Canyon Wolf Bride

by Alisha Paige

  A tear rolled down Earl’s cheek and he wiped it away. He was so proud of his baby girl.

  “Can I see her?” he asked.

  “Just for a few minutes and no more than two at a time in I.C.U.”

  “Thank you, doctor.”

  “It’s a waiting game now.”

  “I understand.”

  “The nurses will notify me of any changes. She’ll be under constant surveillance.”

  “Thank you.”

  The doctor nodded and walked out, leaving the three men alone and more frightened than ever. Without speaking to anyone else or even caring if Sean saw Paige, Earl made his way down to I.C.U. to see his daughter. He stopped at the nurse’s station where they gave him further directions. He reached the swinging double doors and pushed the large round, red button. They swung open and his heart raced. He walked inside and asked a nurse behind the curved desk where his daughter lay. She pointed to the room at the far end of the I.C.U. and he walked forward, his shoes echoing on the slick floors.

  He stood in the doorway and then looked again at the name on the door. This wasn’t his daughter. Did they get her name mixed up with someone else? He walked closer and stood over her bed, listening to the beeps and whirs of machines that kept her alive. Her face was swollen beyond recognition. They had done a piss poor job of cleaning her up and suddenly he was angry. Black soot still stained her golden hair and neck. Part of her hair had been shaved away. Her face was a sickening yellow and her eyes were purple golf balls with eyelashes sticking out of them. Her left leg was bandaged and held in place six inches over her bed. A tube went down her throat and there were tubes in each arm.

  Her hands lay lifeless beside her. He picked one of them up gently and caressed her fingers. Her hands were the only part of her that seemed complete still and he tried desperately to focus on that.

  “Hi, baby. Daddy’s here.” The only answer was more beeps and whirs and a motionless Paige.

  “Daddy loves you. You’re going to get better and go home soon.” Earl held her one hand with both of his, noticing her perfect manicure.

  “Mom is on her way here.”

  A nurse appeared to check the machines and write something on her chart. She smiled sympathetically at Earl and then was gone.

  “Sean is here to see you. I’ll send him in. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while.” He bent to kiss her hand, too afraid to kiss her swollen cheek. A tear fell into her sheets as he sniffed.

  “You have to get well, baby. None of us can live without you.” He squeezed her hand one last time and left, walking quickly past the nurses desk.

  The swinging doors opened automatically for him and he turned the corner where Sean and Joe stood waiting. Sean thought Earl must have aged ten years in the short time he had seen Paige.

  “Can I go see her now?” Sean asked in a soft voice.

  “Yes,” Earl replied, squeezing his eyes tightly, hoping to push the image of his daughter lying helpless out of his mind.

  Sean pushed the red button and the doors opened. The nurse seemed to know and immediately pointed to Paige’s room. Sean walked swiftly to her side, sucking in his breath at the sight of her.

  “Oh, baby,” he breathed. He stared at her for a very long time, holding her hand like her father had. His body was wracked with silent sobs. He shook violently trying to hold in the tremors.

  “I’m so sorry baby. I should have come to you sooner. I should have never let you come to the canyon alone. It’s been agony without you.”

  Sean stared at her face, unable to imagine her beneath the black eyes and the swollen cheeks. Her beautiful hair had been shaved, but he knew it was to save her life. Why couldn’t they have cleaned her up better? Her neck was black from smoke and he longed to swipe it with a wet cloth.

  “I love you, Paige Wellington. You have to get better. You have to get well for our wedding. Remember how you dreamed of getting married by the falls?”

  He listened to the machines and smoothed each finger. “I built our dream house, honey. I had you in mind the whole time. I built a beautiful kitchen for you and a luxurious bathroom for my queen. We have an amazing view of the canyon on our back patio.”

  Her heart monitor sped up. He watched the tiny green heart with a line going through it. It only sped up slightly, but it was enough to notice. He wondered if she could hear him. He hoped she could.

  “I love you so much, honey. You have to fight. Fight for your life, baby. We’re all here pulling for you.”

