📎A/N. Hello my lovelies! It's Evolution time! I hope you don't hate me too much after this chapter.

Don't forget to vote :)

Take care,

❤ ℳ

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A movement from the other room pushed through Kaitlyn's ever-alert mind and woke her from the light doze. Her head shot up and spun around to towards the door. Once she realised it was still closed, her shoulders relaxed, and she turned back to the bed and placed a hand on Murphy's chest to reassure herself he was still alive.

Relief flooded through her veins when she felt the warmth of his skin as his chest rose and fell under her fingertips with each breath.

Thank God!

She stood from her sitting position and stretched her back. Her limbs were sore from the odd position she had been in when she fell asleep. Kaitlyn checked her watch and her brows rose.

Twenty minutes?

Since arriving the previous day, Kaitlyn hadn't moved from Murphy's bedside. They would have to pry her dead body off him if they tried.

She bent down and brushed his lips with a light kiss. Placing a hand on his forehead to satisfy herself he wasn't running a temperature, Kaitlyn studied his face for any changes. An ache clutched at her chest as she took stock of his ashen features; a far cry from the bronzed skin she was used to. His eyes, sunken and hollow, had almost paralysed her the moment she walked through the door. It had taken everything she had not to crumble under the weight. The brick walls Kaitlyn had erected the instant Parker broke the news to her, had held—barely, and she had managed to get through the rest of the day and night in one piece.

Kaitlyn stroked his face and willed him to wake up. "Don't you dare die on me," she whispered.

She wouldn't—couldn't accept the fact he might not get through this alive. It would mean he would take her soul with him, and she wasn't ready to go just yet. The lump in her throat grew as she held back a tortured whimper that was desperate to break free. Fate couldn't possibly give her heart away; only to have it mercilessly ripped from her the next moment. Could it?

Her partner, lover, and the man she wanted to grow old with—the one she now knew she couldn't live without, teetered between the unthinkable and returning to her.

Kaitlyn stiffened as she heard the door open. Quickly hiding behind her walls, she watched silently as the pixie-like doctor approached the other side of the bed and checked the monitors. "Any change?" she asked.

Kaitlyn shook her head. "Not since you last checked."

The doctor had been in and out every two hours during the night. After the first few attempts to convince Kaitlyn to take a break and get some rest, she had given up and handed Kaitlyn a blanket to keep her warm during her vigil.

After checking Murphy's pulse and temperature, the doctor's brows knitted together as she scanned his chart. "Hmmm."

Panic shot through Kaitlyn and her heart fell to her stomach. "What's the matter? Is something wrong?"

"No nothing to worry about. His pulse is stronger, and his temperature has been under control for the past twelve hours." The doctor paused and looked at Murphy. "If I were a betting woman, I would say he's over the worst of it. I want to take a few blood tests to make sure, but I think his body may be finally fighting off whatever toxin's gotten into his system."

Kaitlyn's heart thumped in her chest. There was no way she was going to get her hopes up, just to have them crash back down in a fiery ball. She schooled her features and focused on her breathing just as her grandfather, Joshua, had taught her. She was deep in the heart of Immigrant territory and, while she had spoken to Parker at length, how much did she really know about these people? It was best they couldn't read just how much this was killing her.

The doctor took a sample of blood and quickly redressed the wound on his arm. As she began to remove the bandages, Kaitlyn turned away.

The first few times she had seen what was hidden under the gauze, she had felt bile rise from the pit of her stomach. Kaitlyn had seen more than her fair share of horrific things over the years and had become desensitised to the damage people inflicted upon each other. However, whatever was eating away at Murphy's flesh, smelt sharp and putrid against the sterile room. Not willing to accept it was possible for Murphy to be anything but the strong and stubborn man she knew him to be, Kaitlyn had refrained from looking when his wound was checked.

"His body is definitely fighting back. There's some repair to the tissue," said the doctor.

Kaitlyn turned back just has the gauze was secured around his arm. The doctor looked up and gave her a warm smile. The concern that she'd seen yesterday when she was tending to her patient was dimming, and in its place, Kaitlyn detected hope. She immediately felt a twinge of remorse. Since her arrival the previous day, she had not exactly gone out of her way to be cordial to her hosts. In her grief, she had ignored the fact that everyone had been working hard to save him. The doctor had been in and out dozens of times, and she hadn't once acknowledged the petite woman's dedication or attempt at kindness.

She had been brought better than that.

"I'm sorry, things were a little hectic yesterday and I might have been a little abrupt... I don't think I caught your name," said Kaitlyn.

The doctor finished what she was doing and placed her hands in her pockets. "It's Alice, Dr Alice Hays." Her eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. "No apology necessary, you had other things on your mind."

