made."
"Please don't make such a decision like that again," Anne spoke, "If it turns out that I am pregnant, I want my children to be able to interact with ALL of their Aunts."
"Will you ask Julie to administer the test?" Megan asked, "Or Fran or Darla? If we do?"
Anne looked around the room. Even with fewer helpers, and Darla and Julie gone back to bed, she could see that there was plenty of work to be done.
"Once all of this hub-bub is done," Anne told them.
+++++++
Mary arrived there shortly after. She found Anne and Beatrice talking with their sister wives while Fran, Ingrid, Joy, the wolves on the day shift, and Tad were going about making sure that everyone was comfortable. She quietly made her way to her parents who eating from plates of meat in their laps.
"Mom, Dad," Mary spoke as she approached her parents.
"Good morning, Mary," Brian gave a weak smile and ruffled the top of her head and ears with a paw, "I'd thought you'd be getting breakfast with your sisters."
"Moja is heartbroken, Daddy," Mary said weakly," so are Mbili, Tatuli, Nneli..."
"The loss of Elise no doubt," Felicity sighed from her bed. She was in relatively good shape and could even move around a bit, "We should do something, dear. Someone to comfort them."
"Martha and one of her males is doing that right now," Mary answered, "and have advised that they, along with Tano, Sita, Saba, and Nane stay here today."
"Where would they otherwise go?" Brian asked.
"School," Mary told them, "Moja wants me to stay with them."
"Do you want to go?" Felicity asked, tears forming as she thought back on her memories of Elise, "you looked up to Elise almost as much as me. We'll understand if you miss her."
"I do miss her," Mary spoke, tears forming in her own eyes, "but I'm more worried about my sisters. They're heartbroken."
"Stay here, Mary," Brian instructed, lifting up the bottom of her muzzle with a finger, "let your sisters know that they are still loved. I'm sure the Pack will work something out with the school..."
Mary nodded and thanked her parents and managed to hug both of them. Grateful that Kurse hadn't killed them.
+++++++++
"Is she alright?" Tourmaline asked as she looked over the table to where Gillie had fainted after tackling her grandfather with a flying hug.
Several of the other teen wolves stood up from where they were seated, as did Jensen and Kaylee. Jensen and Kirk arrived to simultaneously take Gillie and help Gillian up.
"I think she's only sleeping," Kirk spoke as he looked down at Gillie, "Fainted, I mean."
"Probably joy from being reunited with family," Kaylee spoke from her seat, one paw resting on Bart's shoulder, as the older reddish-brown pup looked down about something.
"But it happened after Mother Glen spoke," Penny brought up, "and I don't think you told her that you were her grandmother."
"I said we were family, dear," Mother Glen looked, "She might be able to guess."
"Best to take her to one of the guest rooms," Jensen advised, "she'd be more comfortable there."
"I'll take her," Gillian II spoke, taking Gillie from Kirk.
"I'll go with you," Mother Glen spoke, "seeing how it was I that made her faint."
"It wasn't your fault," Amber spoke from her spot at the table.
"That doesn't mean I can not be responsible," Mother Glen answered.
+++++++
1681
Marie nervously helped her godfather, Father Gabriel get into bed. Their latest mission had gone well, and actually involved no fighting at all, which was a minor miracle. But that did not make things easier for Gabriel. He was having to rely on his cane more and more for support rather then for concealing the sword within it. He had a periodic cough from time to time, as age was rapidly beginning to catch up with him.
And that brought a tears to Marie's remaining good eye. Gabriel's time on Earth was rapidly approaching its end. Marie had seen it in her dreams, and that made her cry. Gabriel had been her real father, even if not by blood. He had raised her, looked after her, protected her, LOVED her the way any father would. And now, he was coming close to death, and as the young Marie had feared Gabriel being punished by the Council for raising her, the teen, nearly adult Marie felt little comfort in knowing that Gabriel would die peacefully. She didn't want to lose him.
"I will always be with you, Marie," Father Gabriel managed, "In brightest day and darkest night. Our bodies are nothing more then husks. It is who we are on the inside that matters. The soul is forever and can not die. And so long as you remember the times of joy we had, and remember me, I will always be with you."
"But I do not wish to lose you," Marie said weakly, "I love you, Father."
"It will be as it has to be, Marie," Gabriel spoke, "my chapter will have to end, so YOURS can be written."