Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The gentle glow from the full moon was a complete antithesis of what happened below her. Her mournful song echoed through the valleys and the winding streets of London. In one such place in London, a hospital had their hands full with a patient of theirs.

Poor David Kessler was in the beginning stages of his monthly transformation. He howled in pain as his bones cracked and broke, knitting themselves together to accommodate his new body. The doctor could do nothing but watch through the small window connected to the door. The young man had been stripped just before the fever set in and escorted to his transformation room.

After the pandemonium that occurred in Piccadilly Circus the previous month, Dr Hirsch demanded that he care for the young man, even going so far as to have a small ward renovated to be a room for his transformations. The walls and floor were padded and various enrichment activities to try to stave off the beast’s rapacious appetite. It seemed a little asinine but the doctor was hoping to see some results this time. Although he did wince along with Nurse Price every time a bone popped. It sounded absolutely horrific. It was a miracle that it only took a week for the Police and Prime Minister to allow David to remain alive.

Staff had been warned to stay away from this ward at all costs unless they had been approved by Hirsch. The elderly Doctor had been adamant that he would support this young man. He had no children of his own, and somehow this American had wormed its way into his heart. He would ensure that he was able to live a good life, despite his lycanthropy.

Alex Price stood by the door, peering in through the window. David was in such agony and she could do nothing to help. She winced at the cracking of his bones, fascinated but also immensely terrified of the sight. Swallowing her own fear, Alex tried to maintain a brave face.

David’s head shot up, his now yellow eyes finding hers. They were watering. Alex smiled at him and blew him a kiss. The young werewolf smiled a little too, just the corner of his mouth curving upwards before being overtaken by pain.

After a gruelling few moments, David was no more, in his place lay a tawny wolf, panting and spasming every few seconds. Alex and the doctor held their breath. The wolf opened its massive jaw and let out a piercing howl.

Over the next few hours, the pair would watch how he interacted with the room, if he tried to escape or even claw at himself in desperation. It was a little odd, but a few times, the wolf sniffed at the toys, batting at a ball with a furry paw. He mostly growled, prowled round the room and even curled up for a nap. Alex had to refrain the undignified squeal she could feel in her throat. He looked like a puppy and if she wasn’t scared of his power, she would have wanted to pet him. Thankfully he settled to sleep around 5am. He awoke an hour later to begin the transformation back. The stomach-churning crunch of his bones shifting again, shortening and slotting into place. They watched in amazement as the claws receded in a bloody mess and the milky pale flesh of David was present. The poor man had clawed at himself a couple times near his ribs. The slashes were not too severe and would only require a few stitches. He was lucky.

Once he was fully human, Doctor Hirsch and Alex moved him to a bed on the ward and got to work treating his injuries.

David opened his eyes to find Alex looking at him, her baby blues twinkling.

“Alex.” He said. She smiled in reply and kissed him gently.

“Morning, Love. Try not to move, you scratched yourself and we put stitches in.”

“So, last night was okay? I-I didn’t kill anyone?”

Alex grinned and shook her head. She sat by his side and took his hand in hers. They were warm.

“You didn’t try to get out. I think soon, Dr Hirsch wants to discuss having a transforming room when you get settled in.”

The young man didn’t reply. His eyes watered as the last month’s events had caught up with him. Despite his best friend pleading with him to take his life to not hurt anyone else. When he got shot, he stopped having visions of Jack and the others he had killed afterwards. Somehow him being shot, despite him not dying, had broken the curse. Somewhat. His best friend was still dead, torn to shreds and had his life stopped before it began. The grief sat upon his chest, pushing his ribcage against his heart and he started crying. His sobs were loud and mournful and a little pathetic, but he let the tears fall for his best friend.

Alex silently stroked his hand, offering her physical comfort as he grieved and processed what was going on. Dr Hirsch was only going to be half an hour, then he would be able to have a meeting with David and herself to plan what was going to happen. Until then, she would stay by David’s side.