Kaitlyn, reached for Murphy's hand, hoping that even in his unconscious state he'd feel her presence. "So you don't know what's wrong with him?"

"I wish I could tell you, but I've never seen anything like this before. Murphy left a message warning Alpha Locke whatever he ran into was poisonous, but nothing much else. I ran every test I could, but nothing makes sense. At first, I thought it might be lead poisoning, so I ran a heavy metals test. What I found was odd, but didn't account for his condition."

"What was odd? Was there a lot of lead in his system?"

Alice shook her head. "No. When I performed the analysis of cations, it showed negative for lead. Instead, there was traces of silver iodide in his blood, and a higher concentration in a sample taken from the wound."

Kaitlyn sifted through the little knowledge she possessed regarding old paint factories. "I know there is a lot of dangerous chemicals leeching into the soil and water table of a lot of these old factories, but I didn't think silver was used in paint."

From the way in which Alice cocked a brow in surprise, she hadn't expected Kaitlyn to be aware of the information. Kaitlyn shrugged her shoulders, "I've worked a few cases involving body dumps in industrial areas."

"Well you're right, silver iodide shouldn't have been present."

"So is that's what's affected him? Is it silver poisoning?"

"No, that's the problem. While its high, it's not high enough to even turn you a light shade of blue, let alone affect a Werewolf." Alice sighed. "The bottom line is that I don't know what to test for next. I'm not a microbiologist or immunologist, and I would only be guessing."

A darkness crossed over the doctor's face, and Kaitlyn recognised the defeated expression. It was one she had seen on many of the F.B.I Agents who had seen far too much death and destruction.

"I'm sure you are doing your best," Kaitlyn said in an attempt to alleviate Alice's fears.

Alice glanced back down at Murphy. "I must admit, I am a little stumped. Yesterday morning, I would have told you I didn't like his chances; his body couldn't take much more strain on his heart. To see this level of improvement is nothing short of a miracle." Alice then looked directly at Kaitlyn and paused a moment before she said, "Agent Quinn—"

"Please call me Kaitlyn."

"Kaitlyn just how clo—"

Whatever Alice was about to ask, died on her lips as they heard footsteps approach.

"Good morning," said Parker as she walked through the door with a large tray with three cups. "I thought you'd be thirsty, so I brought coffee. Some food will be brought down shortly."

Parker placed the platter on a nearby medical trolley and glanced across the room. "So how is he doing this morning?"

Kaitlyn looked to Alice, not sure which of them Parker was speaking to.

"A lot better than yesterday," said Alice. "In fact, I would venture to say he's on the mend."

This was clearly not what Parker had expected to hear, and she stopped in her tracks. "But I thought you said..."

"I know what I said, and this is one of the rare occasions I am happy to be wrong," said Alice.

Parker broke out into a smile, and she closed the distance, handing the cup she had been holding to Kaitlyn. "That's great news, and couldn't have come at a better time."

Kaitlyn gratefully accepted the coffee and took a sip. Now that she knew Murphy was going to be alright, she realised she was famished; she hadn't eaten since the phone call.

"Why, what's happened?" asked Alice.

Parker lightly scratched her forehead, a sure sign she wasn't sure whether to answer the question. Her initial inner struggle over, her shoulders dropped, and her face became pensive. "Alpha Giovani phoned around midnight. His team had only just managed to report back. Security around the area was a little more than they expected."

From the way in which Alice stilled, Kaitlyn knew it was serious.

"It's been confirmed the victims are the Ethiopian pack," said Parker as her mouth turned into a grim line.

Alice brought a hand up to her face and closed her eyes briefly. "They were the last of their kind. I can't believe they struggled so hard to get here, only to die at the hands of monsters."

"What pack and what monsters?" asked Kaitlyn. At the single word 'victims', her mind went into overdrive. She had a bad feeling she wasn't going to like what she heard.

As Parker explained what had happened, Kaitlyn's gut once again proved right. "And you think that whatever took this pack out, was also the same thing that attacked Murphy?" she asked.

"We think so, but won't know for sure. Giovani's team was waiting for daybreak to take photos of the scene. We are going to see if we can match any footprints to the ones found near Murphy."

Alice disposed of the dirty bandages and shook her head with worry. "There's going to be a panic when this gets out," she said as she came towards where Kaitlyn and Parker were standing. "This couldn't have come at a worse time. Things have only just settled down. You saw how everyone was the other day when it was just a rumour; can you imagine the hysteria that will run through the packs?"

"That's the concern. Daniel's been on a call with the Council most of the night."

