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Eyes closed, she covered the distance between her small form and the giant Alphose in half-shift. He bent a bit and she began climbing him likea tree. When she got to the top, she wrapped her arms around his neck. That was when she allowed herself to open her eyes again.

She took comfort in his fur. So soft, it was soothing. It reminded her of that night she'd taken this position in a half-shifted Wolfariane’s back.

What a memorable night that was.

"Are you ready?" Came the growl of Alphose.

She nodded her head vigorously. Her arms tightened around his neck.

He took off at a dead run.

One second, there was no motion, just stillness.

The next second, everywhere burst with movements. Ismena gasped, feeling like she's in one of the fastest cars in the world.

The wind whipped around her, running through her blond hair until they rose from her back in their effort to meet the wind. It also made her eyes water.

She closed her eyes, rested her head on his back, and prayed to anything and everything that her sister will be fine.

They got to the hospital in the wee hours of the morning.

It would have been sooner if Alphose had run all the way, but they didn't. Instead, he'd shifted back when they were well into the States, and told her that they had to take the train for the rest of the journey. He might get sighted if he runs any further.

Finally, at the hospital, Ismena gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you so much."

"You are welcome." He returned with a small smile of his own, half-heartedly pulling his blonde hair behind his ears. "Remember, we are going to avoid questions from your family, so I will not go in with you. I will stay in the vicinity while you are with your family."

"Yes, I know."

"Good. Let us get inside, the earlier, the better."

She nodded, before running off into the gates of the hospital. He followed behind her closely.

A few minutes later, Ismena entered her sister's bedroom. Her mother's eyes sprang open at the sound of the door opening, relief quickly spread through her face when she saw it was Ismena.

"Oh, my daughter! Oh, Mena! I've been so worried when you didn't get here early." She cried in a whisper as she rushed to her daughter and wrapped her up in a frantic hug.

"I was held up, I needed to take care of some things." Quickly, she added, "How is Tina?"

Her mother pulled away from her, giving her room to get a better view of her surroundings. Valentina was lying on the bed a few feet away from them, her eyes closed, her breathing labored.

"The surgery went well." The relief in Amelia's voice was blatant, "The doctor said she is not yet out of danger, so she's going to be staying at the hospital for a few more days."

"Oh, thank God for the surgery. I was so scared...!" Tears filled Ismena's eyes, but she blinked hard to keep them at bay. "I'm so happy that it went well."

She walked to her sister and surveyed her closely. Valentina's pale blonde hair rested around her head, she doesn't need anybody to tell herthat her mother has been brushing them occasionally just to soothe herself that her daughter is still alive.

"Me too, Mena. I was so scared too...I'm still scared," she amended, "but I'm feeling better now. It was excruciatingly terrifying waiting here, my heart in my throat because I don't want them to come tell me my daughter has died. Like they did with you."

"Me?" Sitting beside her sister's bed, she faced her mother, "They told you I was dead?" She asked incredulously.

Amelia hesitated.

Then, she nodded her head vigorously. "Eighteen years old. And they didn't lie. You died... My daughter stopped breathing."

"Oh my..." Ismena knew what happened to her when she was eight was very horrible with the way her parents always reacted to it, but she never thought she actually died.

"You must have been so afraid... I'm sorry, mama." No wonder her mother is so paranoid.