Chapter Three
Matt had gone out running, and the doctors and Sheila were all locked away in one of the outer buildings; running tests; and analysing data; and doing lots of research.
They had moved their makeshift clinic from Jonathon's estate and set it up in this small building, just to the side of Greg's home.
Jonathon had contacted the hospital where Dr Phillips and Nurse Sheila worked and informed them that he had seconded the medical duo on council business, and until further notice.
He smiled a little smugly. It was still pleasant to be able to throw his weight around like that and get things done.
Dr Grey had a GP practice surgery with two other partners, and they had assured him that a locum had been found and could cover his patients for as long as was needed.
And so, the three of them had committed themselves to this project.
This virus had almost killed him; it had almost killed his friend Greg; and only through the aid of one miraculous girl were they both still alive.
They still did not know how the two of them had contracted the virus, and why no one else in their immediate contacts had succumbed; and Jonathon was very afraid that the council was keeping secrets about this illness too.
He was almost positive that it was not just the two of them who had fallen victim to this virus; so, what was becoming of any other infected shifters?
These were just some of the questions that he had set his medical trio to answer.
Greg was somewhere inside his house, Paul -- Jonathon's assistant had gone off on an errand. The medical three were locked in their makeshift clinic; and his brother was out running -- again.
All Jonathon could do right now was sit and wait, for someone to come and join him; and he hated doing that, feeling that useless.
"I've just spoken to Laurie," Greg said coming and joining him on the veranda. "She and Michael are driving down at lunch time on Friday; and Iris and James will travel down in the early evening."
"And your sister?" Jonathon asked lightly. "Will she be joining us too?"
"Yes, Laurie said that Trudy would be travelling down with them."
"Ah," Jonathon sighed in satisfaction. Yes, all his plans were slowly coming together, now all he had to do was to keep nudging at his brother.
"Perhaps tomorrow night would be a good night to invite Mr Frawnings over -- and start the process of humanising his pack?"
Greg gave a little sigh. "I shall give him a call in a moment," he said evenly.
Jonathon smiled across at him. "I am disrupting your home, my friend; I can only apologise and hope that things will resolve themselves with time."
"Oh, I don't mind really. You were always a very good friend to me; and I think that we get on very well; we think the same way over things that are important."
"Yes, that we do indeed."
Matt came shooting out of the trees then, like a bullet from a gun; and both men could only stare in awe at him.
"Matt! You look like the hounds of hell are on your trail!" Jonathon called out lightly. But there was a wealth of warning and Matt almost dug a hole in the ground with his feet, as he reined himself in.
He was drenched in sweat as he approached the two of them on the veranda.
"You've been gone since dawn; have you been running all this time, my brother?"
Mathew sat down and flicked away some of the sweat in irritation. "I couldn't sleep and this nervous energy that I seem to have acquired is driving me up the wall."
"And across the ceiling and down the other side by the looks of it!" Greg chuckled sympathetically.
Jonathon laughed too, but he touched his brother's arm lightly. "Is everything ok?" he quietly asked
"Fine," Matt smiled his dismissal of his concern.
As soon as Jonathon had realised who Greg's sister was, his first instinct had been to remove his brother from her vicinity; even after one meeting it seemed that Matt was becoming obsessed with her; and Jonathon feared the outcome of that obsession.
Her anger and bitterness at Matt's loss of memory, and whatever else she resented, caused her to literally spit vitriol in Matt's face every time he tried to so much as talk to her, which of course had only driven Matt closer to her as he tried to figure out her issues, and secrets.
Jonathon had sent his brother away in the hopes that he would forget her again -- but then everything fell to pieces with this virus.
Jonathon had been told how in the chaos that followed his collapse; it was Greg's sister who had taken charge; and he probably owed his life to her in the first.
She had spent time with him -- helped care for him during his illness, and he had begun to see the value of the woman.
Then Matt returned, and the two of them seemed to reach some sort of a truce, but his brother was in pain again now, and indeed ever since she had left with Greg, Matt had been suffering; Jonathon knew why, even if Matt did not.
His memories of a painful time were trying to resurface, and the agony of his brother was painful to watch.
Jonathon thought a couple more careful nudges, contact with the woman again perhaps, and a familiar setting; and then he was hoping for a sledgehammer moment; where the wound would reopen, and his memories would flood back in.