Kaitlyn returned her empty cup to the tray and asked, "What information have you gotten from the local authorities. Somebody must have seen or heard something. Nine people being attacked would make a considerable amount of noise."

"Apart from what was made public, nothing."

Kaitlyn mentally sifted through her contacts in Wisconsin, while they may not be able to get the information, perhaps she could.

"If you're going to rabbit on like that, take it outside—my head is pounding." Murphy's brusque gravelly voice cut through the conversation and had the three women whipping their heads around to face the bed in shock.

Unable to breathe from the sudden paralysis at the overpowering emotions that crashed into her, Kaitlyn locked eyes with a set of familiar ebony ones. The initial surprise evaporated and, an instant later, Kaitlyn's legs almost gave way in relief. His single-minded gaze was the only thing keeping her upright.

A subtle flinch, as the muscles in his face contracted, caught her eye. Beneath his gruff and cold exterior, he was in pain—and if she were reading him correctly, an incredible amount.

Kaitlyn rushed to the bed and called out to Alice, "He needs morphine. Now!" just as the monitors, measuring his vital signs, began to blink rapidly and let out a series of warning noises.

She reached for his hand and squeezed it tightly. From the angry veins that were now visible in his neck, she could only watch helplessly as he struggled to deal with the agony that stressed to his body to dangerous proportions. Not once did he break eye contact with her, it was if he were tethering himself to her to ride out the impending storm. Kaitlyn ignored the uncomfortable increase in pressure as his hand gripped onto hers. Right now, nothing was more important than getting him through this.

Alice sprang into action and raced out the door. A moment later she was back, and a needle was inserted directly into his bloodstream. With practised care, she slowly depressed the plunger and glanced over her shoulder to the monitors. "His heart rate has to come down, or he's going to have a seizure. Murphy, I need you to tell me where the pain is."

A bead of perspiration coated Murphy's forehead, and he drew in a laboured breath. "Arm. Chest."

Kaitlyn's mind screamed in frustration. He was devoting too much of his energy to keeping his stoic mask in place.

"I need you to draw me another fifty milligrammes in that syringe," Alice said to Parker, indicating the small vial and extra needle she had tossed on the medical tray.

Terror ripped through Kaitlyn as the chaos of the monitors continued to bleep and ding. Oh God! Please let him be alright.

Parker filled the small glass syringe, tapped it a few times and squirted it before handing it to Alice.

"Mute that monitor," Alice said as she began to inject the new needle.

By the time the second dose was empty, Murphy's rigid posture had eased, and the lights on the monitors had stopped their rapid blinks.

"He's well within tolerance," said Alice after rechecking his pulse and blood pressure. "We'll just need to increase his pain medication."

Sending out a silent prayer of thanks, Kaitlyn placed her uncrushed hand over his heart. She fought back the tears of relief as she broke out in a broken smile. "It's about time you woke up. You've given us a bit of a scare."

Murphy lifted the hand of his injured arm as if to reach out to her, and dropped it just as fast as he hissed through his teeth.

Kaitlyn arched an eyebrow at the movement. "I can see you'll be missing the next hurling match."

She smiled when his only response to the tease was a grunt. He's going to be okay, repeated in her mind like a chant.

This was reinforced when Alice, who continued to check her patient, shone a bright light in his eyes and was jolted back in shock at a low growl aimed at her. "Stop fussing. I'm fine," he snapped.

From the strain Kaitlyn could hear in his voice, he was anything but. However, he was awake, and that was all that mattered.

Murphy let her hand go and made a motion to rise. "I need to speak to Daniel."

Kaitlyn glanced at Alice in panic. Surely this wasn't a good idea. Before he could do any damage, she pushed him back to a lying position; or at least, she tried.

"Murphy, you need to calm down. Your body has been through hell and back, it needs rest," said Alice as she reached over and helped in Kaitlyn's attempt to lie him down.

With the effort it took to wrestle him back to the bed, Kaitlyn was sure she had burst a blood vessel.

A hand touched her on the back. "I'll go and get Daniel," said Parker. "That might settle him."

Kaitlyn stared daggers at Murphy. "See! He's coming to you, so lie back on the goddam bed or I'll shoot you."

Murphy's struggle stopped, and she could feel his muscles relax as he conceded to her demand. "How many times do I have to tell you, a bullet is not going to help you against a Werewolf. We're too fast," he said with a low growl.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Not if they're incapacitated and grumpy."

Kaitlyn didn't know whether to laugh or cry when his response was a familiar grunt under his breath. He's going to be just fine.

Murphy reached for her hand with his good arm, and she winced at the touch. The pain from his crushing grip was still raw, and she hadn't yet gained all movement in it. His unreadable expression cracked, and fear flashed through his dark eyes as he looked at the skin that was beginning to bruise. "Damnú air! Did I do that?"

