Surrogate for My Brother-in-law - Chapter 80: Chapter 80

We raced back to the manor. Normally, Ethan was a cautious driver. That night, he left tire tracks every time he took a turn, and I'm pretty sure he took half the turns on two wheels.
I dove out of the car the second we reached the manor. It may or may not have been stopped at the time. I raced up the driveway to the front door, and found it shattered.
Inside, Ethan's cozy family home had become a ravaged battleground. Furniture lay broken and scattered. Walls were cracked and doors ripped from their hinges.
Eli and Erma were sprawled, bleeding, in the front hall. I dropped to my knees between them, resting one hand on each chest. I needed to heal them and I couldn't choose who to heal first.
I called on my wolf and she answered, giving me the power to heal bleeding wounds and broken bones. Healing both at once was a strain but I wasn't about to give up. I would not lose them.
I thought it would rip me in half, but the power wove through both forms, and after several long, painful moments, both chests began to rise and fall steadily and the blood stopped flowing. Eli's eyes opened, and he looked around in panic until he saw his sister.
Erma was slower to rouse, but her pulse was steady. I looked up from my spot between them to look at Ethan.
“Call Dr. Lee,” I said, “I need help. And Leo. He has to know about Sable.”
Ethan nodded, phone out as he bolted past me to see who else was hurt. I staggered to my feet and followed, ordering Eli and Erma to stay put.
There were injured wolves everywhere. The Rogues had been utterly brutal. I hated to walk past anyone, but I had to conserve my healing for those hurt the worst.
I found Estelle and a wolf who I would later learn was her husband desperately trying to hold a bandage over a gaping wound on Ernie's chest. It looked like someone had tried to rip out his heart, and nearly succeeded.
I scrambled to her side, and pressed my hands to the wound. The blood was hot. He was alive. Barely.
I called on my wolf, begged her to help. She met my plea with as much strength as she could draw. It would be enough. I would make it be enough.
Ernie had almost died defending my daughter. I wouldn't let him die. I would not let Ethan's brother die in front of him.
I wove power through flesh, through vein and muscle. I slowed his heart, because if it beat too fast it would pump all his blood from his body. I fought shock and boosted his strength as I went.
Ernie's eyes opened even as I felt his flesh seal beneath my hands. He stared up at me.
“The baby... they came for...” he reached for me. “Sorry. So sorry... not strong enough...”
“Hey, hey,” I said, “Save your strength. We'll find her. We will. Save your strength. I know you tried.”
His head fell back, and his eyes closed, but his vitals were good and his wounds were closed. I sat back, looked around for whoever needed me next.
Turning my head was a mistake. Dizziness rolled over me like a wave and I slumped, barely able to keep myself from collapsing on Ernie's chest.
Strong, careful hands helped me straighten. I looked up into a strange wolf's eyes.
“Hold on there, Healer,” the wolf said. “Breathe until the alpha gets here. He can give you more strength.”
“Um. Hi?” I said, confused. Who was this and why was he holding me?
“Tessa, this is Jacob, my husband,” Estelle said. “He's a doctor at Ethan's hospital, you might not recognize him.”
“Oh, Jacob,” I said. “No, I remember, you gave me a cookie once after a healing. And juice.” I smiled. “It was good juice.”
“It came from the vending machine and your blood sugar was in the single digits,” Jacob said with a chuckle. “Please, Healer, sit still.”
“But more people are hurt.”
“You've saved the most critically injured,” Jacob said. “Dr. Lee is on her way. She and I can help the others. You need to rest a moment.”
No, I couldn't rest. If I rested, I'd be able to think, and if I thought, I'd think about Sable.
I whimpered, and looked up as Ethan ran into the room. He fell to his knees in front of me, and put his hands on my shoulders.
“Tessa?” he asked. “Are you okay?”
“She's pushed herself too far,” Jacob said. “She healed your brother from the brink. I thought we'd lose him, but she had him conscious for a moment.”
“Oh.” Suddenly I was wrapped in Ethan's arms. “Thank you. Thank you, Tessa.”
“Sable,” I whispered.
I needed to know. But I couldn't make myself get up to go through the last shattered door to her nursery.
Ethan scooped me up into his arms, and carried me in. He understood. I had to know, but I couldn't walk in there.
“I called Leo,” he whispered. “He'll be here. He'll find her. We'll find her.”
I stared at her empty crib. How could it be empty? Why had they taken my daughter?
I heard a whimper off to my right, and twisted in Ethan's hold to see my mother. She was on her knees, shaking and staring off into the distance.
I reached out for her, and Ethan placed me on the ground next to her. I wrapped my arms around her, reaching out with my healing power to find out how badly she was hurt.
She'd fought. I could tell. She was bruised and several ribs were cracked. Her face would be black and blue for days.
My healing powers made quick work of all of that. But despite that, my mother didn't speak, didn't look away from the empty crib.
Her heart rate was high. Her skin was clammy and cold. Her pupils were pinpoints even when I shaded them to test their reactivity.
“Panic attack,” I said, recognizing the signs. “I have to bring her out of this,” I said.
Ethan nodded. “What can I do?”
“Catch me,” I said. “I'm probably going to pass out after this.”
“Right.” He paused. “Are you safe? Can this hurt you?”
Yes, yes it could. But I didn't tell him that. Because he might try to stop me, to make me wait for Dr. Lee.
“I know what I'm doing,” I said instead.
“Of course you do.” Ethan said. He positioned himself so he was out of my way but close enough to grab either me, Mom, or both if we collapsed.
I reached with my healing power, although a panic attack wasn't exactly an injury. I remembered the wolf I'd helped at the sanatorium. I calmed my mother's racing heart, slowed her rapid breathing.
“Mom, I'm here,” I said. “Breathe with me. In, one, two, three, four. Hold four. One, two, three, four. Out for four. One, two, three, four.”
I repeated the pattern several times, until Mom matched me breath for breath. Her eyes finally focused on my face.
“The baby,” she whispered, tears trailing over her cheeks. “They took the baby. I couldn't stop them. They took your baby!”
“I know,” I said. “And we are going to get her back.”