He was hoping to heal his brother once and for all, to fill in those gaps, and set things right.
He was hoping to right some wrongs and heal some wounds.
He sought redemption and peace for himself and his brother, and perhaps a better future for others too.
*
Jonathon sat out on the veranda again that evening, this time with Bill Frawnings.
"My sons are getting restless, and the full moon is still a couple of weeks away," Bill sighed. "Every new season they feel the need a little more acutely it seems."
"They are losing the battle I fear," Jonathon said sombrely. "We all know how strong the pull can get -- that is why we can never ignore the call for too long. But for some the call becomes everything, their day-to-day life is the false bit, and they begin to live for the moon and the shift."
"What can I do?" Bill asked in despair. "I tried everything that I could think of -- even with the attempts at bonding with one or both of Greg's daughters, in the hopes of creating a more family environment; and that failure only seems to have made things worse. What happened with Laurie like that was unforgivable and could have ended so very badly."
"They learned nothing from what happened then?"
"No, if anything they are more restless and aggressive than ever."
"They are in need."
"In need? In need of what though?"
Jonathon smiled a little smile. "You had the right idea I think, with the family environment, but I think we need to prepare your boys... make them a little more receptive to family life, and the more approachable from a female point of view."
"You think you know someone?" Bill asked hopefully. "Someone who can introduce them to the right kind of females?"
"Patience, my friend," Jonathon said with a smile. "I promise you that I am on this problem, Bill. I have a couple of calls to make, and some arrangements to sort; but you and your pack, you need to prepare yourselves for some major changes."
"Oh, I don't know that I need to be involved," Bill objected. "I am not the one with a problem and I am most certainly not looking for another mate."
"Would that be such a terrible thing though?" Jonathon asked gently.
"You know the score, one life -- one mate. You, me, Greg; we have none of us sought new mates after the loss of the first."
"That is true, but I am beginning to think that our choice to be alone, does not mean a lifetime decision."
Bill looked at him in shock. "You are contemplating a second bonding?" he whispered.
Jonathon smiled. "We have a life; we have value too; why should we condemn ourselves to loneliness until death?"
"Well... perhaps it is as you say, but for me -- I am nowhere near in the right place to start again."
"No and that is one of the things that I mean to change."
"Oh?"
Jonathon sighed. "Do you trust me, Bill?"
Bill nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes of course you are an elder -- the elder; you are beyond doubt... I would trust you with my life."
"Will you trust me with your pack?" he asked softly.
"I'm sorry?" Bill blinked and sat back a little.
"Will you hand over authority of your pack -- to me?"
"But why? Was I such a failure as pack leader then?" Bill's emotions were running so strong that he was almost crying.
"I do not mean forever -- just for long enough to make a few changes; then I will hand it straight back to you -- I promise."
"But I still don't understand why you need to have total charge and authority. Is it not enough that I have absolute faith in you -- without question or reserve?"
Jonathon sighed. "I do not mean to punish you -- or seem harsh; but really my way is the fastest and best way; you will see that in the end -- I promise."
Bill sat back a little straighter, almost as if he was bracing himself. "Very well... what do I need to do?"
Jonathon smiled. "Nothing as yet, my friend. I have things to arrange first, so you have time to think if over and get used to the idea. Then we will meet up again -- next week, we shall meet up again on the Friday afternoon, I think, and I shall tell you, my plan; and then we will begin the process."
"Very well," Bill nodded. He looked at Jonathon. "What shall I say to the boys?"
"For now, nothing, let's not give them room to question things and rebel; we will tell them what they need to know -- and when they need to know, but not until."
"Yes, I see the sense in that."
"Good."
They sat and enjoyed a nightcap together and then Bill left looking more optimistic than when he arrived.
"You think that you can do something with them?" Matt asked as he joined him on the veranda.
"I think we must do something with them," Jonathon said quietly. "I think that if we do not try, then a bigger trouble will come and haunt us all."
"Will you bring the council into it?"
"No, I don't believe they need to be involved -- even if they were inclined to get themselves involved."
"No, I can't imagine them asserting themselves either."
"So, how long will you be around for?" Jonathon asked casually as his mind planned ahead.
Matt shrugged his shoulders. "I've nowhere that I particularly need to be."
"So, you can hang around for a few days, perhaps a couple of weeks?"
