Chapter 4 #2
I cleared the distance without thinking.
But despite being closer, I couldn’t see anything.
The siren cut out mid-wail, and the halls returned to their normal sterile white.
My heart skipped a beat, automatically fearing the worst. I shoved past the army of nurses that had answered the call, but it was too late.
Josh slumped in the arms of a burly orderly, his entire body reduced to the equivalent of boneless jelly by the needle the man removed from his arm.
Fear strangled my lungs, and it took me a moment to find my words. “Give him to me.”
The nurse grunted as he shifted Josh’s dead weight into my arms.
“It’s okay, moonbeam, I’ve got you.” Josh’s eyelids fluttered, but remained firmly closed. I gently lowered him to the table, then turned to growl at the doctor. “Complete sedation? A tad excessive, don’t you think?”
Dr. Florence didn’t look the least bit apologetic. “Nothing is excessive when lives are on the line.”
“Yours or his?”
She looked down at Josh’s prone form draped across the exam table.
Another growl lodged in my throat at the sheer dismissive disdain she gave him. Thankfully, before I could give voice to my anger and receive the same treatment, Dr. Lyons appeared in the doorway.
“What happened? Was he turning? Is he escalating? What triggered the transition?” While professional, concern tinged each of Dr. Lyons’ questions.
Dr. Florence gave an exasperated sigh and smacked a data-tab on the pristine counter. “Congratulations, Dr. Lyons, you’ve got your wish.”
“Excuse me?”
“He’s your problem now. Detective Hart made it abundantly clear that he does not believe me qualified to execute his care.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have more appreciative patients in need of my time.
” Dr. Florence marched towards the door, forcing Dr. Lyons to hop out of the way lest she be run over.
“Well, I never…”
Dr. Lyons’ response to Dr. Florence’s poor behavior dwindled to obscurity as I focused my gaze on Josh.
He didn’t so much as twitch when I brushed a knuckle along his high cheekbone.
While stubble darkened his jaw, it was clear that Josh was not the sort of man who could grow a full beard.
I brushed the hair back from his forehead, noting just how long it had gotten in the last three and a half months.
“What did they do to you?”
The sigh at my shoulder had my muscles tensing in an instant. This whole place was virtually devoid of scent, scrubbed away by the disinfectants employed by the staff. Even Dr. Lyons barely registered as human. Small wonder she’d been able to sneak up on me.
Her delicate fingers checked his pulse, opting for the personal touch over the screen that provided much the same information.
“Readings suggest it was nothing more than a strong sedative. However, the stark effect has me questioning the appropriateness of the dosage. He’s not an Anóteros, just moonstruck. ”
Hearing the term repeated for the thousandth time didn’t make it any easier to swallow. Josh was sick, and he would stay that way for the rest of his life. I squeezed his hand, surprised to find it so warm. He looked completely devoid of life, lying there so drugged he couldn’t twitch a muscle.
“It’s not his fault. The full moon is next week.
I’ve seen… I’ve seen what Mien Zeke does to Tommy.
Every day it gets closer, he becomes a little more hyperactive, more sensitive to everything.
His energy is off the charts, like someone hooked an IV of moonlight to him and is injecting it directly into his system. ”
Dr. Lyons rested a hand on my shoulder. “I know. How is Tommy doing, by the way?”
“He’s… managing. Kale has him trying all these eccentric methods to keep calm. Honestly, I think Tommy’s love for his brother is the only reason he hasn’t stuffed some of those foul concoctions down his brother’s well-meaning throat. At least there’s Sabrina.”
Dr. Lyons nodded appreciatively. “Dr. Langdon is a superior physician and has chosen her specialty well. The pack is lucky to have someone of her caliber fighting for them. I told her so myself last night.”
I glanced at Dr. Lyons out of the corner of my eye. “Did you now?”
Pink darkened Dr. Lyons’ sienna skin. She coughed and unlocked the data-tab onto what appeared to be Josh’s file. “This is all nonsense.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ugh, I knew I should have trusted my instincts. Dr. Florence has been administering tests that have no correlation to Josh’s condition. This is absolutely absurd. It’s almost as if she wanted to provoke him into pulling her off his detail.”
I couldn’t hold back a huff of laughter. The sound surprised me.
Dr. Lyons turned curious brown eyes on me. “What?”
“She chose the wrong person to fuck with. I’ve seen Josh be polite and make you question your existence on this earth. When he settles, she is going to be very sorry she ever crossed him.”
“Elijah, you need to know that day may never come. Tommy’s case is mild compared to Detective Hart’s. While I don’t agree with Dr. Florence’s methods, today’s outburst is a testament to that. Josh is volatile and unstable, and… he may stay that way.”
I shook my head. “You don’t know him like I do. He’s a fighter. The life he’s lived… Josh can conquer anything. He’ll conquer this too.”
“That’s another thing. Are you going to tell him what you saw in there?”
My hand stalled on Josh’s arm. He may not feel the gesture, but it reassured me. “I haven’t decided.”
“You might want to consider it more seriously. As you pointed out, the next full moon is almost here. He will turn. This may be your only chance.”
“We can’t let him turn here.”
Dr. Lyons blinked back at me. “Where would you have him turn? Pack land isn’t any safer for a number of reasons.”
She didn’t need to list them. I was very aware of the danger Conrad and other members of my pack posed to Josh’s life since they’d learned the truth of his identity. I also knew, much like Keith had done so many months ago, Josh could lose his mind and attack everyone near him in a mindless rage.
“There’s a reserve not too far from here. It’s mostly enclosed, but it’s a good stretch of land. We could go there.”
“I understand your desire to have him back, but I fear you’re ignoring the—”
“He needs a forest, a real one,” I said over her. “Small wonder he’s half-crazy considering the box y’all keep him in.”
“That’s not fair. We’re doing everything we can.”
“I know that, I do, but it doesn’t change the fact that he needs to run, to be free.”
Dr. Lyons crossed her arms and glanced at the discarded data tab.
“Please, Priscilla, you're his doctor now. You can make that call.”
“There would be forms that need to be filled out.”
For the first time in days, hope filled my chest. “Whatever you need.”
“By both of you,” she added.
“Right, of course. Just as soon as he wakes up.”
Dr. Lyons cracked a smile. “All right, I’ll see that you receive the disclosures and discharge paperwork.”
I released Josh’s hand and swept her up in a hug. “Thank you.”
“He will still have to prove he can manage the change. I’ll expect him to return for a physical immediately afterward. And of course, all of this is completely based on the assumption that he maintains control until then.”
I finally released her. “He will. You’ll see.”
She shook her head, but the smile continued to play about her lips. “In the meantime, I’m going to run relevant diagnostic tests on these samples Dr. Florence already obtained. And you should go home and get some rest.”
“Sure thing.” We both knew I was lying, but she let it pass and turned away. “Hey, Priscilla?”
“Yes?”
“Tell Sabrina I said hi.”