Helping Terra

The werewolves of Green Willow were slowly becoming sicker with some succumbing to the illness. All the doctors were doing their best to figure out what was happening, what was causing the epidemic but they could find very little. All they knew was each patient showed signs of being poisoned. After interviewing everyone in the village, Alpha Roik could not find anyone guilty of the poisoning. The doctors began reaching out to Winter Birch for any cases from them. They received a negative, but Alpha Raid sent some of his best researchers to help. With their arrival more than half of the village had been or was sick. When they arrived the village was burying yet another werewolf whose mate was howling a mournful cry.
The party of Winter Birch wolves consisted of three doctors, two assistance, and Lowell. Tearnyn was the first to notice the newcomers as they walked into the clinic. She furrowed her brows before walking over. "Lowell?"
He ginned broadly, "Hey Tearnyn."
"What are you doing here?" She was quite confused.
"My father offered to help with pinning the source and here we are. Three of the best doctors in Winter Birch, their assistants, and myself to make sure everything goes smoothly." He leaned in to whisper, "Thinks I need more hand on experience for when I become Alpha."
"Right." She straightened up and addressed the doctors and assistants. "Welcome to Green Willow Clinic, we're glad you're here. I'll introduce you to Doctor Martina." Tearnyn turned and walked through the main floor of the clinic and went up a flight of stairs to a plan wooden door. She knocked before opening it. "Doctor, we have help from Winter Birch."
The tall dark haired woman stood looking tired and stressed. "Welcome, I am Doctor Eloise Martina. I wish we could have met under different circumstances."
"Dr. Martina." Lowell nodded his greeting. "I am Heir Lowell Raid. A pleasure to meet you. These fine doctors are Dr. Brady Halliwell, Dr. Steven Wyatt, and Dr. Stephanie Paige. And their assistants Thetas Maria Halliwell, Chris Halliwell, and Coop Webster."
"Thank you for coming. We," She sighed. "We have no idea what is going on. Follow me please." She started out the door and back down to the main level. "Werewolves rarely become sick, we have high tolerance for sicknesses and even some stresses like poisons and venom." The other doctors nodded in agreement. "Yet here we are." The room was filled with sick wolves. "We are running out of beds and some are beginning to die."
"We saw a funeral on our way in. We are sorry for your losses." Lowell placed a hand over his heart in respect for the dead.
"Thank you."
"Is it contagious?" Dr. Wyatt asked as he walked to a sick wolf.
"As far as we can tell, no." Tearnyn shook her hair. "All of the doctors, nurses, and I have been near the patients since day one and few of us have become sick."
"Thus it is not a contagion. And it has symptoms of poisoning?"
"Yes." Dr. Martina replied. "Most have dilated pupils, tachycardia, increase breathing, sweat, dry mouth, drowsiness, and confusion."
"Blood work?" The doctors started checking patients as they continued to talk to one another.
"Other than an increase in leukocytes, there is no traces of an entity."
"So poisoning. Water?"
"Negative."
"Hmm." For the rest of the day the clinic continued to work to figure out what was going on. They began working in shifts so the work could continue throughout the night. Around eight, Tearnyn was let go to eat and sleep. She tiredly made her way to the tavern for dinner where she met up with Yurik and Morgana. The village was becoming paranoid and scared which was never a good combination.
"Lowell." Morgana smiled.
Tearnyn turned around startled, "When the hell did you get here?"
The older wolf chuckled, "I have been following you this entire time."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Lowell merely shrugged with a smile as the four friends sat down to eat after a long day.
"Have you come up with what's happening?" Yurik finally asked halfway through the meal.
"No." Tearnyn admitted.
"Not even my doctors. They are as baffled as all of you." Lowell lowered his voice. "We have never seen anything like this. Usually we can pinpoint it because each plant and animal has a specific... marker that identifies them. These symptoms though," He shook his head. "It's like a conglomeration of different animals and point poisons."
"Are you sure it is a poison and not a toxin?"