  A nurse walked in and checked the heart monitor, then glanced at Sean. “You’ll have to leave soon, sir. She seems to be under a little bit of stress. She needs her rest.”

  “She can hear me then?”

  “Sometimes they can hear. We aren’t sure, but she needs her rest regardless.”

  “I understand.”

  The nurse checked the bags of fluid and jotted some notes down in her chart before giving Sean another stern look before leaving.

  “I have to go now, baby. I’ll be back soon. I’m not leaving the hospital. I’ll be here if you need me. I love you.”

  He kissed each finger and touched the sooty hair that lay on her shoulder. He walked to the doorway and turned again to look at her. He brushed a tear away that snaked through his stubble as he made his way out of I.C.U. Joe and Earl weren’t in the hallway and as he passed the waiting room, they weren’t there either.

  He came to a tiny chapel at the end of the hall and went inside. There were two rows of pews with bibles tucked in the wooden slots behind the seats. He sat in the back pew that looked as if it were designed for children. Three beautiful stained glass windows stood behind the altar. Sunlight was shining through them.

  In the center pane, Jesus sat beneath a tree, speaking to children. He had a child on each knee. His face looked so kind and the children looked so happy and innocent. A lamb lay among the children and he stared at it. He could slaughter the gentle lamb within seconds. Is that what he had done to Paige? The lamb had come to see the wolf and nearly died. Would she die?

  He walked toward the altar and knelt on the steps. He bowed his head and prayed to God. He prayed that Paige would live. He begged God to take him instead of her. He prayed for Coming Wind and his family and he prayed for Sam. Sam had to shoulder the guilt and Sean pitied his friend. He looked into the eyes of Jesus for a long time.

  Another one of the stained glass windows was of Mary and Joseph. A very pregnant Mary rode the mule as they made their way to the inn beneath a starry sky. Sean wanted Paige to bear his children. Now she may never even live to have a child. He begged God for her life and promised to take care of her and love her for the rest of his life. He promised to never kill another living animal and to live his life only as a man. He would give anything to have her back. Jesus stared back at him with gentle eyes of blue as he breathed every prayer he had ever thought of and thanked God for everything he had been given so far in life.

  ****

  Coming Wind’s funeral was held in the church at the bottom of Havasu Canyon. It was the same church that he and Blue Flower had been married in. They had vowed to love and cherish each other until death do they part. Never did Blue Flower believe that the death part would come so soon. Red Hawk had been baptized here not long ago. The preacher had dunked him fully clothed in the blue green waters of Havasu Creek that flowed gently behind the wooden structure.

  The tribal cemetery laid beyond the creek, past the wooden bridge, a few hundred yards behind their house of worship. It was a bright sunny day, in stark contrast to the downcast faces attending the former chief’s funeral. The preacher spoke briefly of a lost warrior, husband, and father. Blue Flower was the first to approach his closed casket. She was dressed in a long, flowing black gown. Even her moccasins were of softest black. A thin veil covered her silken head and Sean thought she looked far too young to be a widow.

  She stood proudly over his remains. She placed both palms on the dark cherry wood, covered
with wild flowers and funerary feathers of black and blue. She kissed the head of his casket, then blew out a single candle that flickered all alone. The gesture meant that she was sending his soul home, to be with God, to go where all great warriors go. Red Hawk stood straight and tall at her side. He wore a new suit and shiny black shoes. His hair was combed and slicked to the side, except for the one cowlick that Blue Flower was never quite able to tame. The sight of the tiny hair standing on end tore at Sean’s heart. He was such a little boy, in need of his father still. Sean’s heart went out to him. He had yet to see Red Hawk shed a tear. He patted his mother on the back when she even sniffed a bit. He was the man now and Sean was so proud of him. He was certain Red Hawk would be the one to take his place one day. Red Hawk was born to be a chief, to be the alpha wolf.

  Blue Flower exited the side of the church as the rest of the tribe passed by Coming Wind, paying their respects to the fallen chief. Everyone waited in clusters outside the church, murmuring softly among themselves with occasional cries from fussy babies held in the hot sun for too long.