Chapter Text

Jack watched the scene unfold with sad eyes. It truly sucked that he was undead and rapidly decomposing at an astonishing rate, but it sucked even more that his friend was about to be slaughtered like a rabid animal. Ok yes, he sort of was a wild animal, but he didn’t ask for this curse and Jack wasn’t really wanting to be mauled to death by a fucking werewolf.

He saw the young nurse fly down the alleyway, watched her try to reason with the beast, only to have him lunge at her and be shot down. It was done. The last remaining werewolf had been slain and the curse had been lifted, just as the bastard who killed him had foretold. But his best friend was dead.

A warm wash of relief also shot through his body. They were at peace now. No more having to fight his best friend to kill himself, or try to start conversations with bitter corpses. He was free. David was free. His eyes slipped closed and he felt his body fall to the floor. He let go of his undead body and drifted to sleep.

When David opened his eyes, he was expecting the empty void of death, or even Hell for the shit he had done. He was definitely not expecting to be staring at the roof of what looked like the Hospital in London with his best friend sat with him. Had the past few days been a dream? A wonderful and awful dream? Surely not, for Jack’s face was no longer torn apart and bloodied. David felt a sob rise in his chest, his best friend was here, he was okay.

“Jack.” He said and sat up, ignoring the fact that there was no pain in his body whatsoever. He ignored everything, his best friend was in front of him, alive. He pushed the covers off his body and did a half-jog over to Jack, throwing his arms around his friend. He could smell the pine and sandalwood aftershave Jack always wore. The sobs returned and he buried his nose into the familiar scent.

“Oh, David.” Jack murmured and returned the hug, squeezing just as tight. He really thought he would be annoyed that his own best friend hadn’t believed him for so long, but that melted when David started crying. This Putz is going to be the death of me…..again he thought. For now, he would hold his friend close. Wherever this place was, Jack was thankful that David’s would be the last face he saw, the last thing he’d smell and touch.

A few minutes passed and David pulled back. Jack smiled at David’s puffy eyes and gave his own watery smile in return.

“Where are we? H-how are you here?”

“I don’t know, David. I saw you get shot last night and I passed out. Then I woke up a few minutes before you.” David chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed.

“I hope this isn’t a dream. I miss you, Jack.”

The younger man moved forward and sat beside his friend, “I’ve missed you too.” The two men sat on the hospital bed, close enough their shoulders down to their hips were pressed together. Together they stayed in silence, soaking in their closeness and watching the sun make it’s ascent into the sky, hovering over to the West where it set. They did not move.

David must have dozed off, as he jolted awake to Jack shaking his arm.

“Look,” He pointed out the window where the moon mockingly glowed in the dark sky, “Full Moon, David.”

The young werewolf shuddered, anticipating the tell-tale shocks of pain to signal the beginnings of the transformation. Ten minutes elapsed and nothing had occurred. Was he cured. Jack told him he had been shot whilst under the influence of the Moon. Had the shots that killed him sent him to a purgatory state whilst also curing him? Perhaps.

When night truly fell, the young men curled up together on the small single bed, very similar to how they did as children, and drifted off to sleep.

***
David woke hours later. Jack was nowhere to be found. His eyes opened slowly and had to shut them again at the stinging of the sun coming through the open curtains. He rolled onto his side, wincing at the stab of pain in his ribs. His hospital room was exactly the same as it was last night, so his friend couldn’t have gone too far.

“Jack?” He called quietly? Nobody answered.

The door burst open moments later and Alex Price came in, fully dressed in her nurse uniform, carrying a small cup. She was on the pill run.

“David? Are you alright?” She asked and moved closer to his bed, stroking a gentle hand through his hair.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Where did Jack go?” He asked. When he saw Alex frown at him, dread coiled in his stomach. Please do not be a dream! Jack was here!

“I’m sorry, love. Jack is dead. Last night was the Full Moon.” Alex explained. The tears gathered in his eyes and he cried. His friend was still dead. He was still alive, still a werewolf. Fuck! The young American wished in that moment that he truly had died, he just wanted Jack back.