"It's behaving like a poison, we can't make a toxiod out of it. This, whatever it is, is behaving more like a defensive mechanism than actively trying to kill the wolf. Have you seen any new plants lately? Or animals? Bugs?"
The trio shook their heads. Yurik spoke up, "Not that we would really know. We've only been here for about six months, maybe a little more. You'll have to ask the locals."
"That's what we will do tomorrow. Maybe you can talk to the Silver Back pack about anything strange?"
"I can try, but last time I went to be with them I was told not to come back for a while. The Alphas are in the mating season and apparently aggressive. I can see if Sin has anything to offer, but I don't know what kind of information I can get until the season is over." Tearnyn answered.
"Try, it can't hurt." Yurik shrugged.
The next day, Tearnyn made her way to the Silver Back territory. She howled her usual request and waited. A little while later the usual gang ran up to her. Sin easily shifted and stood before her. "Told you stay away."
"I know and I am sorry but I have a question." Sin waited while Soft Whimper, Leaf Blend, and Sneak rubbed against her. "Have you noticed any strange plants, animals, or bugs lately?"
Sin's face scrunched up in confusion, "Winter. No plants and few animals."
"I know, but the werewolves of Green Willow are becoming sick. Like they are being poisoned."
"Maybe one them."
"We checked." She gave him a face although she knew he would not see it. Her voice said everything though. "None have used poisoned to hurt the village. Many are sick, getting sicker, and some are dying." She blew out her breath and ran it through her shoulder length hair.
"You unhappy."
"I am. This is bothering me. The wolves are either fighting it off on their own or die and we have no idea what is causing it."
"I look, but I can not say I will find."
"Thanks Sin. Please be careful. You too." She grinned down at the overjoyed wolves. "When will mating season be over for your Alphas?"
Sin cocked his head in thought. "Depends on when they mate. Late winter or close to spring. Why?"
"Curious." Tearnyn grinned. "It's all new to me. I should go before the Alphas get mad. Thanks for the help."
"I did not."
"You did." She bent down to say farewell to the other wolves. "Bye, I'll see you later. Be good." She laughed when the wolves licked her cheek and pushed each other out of the way to say bye. "Alright, off. I have to go." She stood up and placed a hand on Sin's arms. "Bye Sin. I'll see ya soon."
"Bye Tearnyn." He listened for the young woman to leave before shifting back to his wolf and running back to the Den. When he returned to the Den the Alphas were their usual close self with Silver Back trying to play with Swift Strike. Sin quietly trotted over to the side and kept his ears on alert for any danger whether it be an intruder or one of the Alphas losing their temper.
While Sin relaxed, Tearnyn made her way back to the clinic. She shook her head when the doctors looked to her for answers. Everyone was becoming frustrated with the lack of answers. As the days passed more were becoming sicker. Two of the doctors ended up staying through most of the winter with two of the assistants leaving with Dr. Paige to try and figure out what was happening using the large library in the city. As storms came and went, the village remained at a loss although fewer were becoming sick. By the middle of February virtually everyone was well or had died from the freak poisoning. The village began feeling safe again. Everyone thought it had passed.
Except for Tearnyn, something was not sitting right with her. She kept the files tucked away and every so often would go back to try and figure out what had happened. "What's going on with you Tear?" Morgana asked as she worked on the shuttle.
"Something doesn't feel right." Tearnyn replied honestly.
"About what? Pass me the metal sheet please."
As Tearnyn passed the object, she replied, "The poisoning."
"Maybe it was just that. A poisoning and now it's done."
"I know, but it feels like it isn't. We don't know what caused it, what if we encounter it again? Thousands could die before we figure it out. What if it's only hibernating?"
"I think you have a bit of cabin fever. You need to get out and away from the clinic for a little while. Go visit Sin. Hasn't it been like three weeks?"
"Yeah." She sighed while leaning heavily against the side of the shuttle. "But mating season for the Alphas mean I can't visit. I'll get eaten or something."
"That's weird. We survived the werewolves mating, how bad can regular wolves be?"
