Chapter 102

I groaned as my eyes fluttered open, and the sterile smell of a hospital greeted me. This was becoming a recurring theme in my life, and frankly, I was getting tired of it.

My first thought was to wonder how I ended up here this time.

Never in my life did I think I would end up in a hospital as much as I have in the past several months.

Hey there, sleepyhead, Grandma Jo's warm voice greeted me as she leaned in closer to my bed. How are you feeling

My eyes shifted around the room, and I noticed Lucas sitting in a chair beside me. His expression was a mix of concern and something else, something harder to read. It made me uneasy.

Was he upset with me Frustrated I doubt he liked coming to the hospital this much, too.

They were probably going to start charging me rent for constantly taking up space.

I'm... okay, I guess, I mumbled, still trying to shake off the grogginess. What happened

Grandma Jo chuckled softly. Well, dear, it seems like you fainted. We're not sure why.

Fainted I repeated, bewildered. It felt like such an ordinary word for what had happened.

My last memory was of Victoria and James arguing with each other at Grandma Jo's dining room table. Everything after that is... blank.

Lucas cleared his throat, his voice hesitant. Yeah, you just... passed out, Shana. Out of nowhere. We were all really worried.

How long was I out for I asked.

It's been two hours, Lucas paused before continuing, eleven minutes, and forty-two seconds.

He timed it

Don't worry, dear, Grandma Jo spoke up, trying to lighten the mood. But I'm sure it wasn't my cookies that did it. They've been tried and tested for generations.

It definitely wasn't your cookies. I managed a weak smile, appreciating her attempt to make me feel better.

But I couldn't shake the unease that had settled in my gut.

The doctor soon entered the room, the same one who had helped me before.

Shana, it's nice to see you again, he said. But I'd prefer to see you under different circumstances.

I nodded. Believe me, so do I.

He began to explain some of the tests and blood work they had run on me.

His words washed over me as I struggled to focus, but I caught the word anemia in his explanation.

I've seen a lot of cases like this, he said reassuringly. Usually, it isn't a cause for concern. It might not be anything very serious. Have you recently had your time of the month That could be another cause for a lack of iron.

Uhhh... I stole a glance at Lucas who quickly diverted his gaze. I just got off my period.

That's totally normal, he assured me. Sometimes that can be the cause of dizziness.

He then asked if I had been experiencing any other strange symptoms. That's when I remembered the dizziness that had been plaguing me lately.

Well, I began slowly.

I hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lucas, who looked unhappy to hear that.

Sometimes I feel dizzy or my vision will turn blurry for a handful of seconds, but I've never fainted or anything, I continued.

Lucas seemed taken aback by my admission, and I felt a pang of guilt for not mentioning anything to him earlier.

We were doing better than ever, and I was supposed to share everything with him. And here I was, keeping something important from him... Something I knew he should've known.

The doctor nodded thoughtfully. Dizziness, you say It could be related. We'll need to run some more tests to be sure, but in the meantime, you're free to go home. Just take things easy, okay

I nodded.

And, the doctor paused, try to take good care of yourself.

As the doctor left the room, Grandma Jo offered a reassuring smile, her hand on my arm. Don't worry, Shana. We'll figure this out together.

We left the hospital shortly after, and the car ride back to Grandma Jo's house was filled with an unusual silence. I could tell Lucas was deep in thought, and I wanted to alleviate his worries.

It's really not a big deal, Lucas, I said with a reassuring smile. Probably just some anemia or a lack of iron in my diet. Or maybe it has to do with my... I hesitated, ...time of the month.

Grandma Jo nodded from the driver's seat, her eyes crinkling with affection. Oh, Shana. Well, this is great news actually. I can start cooking us more meals with iron in them.

What foods have iron in them I asked.

Hm, Grandma Jo wondered. Red meat Spinach Beans

Those all sound good to me, I nodded enthusiastically. What do you think, Lucas

Lucas managed a smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. Yeah, I guess you're right. I think changing your diet might help.

Once we got back to Grandma Jo's house, I excused myself to my room, my mind racing with thoughts and questions.

Something about the cause of anemia didn't sit right with me. It couldn't just be an iron deficiency, could it

I mean, I'd been feeling a lingering sense of strange for weeks now.

I couldn't help myself. I had to know more. I pulled out my phone and started searching online for more information.

Hmm, what should I search

I typed in wolfless illnesses and dizziness hoping that it would give me some good results.

The issue with searching the internet was the lack of research done on wolfless. There weren't many websites for me to choose from, so I ended up clicking a random link I found with my keywords after scrolling for a while.

The title read, Unique and rare symptoms that a wolfless might possess when dealing with illnesses.

Well, that sounds promising.

After reading through the first few paragraphs, it summarized how there was still a lack of information on wolfless and their distinct conditions.

That made sense, considering wolfless had been shunned for years.

Research on people like me was frowned upon.

As I kept reading, there was something that caught my eye.

In rare occurrences, as the wolfless grows into adulthood, things that once seemed normal will begin to shift. For example, a wolfless might begin to grow poor eyesight or a lack of appetite.

Well, I didn't have a lack of appetite, but I did have poor eyesight from time to time when things got blurry... I kept reading.

Wolfless might experience a weakness in their bones or muscles as they grow. There might be a quickened heart rate or shortness of breath when they attempt any sort of physical activity.

However, the next sentence scared me the most.

The biggest sign that a wolfless is undergoing major biological changes is dizziness. Dizziness in someone who is wolfless could be attributed to a congenital deficiency and may even indicate a shortened lifespan.

Shortened lifespan

I re-read those two words countless times.

Thinking that my symptoms could be the start to my end made my stomach twist in knots. A chill went down my spine as fear clawed at me.

Did this mean what I thought it did

Was I going to die