Chapter 13

5/3/2041

Luca awoke with a sharp pain in his chest. He looked for Tyree through his tears.

"Ty," Luca said, calling out the name of his boyfriend. The pain was excruciating, which scared Luca. Luca felt like he was dying.

"What's the matter, babe?" Tyree's worried voice was heard by Luca. Luca's hand shook as it touched his chest.

"I can't breathe," he sobbed, tears streaming down his cheeks. Tyree was concerned because Luca's pink lips were bluish in color. He yelled into the corridor, "I need a doctor right now!" "My boyfriend is struggling to breathe,"

Tyree took a step back and watched as the doctors examined Luca. Tyree's world seemed to be collapsing around him. Tyree's love of his life was in pain, and there was nothing he could do. When Tyson began to cry, Tyree shifted his attention to the incubator. A doctor approached it and opened a small door. She examined the infant before confronting Tyree.

"He's fine," said the doctor. "He senses his mother's anguish and is terrified," she said. Luca had been placed on a breathing machine by the time the doctors left. When the infant began crying again, Tyree stepped up to the incubator.

"I'm so sorry you and your mother are in this situation," he said.

Downstairs in the hospital lab, technicians performed tests on the flowers Patrick had given them. Except for the smell that emanated from them, they appeared to be ordinary flowers.

"Do you know what that smell is, George?" Lisa, a technologist, inquired. A tall redhead took a step forward, getting closer to the flower.

"That smells like Wolfsbane," he said with a nod.

"Isn't it risky?" she inquired.

"To a werewolf, yes," he said, "but not to us."

"Is there a cure if someone becomes ill?" Lisa inquired.

"I'll have to ask my mentor, Karl," George said.

George reached into his lab coat for his phone and texted his senpai.

"We have a flower that you might be interested in," "Can you come right away to look at it?" George wrote, then pushed send.

"I'm on my way," Karl responded. George sighed deeply and reinserted the phone into his lab coat. Five minutes later, a sandy blonde-haired man approached them. He stopped in front of the flower and gasped in horror.

"Is that what I think it is?" he asked.

"You tell me what it is because I want to know if my instincts are correct," George said.

"That," Karl said, pausing. "It is wolfsbane," he said.

George and Lisa explained everything, including how they got ahold of it. Karl gasped in horror.

"Is there a cure for it?" George asked.

"The person who gave you these might have antibodies," Karl said. "To be sure, everyone needs to be tested," he said, with a stern tone.

"I'll tell Dr. Newton," Lisa said. When Lisa got up and left the lab, George turned to face the elderly man.

"Senpai, there is something you aren't telling us," he said.

"If any of the Omegas survive this, even with the cure, they might become infurtle," he said, sadly.

Tyree sat quietly by Luca's bedside, holding his hand. The brunette did everything he could to avoid breaking down and crying, including thinking about his three-year-old daughter. When the door opened, he looked over. Dr. Newton entered, followed by Karl, who was carrying a medical tray.

"We need you to roll up your sleeve," the technician instructed.

"Why?" Tyree inquired, following orders.

"We need to draw some blood and test it," explained Dr. Newton.

"I'm not sick," he explained. "Then why are you taking my blood?" Tyree inquired.

"To see if you have any antibodies," explained the doctor.

"We discovered the cause; now we need antibodies to find a cure," Karl explained.

Throughout the weekend, blood was drawn from everyone so that it could be tested. Alicia, too, wanted to donate blood.

"You're too young, baby," Tyree said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"But I'd like to help as well," Alicia explained. "I miss my mommy Luca," she admitted.

"Pray for them," he said, "and ask God to heal them."

"I will," she promised. Tyree was silent for a few seconds while a nurse came in to check Luca's vitals.

"Miss, is there a chapel in this hospital?" he asked.

"On the fourth floor," the nurse said, nodding her head.

Tyree knelt down so he was eye level with his daughter.

"We're going to talk to God now," he said.

"Where?" Alicia enquired.

"We're going to a special place," he explained. Tyree stood up and reached for Alicia's small hand.,

"Wait daddy." Alicia said and walked over to Luca's bed. She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him on the cheek.

"We will pray to God to make you better," she said. She then faced her father. Tyree smiled down at Alicia and took her hand in his. They walked out of the room and to the elevators.

Tyree held Alicia's hand as they entered the elevator. He pressed the button for the fourth floor and waited. When the bell rang, they exited and began walking down a corridor.

"You must now be quiet," Tyree said as they came to a halt in front of double doors. "And stay next to Daddy," he added.

"OK, Papa," she said. Tyree pushed the doors open and grabbed Alicia's hand. As they passed by, Alicia looked at the stone statues.

They came to a halt in front of a row of cream-colored candles. Alicia watched as Tyree knelt on one knee, made a cross sign over his chest, and rose to his feet. Tyree lit a candle with a stick.

"Lower your gaze," he instructed. She did as she was told and prayed with her father. They walked away from the altar after saying their prayers. Thomas took a seat in one of the pews. His eyes were welling up with tears.

"Can I say hello to him, daddy?" she inquired softly.

"Go ahead, I'd like to speak with him as well," Tyree said. Alicia approached Thomas and sat down beside him.

"Hello," Alicia softly said. Thomas looked at her with a sad expression on his face.

"Are you sick?" she asked.

"No," Thomas replied with a shake of his head. "Someone special to me is sick," he said. Alicia hugged Thomas and said, "God will make them better." Thomas wiped his eyes and hugged her back.