"Apparently bad enough to bar me from visiting. I did see Sin and a few of the wolves with cuts the last time I visited. I guess they get grumpy too when it's their time of the year."
"Lucky bastards. Only have to deal with one mating season while we have to experience it every month."
"I guess, but I feel like we don't go as crazy as everyone else. I mean some of us have PMS, others get really horny. But we don't tend to want to kill anyone or fight. We have it to a lesser extent."
"Unless someone is hitting on your mate."
"Yes, then things can get dangerous. Luckily no one has hit on m- Oh wait I don't have one. The world is saved."
"Yeah, I wouldn't want to see someone trying to flirt with your mate. I feel like you'd be a very angry over protective werewolf."
"Or eerily calm." Yurik commented startling his pack mates.
"Skit, Yurik! Don't do that when I have a blow torch in my hand." Morgana placed a hand over her heart.
Tearnyn chuckled, "Scare them with my calmness?" She looked at her friend.
"Yes. You'd just stare and cause them to be uncomfortable. Then you would smile and tell them to fuck off. Wouldn't know what hit them."
"Both options are plausible. We may never know."
"You'll find one. Now me that's another story."
Tearnyn scoffed, "Please, you and that cute librarian were hitting it off quite well."
Yurik's face lit up bright red, "We are friends. Besides she's from here and I- I'm not."
"So?"
"Tearnyn, we are hundreds of years evolved away from them. You really think we are the same species as them? That we can mate with them if we wanted to?"
"Why not? We aren't that different from them."
"They have a mating season." Yurik deadpanned.
"So? Basically everything about them and us seems to be the same except for the ovulation/fertility cycle."
"Exactly."
"Yurik, you have evolved to mate twelve months out of the year while she is only during her mating season, it's not like we have opposite seasons. You can still," Tearnyn waved her hand at him, "Get it up when she is in season. It only means that if you have a mate here then you can only get pregnant during her season. So what?"
"What if-" He blew out a frustrated puff of condensation, "What if we aren't compatible? We could be two completely different species."
"Take the risk if she's your mate and you love her."
"What about you?"
"What about me?"
"What if you... or Morgana find a mate here?"
"Then we find a mate?"
"Are the males only able to.. you know in season?"
"Oh, no. I talk to Elder Elrry and Sin about it, remember how I 'scarred' him or something?"
"Oh yeah. Only the females have really evolved differently or something."
"Yes. I could probably do tests to see how related we are, but I don't think finding a mate here will be that bad."
"I hope you're right... in case we meet a mate."
"You never know!" Morgana sat up and grinned optimistically. "Maybe they're right under our nose. Or in your case Yurik in the next city over."
Yurik rolled his eyes, "I don't know if she is. I mean I like her, but how do you know someone is your mate?"
Morgana and Tearnyn looked at each other, "Instinct. Feeling like no other wolf or human will do."
"When you feel that, let me know."
"You don't feel that way about Ms. Librarian?" Morgana raised a brow as her lips morphed into a smirk.
"I like Meg, but I don't know if she's the one."
"I think you're blocking part of your feelings that would help you with that." Tearnyn crossed her arms. "You're worried about leaving her. She could come with us."
"And leave her home? Her pack? Her planet? I wouldn't do that to her."
"Shouldn't that be her choice?"
"Tearnyn just drop it." Yurik snapped then turned to stalk away.
"We're all thinking it." Tearnyn whispered.
"It's harder on him though. Yurik actually likes someone here while we don't have that sort of tie to this planet. Unless you found someone?" Morgana nudged her friend.
Tearnyn snorted, "As if." Her voice dropped, "I doubt anyone could see me like that here. I'm too strange."
"Have you met me or Yurik?"
"I have and you're more normal than me."
"If you say so, but I'm sure someone could. You are a beautiful wolf Tear, both human, canine, and on the inside."
"Thanks, Morgana." Tearnyn rolled her eyes while chuckling.
"Anything for you, pup. Now shoo, I have work to do." She waved her hand before turning to go back to work. Tearnyn shook her head as she walked back to the village replaying the conversation in her head.