  After the last person said goodbye to Coming Wind, the preacher appeared beneath a large tree, with a bible in his hand. He wiped his sweating brow with a crimson handkerchief and motioned for the procession to follow him over the bridge to the tribal burial grounds. Sean walked with Blue Flower and Red Hawk. Corn Flower and her husband walked behind them. The creek tinkled softly as they crossed the bridge onto softer ground, beneath cooler trees. The singing birds seemed to quiet a bit, sensing the somber mood.

  Corn Flower began singing an old Indian hymn and the others soon followed along. The pall bearers had already carried his casket to the edge of his grave where it waited silently, sunlight playing on the beautiful wood. The radiant feathers glistened in the sunshine. Red Hawk let go of his mother’s hand and pulled one of the feathers off. A bright blue one. He stuck it inside his coat pocket before taking his mother’s hand again.

  Corn Flower and the others ended their song and the preacher began. He read some verses out of the Bible about heaven and streets of gold. Sean thought he had said something about Coming Wind now sitting at a river with his feet soaking in the cool waters. His mind wandered to Paige. There had been no change this morning and he left just long enough to attend the funeral. He would return to the hospital as soon as the funeral was over. The preacher finished his sermon and said a prayer. He tossed a fist full of dirt into the grave and said something about ashes to ashes and another hymn was sang. Finally it was over and they walked back over the bridge and past the church.

  He said goodbye to Blue Flower and said he would be calling to check on her. She understood why he had to leave so soon. She hoped Paige would make it. She didn’t want Sean to go through what she was now experiencing.

  It was such an ordeal to get out of the canyon. He mounted his horse and made his way up the trail to the rim of the canyon where a rental was waiting. He drove to the hospital and arrived half an hour before visiting hours. He found Paige’s parents in the waiting room. Her mother had just arrived and looked as though she hadn’t slept in days. She was pale and seemed thinner. Both Earl and his wife looked older and Sean felt sorry for them. Her mother saw him first.

  “Sean, darling, come here,” Nan Wellington said, beckoning him forward with open arms.

  Sean took two steps like a frightened child.

  “Come here.”

  He walked into her waiting arms and they embraced. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Wellington.”

  “Shh.” She patted him on the back as if he were her own son. She knew how much her daughter loved him. “It’s not your fault. It’s not anyone’s fault.”

  “I love her so much. I’ve never stopped loving her,” he said into her ear as he loomed over her like a giant, crying into her frail shoulder.

  “I know, dear. She never stopped loving you either.”

  Sean lost it. He sobbed like a baby and even her father placed a hand on his shoulder and wept openly. Sean regained control of his emotions and ran a ragged hand through his hair.

  “How is she?”

  “There’s been no change,” her father replied.

  “Have you seen her yet?” Sean asked, addressing her mother.

  “Not yet. Visiting hours are in ten minutes. Do you mind if I go first?”

  “Of course not.”

  Paige’s mother was being overly generous and it puzzled Sean. They had just sat down when Joe walked in with sacks of burgers and sleeping bags.

  Sean stood to give him a hand and Joe nodded a thanks. It was hard for Joe to believe that the alpha wolf was right before him. The very animal he had followed over the past month. He had watched him transform from a man to a wild animal. He felt as though he were in the presence of a movie star and had a million questions, but he knew none of them would ever get asked.

  “Sean, this is Joe Steeler, a friend of mine.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Sean replied, shaking Joe’s hand. “What brings you two to Havasu Canyon?” Sean remembered how surprised Paige had been to see her father.

  Nan glanced at her husband as though she were genuinely wondering herself.

  “We came to camp,” Earl lied. “Paige had said such wonderful things about the canyon. We had to see it for ourselves.”

  Joe cleared his throat and hung his head, staring at the soiled carpet below. Sean knew he was lying, but he didn’t want to press it. Not now. It was neither the time nor the place. Besides, he had seen all the video equipment and hundreds of photos of wolves strewn along the bed. He recognized himself in several of the photos.

