Ella stumbled through the clinic doors, struggling to support Cora, who leaned heavily on her side, moaning. Rafe's carrier bounced against her other side.

People's eyes widened, but they quickly parted to make way, shouting for nurses and doctors. Ella held her breath, her eyes fixed on the familiar front counter, praying Hank was on duty.

A sob of relief escaped her when she saw him round the corner, his eyes wide with concern. He gasped at the sight of them, dropping his clipboard and rushing to their side.

To her immense relief, Hank quickly regained his composure, becoming the calm, efficient surgeon she knew and trusted.

"What's wrong?" he snapped, slipping his shoulder under Cora's arm. "Where is she hurt?"

"Her lower back," Ella said, her words slow as she struggled to collect her thoughts. "She was stabbed—we were attacked, Hank—I'm so sorry—"

"Enough," he said harshly, dismissing her apology with a glare as he helped carry Cora to a treatment room. "A stab wound?! Why the hell didn't you get her to a hospital, Ella!"

"It's not bad," Cora mumbled, and Hank's head snapped up, surprised she was conscious.

"Tell me," he said, guiding them into the room. As Cora explained her injuries in medical jargon Ella didn't understand, they helped her onto an examination table. Hank hissed at the amount of blood soaking her shirt and pants.

Ella stepped back, clutching Rafe's carrier. He was fussing, wanting to be held, but she was relieved he was unharmed. Her heart ached watching him cry, but she knew she had to help Cora.

She watched as Hank donned gloves and examined the wound. He took a deep breath, then quickly began to work. Nurses rushed in, ready to assist. Hank barked out quick instructions before glancing at Ella.

"She was right," he said calmly. "It's not fatal, Ella. It's critical—it requires surgery, but it's a relatively shallow stab, and the knife missed major organs—"

"Hank," Ella said, breathless with worry, glancing between her sister—her eyes closed, breathing faintly—and the doctor who could save her life, the doctor whose heart Cora had broken recently. "Hank," she continued, shaking her head, "she's—she's pregnant."

Hank went pale, his thoughts evident. Cora, pregnant? Roger—she left him for…she's human. Humans can't get pregnant by a wolf…

His eyes darted back to Cora as he reached the same conclusion she had. Ella immediately placed a hand on his arm. "Hank," she said, drawing his attention back to her. "Roger is the father."

He frowned, confused. "That's impossible, Ella—"

She shook her head. "We have no explanation," she said, holding his gaze. "But Roger sensed the baby, it's his blood—"

Hank roughly scraped his hand down his face, then barked orders to the nurses to bring an ultrasound machine. He turned back to Ella. "Do you know how far along she is?" he asked, his emotions carefully masked.

"No," Ella said, shaking her head. "Not long? Maybe—maybe a week after her missed period?" She shrugged. "I don't know."

He nodded. "With a wolf pregnancy…" he paused, confused. "Wait, is it even a wolf pregnancy?"

Ella shrugged. They didn't know. Hank sighed and stared at Cora, who seemed to have slipped into a daze.

"If it was a wolf pregnancy," Hank said, folding his arms, "it would be far enough along to detect a heartbeat. But if the baby is…human? I don't know, Ella." He turned to her. "Either way," he said, "the knife wouldn't have harmed the child. But her blood loss…"

He sighed again. "I'll do everything I can."

"Thank you," Ella breathed, briefly putting an arm around Hank's shoulders before stepping away. She moved to a chair to allow him to work.

Hank nodded, understanding. Ella watched him and the nurses work, then took Rafe from his carrier to feed him, hoping the routine would calm them both.

Rafe burped and fell asleep, which was a relief. Ella couldn't fully focus on him while worrying about Cora.

A kind nurse approached, and Ella, remembering Henry's instructions not to use his phone to reveal their location and suddenly worrying about him, asked for a phone. The nurse gave her her own.

Ella quickly texted Sinclair:

It's Ella. Cora's hurt, but she'll be okay. Rafe is okay. We're at the Clinic—they bound my wolf and my gift when we tried to leave. Hank is working. Come when you can—go to your father first. I have no idea if he is okay. Love you.

She returned the phone, thanking the nurse. The nurse returned later with wipes and a blanket. Ella laughed, realizing she was covered in blood. She cleaned herself, wrapped Rafe in the blanket, and settled back to wait. She could only wait while Hank fought to save her sister and her child's life.