Kaitlyn attempted to brush off the sudden self-loathing at the realisation he had physically harmed her.

"No, it's not alright," he argued.

She rolled her eyes. "I'm not a porcelain doll. You were in agony and needed the contact, even if it broke a few bones who cares?"

Alice cleared her throat and hooked Murphy's chart on the base of the bed. "I'll give you two a moment."

The room fell quiet as the doctor closed the door behind her. The stress and pent up torture of not knowing if he'd come out of this alive, resurfaced and Kaitlyn could no longer hold herself together. Tears began to streak down her face as she reminded herself just how close she came to losing him.

Murphy tugged on her shirt and pulled her closer. "I don't understand why you're crying. I'm not dead."

A sob escaped her lips, and a new flood tipped over her eyelids. "Two days ago you nearly were."

Another tug, and her head rested in the crook of his neck as his hand curled around the nape of her's to pull her closer to him. "Shhh, it's all right. I'm fine," he whispered. Kaitlyn felt his fingers thread through her hair and hold her in place as he kissed her temple. She relaxed into him as he nuzzled against her and she could feel him breathing her in.

Moving into a comfortable position, she brought her legs up onto the bed, moulded herself to fit along the side of Murphy's body and rested a hand on his chest. She was desperate to feel the physical touch of their skin against each other; and from the gentle way in which he stroked her hair and buried his head into hers, he needed the same reassurance.

"What the hell were you thinking, going in without backup," she said once her emotions were back under control.

"I've been doing this longer than you've been alive. I know what I'm doing," Murphy said gruffly.

Kaitlyn opened her mouth to speak when he tipped her head back, and his eyes bore into hers. "I need you to know you are everything to my wolf and me; we would die to keep you safe."

At his confession, a surge of tenderness spread through her body. This was a man not used to expressing his emotions. A man who hid them from the outside world; and yet, here he was opening his soul to her.

She was nearly undone when he brushed his lips across her and whispered, "My heart only beats for you, I could never leave you; even death couldn't keep me away."

Kaitlyn closed her eyes and sighed. "Don't ever scare me like that again. Do you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," said Murphy as he sunk back into the pillow and smiled tenderly at her.

She reached up and stroked the side of his face. Murphy relaxed into her touch and continued his lingering gaze as if he were committing every part of her to memory.

"How long have I been here?" he asked.

"Four days. Your fever finally broke yesterday." Kaitlyn froze, she'd forgotten just how much pain he would be in. She rose up from her position. "How do you feel? If you need more pain medication, I can go and get Alice."

"Stop fussing," Murphy growled. "I'm fine. Now come back, you're the only medication I need."

Kaitlyn swung her legs off the bed but kept a portion of her body against his. He grabbed one of her hands and rested on his chest, placing his over it.

"Can you remembers what happened?" she asked.

"That thing may have damaged my pride, but my memory is still intact."

Kaitlyn lowered her lashes and her mouth set into a grim line. "They think that there are more of them and that they wiped out a whole pack."

Murphy stiffened. "What pack?"

"A small one in Wisconsin," she squinted as she tried to remember the name. "Something about Ethiopia."

"Bollocks!"

A knock at the door had Kaitlyn pulling her hand away before Alice walked through. She was surprised when Murphy refused to let go. The staunch Werewolf made it a point to never show weakness or anything that could provide information on his very private life.

Alice smiled as she entered and placed a plate of pastries on the storage unit beside the bed. "Kaitlyn you've eaten nothing since you've been here, you must be hungry by now."

Kaitlyn shook her head. "That's kind of you to think of me, but I'm fine."

"When was the last time you ate?" asked Murphy.

"Not long."

Kaitlyn jumped when Murphy growled a little too roughly and said, "Kaitlyn," in a warning tone.

She rolled her eyes and glared at him. "Fine, I'll eat."

As she picked up the Danish, she noticed the doctor was looking at them, head tilted with a strange expression on her face.

The moment Alice realised she was being watched,the expression vanished, and she reached over to make her own selection. Before she bit into the pastry, she said, "Daniel's on his way."

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📎A/N. well it looks like Murphy has managed to fight off whatever it is that poisoned him and return to the land of the living... Did you really think I'd be that nasty to destroy Kaitlyn like that? Shame on you. *evil laugh*

But it looks like they still don't know what it is that affected him... Did any one find it interesting what Alice did find however?

And while he's never going to be the romantic type, doesn't he use his words well ;-)

Well, better go. Don't forget to vote and let me know what you thought.

Take care,

❤ ℳ