  He had never thought about it, but until he had seen the photos in Joe’s room, he had never seen a picture of himself as the wolf or even looked in a mirror. He also saw photos of Coming Wind. They had been taken during their last kill only a week ago. Back then, Coming Wind was very much alive and Paige was healthy and living alone in Colorado. She was back in his life again, but not under the best of circumstances. He wished he could turn back the clock. If she would have called, he would have met her at the airport and they could have rode down the canyon together, just as they had on their first visit there. Everything would have been different. They wouldn’t be waiting endlessly in this hospital, hoping and praying for a miracle. At least they still had hope and Paige was still clinging onto life.

  Nan glanced at her watch and looked at her husband. Earl stood to help her up. They walked to the I.C.U. together, arm in arm. Joe offered a burger to Sean after they left.

  “I can’t eat.”

  “You should try. You need to keep your strength up,” Joe replied.

  Who was this guy and why was he pretending to care? Anger welled inside of him as Joe offered a sack of burger and fries again. Sean knocked it aside and let out a growl. “I said I’m not hungry. Who the hell are you and why are you stalking the Havasupai?” Sean asked, his eyes flashing blue.

  “I’m a geneticist.”

  “A what?”

  “A scientist who studies genes. I’m not stalking your people.”

  “Then explain to me why you have hundreds of photos of the Havasupai in your room.”

  “I’m studying the wolves of the canyon, not the Indians.”

  Sean knew he had given himself away and given Joe further proof of the wolf gene, but he didn’t care. What did the man want? “What are you going to do? Expose us?”

  “No.”

  “What then?” Sean growled.

  “It’s an amazing scientific discovery, but that’s all. I have no plans to speak to the press.”

  “Am I supposed to trust you?”

  “I guess you don’t have a choice,” Joe replied matter of factly.

  “Oh yes I do. Don’t make me do something both of us will regret,” Sean said with clenched teeth. “Stay away from us.”

  The two men stared at each other, sizing the other up. Joe knew the half-man, half-wolf was serious. He would stop at nothing to protect the pack, as well as the b
rotherhood of the Havasupai.

  “I want your film. All of it.”

  Joe just looked at him, picturing him as the wolf, admiring him. He could easily see why he was the leader of the pack.

  “Don’t make me come get it,” Sean warned.

  “I’ll get it for you.”

  “Good.”

  Frank walked into the waiting room looking rumpled and tired. Sean stood and shook his hand. “Have mom and dad seen her yet?” Frank asked, slipping his cell phone into his shirt pocket.

  “They’re in there now,” Sean answered.

  “Have they talked to the doctor yet?”

  “There’s been no change.”

  Frank grimaced. “I’m sorry about Coming Wind.”

  Sean nodded and muttered a thanks.

  “How’s his wife?”

  “She’s a strong woman. She’s in shock, I guess. Like everyone else. They have a little boy.”

  “Oh, God.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “How’s Meg and the girls?”

  “Meg’s taking it pretty hard. They’re still at home, but Meg insisted I come get her or she’d fly by herself.”

  “She and Paige are so close,” Sean replied.

  “I don’t know what Meg will do if something happens...” Frank stopped himself from finishing the sentence.

  Sean gripped Frank’s shoulder as he hung his head, regaining his composure. Joe excused himself to get some fresh air and the two men sat side by side in the empty waiting room. The strong aroma of burgers and onion rings permeated the clinical hospital smell of sterilization.

  “Joe brought some burgers if you want one,” Sean offered.

  “I can’t eat.”

  “Me either.”

  They sat in silence, neither knowing what else to say to the other. A television droned on in the distance and Sean looked up when the news came on and a reporter stood before the burnt wreckage. A picture of Coming Wind with a stern expression flashed across the screen above a caption that read, “Canyon Artist.” He heard Paige’s name mentioned and her connection with the art world as a museum curator. Sam’s leathery face smiled back in the upper right hand corner of the television as the reporter spoke of his helicopter tours of The Grand Canyon. The news broke for a commercial when Paige’s parents walked back in. Her mother was dabbing at her eyes while her father held her up.