Dark Spy’s Resolution, page 23
part #37 of The Children Of The Gods Series
“I think she has strep throat.”
“What’s that?”
“Come on, you too? I thought that only Kalugal was so ignorant because he lives isolated from the world. It’s a bacterial infection in the throat, and it can get pretty nasty. It’s not life-threatening, though. You can Google it.”
“How do you know it’s that and not something else? You’re not a doctor.”
“Jin’s throat hurts, she has a high fever that doesn’t respond well to fever reducers, and when she talks, she sounds raspy. I’ve seen so many cases of strep throat that I can diagnose it like a doctor. Foster homes usually stick three to four kids in the same bedroom, and when one gets it, all the others get infected too.”
“Can you do me a favor and call Kian when Jin wakes up? I want to talk to her.”
“It’s not up to me.”
“I’ll place the call for you,” Kalugal said.
“Thanks. I appreciate that.”
“No hard feelings, right?”
Arwel shook his head. “That still remains to be seen, but I’m grateful to you for allowing me to talk to Jin.”
Kalugal sighed. “I’m a reasonable man, Arwel, and I’m not cruel when I don’t have to be. As long as it doesn’t endanger my men or me, I have no problem accommodating your or Jin’s requests. You and Kian seem to forget that this whole mess was created by you, not me. I’m only defending myself and my men the best I can.”
68
Kalugal
“The doctor is here,” Phinas announced from the other side of the door.
“I’ll be right out.” Kalugal pushed to his feet and looked down at Jacki. “I assume that you want to be here while he examines your friend.”
“Naturally. He will want me here as well. When a male doctor examines a woman, a female nurse is usually present. I’m not a nurse, but I meet the first requirement.”
He smirked. “You certainly do.”
“Are you flirting with me, Kalugal?” Her eyes narrowed, but her lips were curved in a little smile.
“I’m just stating a fact. You are unmistakably female.” He left before she had the chance to answer.
Spending time with Jacki was an interesting experience. He enjoyed the constant banter and the fact that she didn’t give him an inch. He would probably grow tired of it shortly, like he did with most people, but that was okay. She was leaving soon, and until then, he was going to enjoy her company without analyzing the reasons for it.
Phinas was waiting for him out in the corridor. “A van full of medical equipment is parked outside, but the doctor says he can perform the initial examination just with what he has in his bag. The equipment will be needed only if the lady requires monitoring, whatever that means.”
“It’s what they do in hospitals. The equipment monitors the patient’s vitals, like heartbeat, respiration, pulse, etc.”
“How do you know that?”
“Movies. And I’ve also checked on doctor Google. These days you can find any information you want on the internet. No need to go to the library or attend lectures, it’s all there at your fingertips.”
Phinas assumed a smile. “At the ready for you to exploit.”
“I’m just taking advantage of what’s freely available to anyone who cares to investigate. The problem is that much of it is not reliable, and it takes a discriminating mind to know what’s factual, what’s speculation, and what’s straight-up lies and manipulation. Where did you put the esteemed doctor?”
“In the library. Shamash is frisking him and checking his bag.”
“Good. I don’t want any more surprises tonight. We've had enough excitement to last us a year.”
This time Phinas smiled for real. “I can’t say that I don’t enjoy it. Our lives are pretty boring, and sometimes I miss the old days of going out to fight.”
How soon people forgot and romanticized the past.
“You’ve never believed in the cause, my friend. And you hated killing people for no good reason.”
“That is true. What I liked about it was the adrenaline rush and also the camaraderie.”
“You still have the second one. And if you need a rush, you can take up skydiving or something similarly dangerous.”
Kalugal opened the door to the library and walked in.
“Doctor Julian, I presume?” He offered his hand to the immortal. “I’m Kalugal.”
“I know.” The guy shook it. “Your portrait hangs in our headquarters. Can you take me to Jin?”
Kalugal turned to Shamash. “Is the doctor clean?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Follow me.” Kalugal waited for the doctor to pick up his bag. “What is my portrait doing in your headquarters, and how did you get it?”
“That’s a long story that I’m sure you’ll find fascinating, but it will have to wait for another time. I have a patient to see.”
“Of course.”
Kalugal opened the suite’s door and motioned for Julian to go ahead of him. “Jacki says that you need her present for the examination.”
“I don’t need her to be there, but I don’t mind it either.”
As they entered the bedroom, Jacki jumped up, ran up to the doctor, and hugged him. “You have no idea how glad I am to see you.”
The rage gripping Kalugal was totally unexpected, and he struggled to stifle the growl rising up in his throat. Why had seeing Jacki embracing the handsome doctor evoked such an intense reaction in him?
What the hell was going on?
He’d never felt jealousy before or any overly intense emotions for that matter. He was a logical man, and not one who was ruled by basal urges. And what’s more, he had no right. Jacki didn’t belong to him, and if she wanted to wrap her arms around the neck of some guy that was too good-looking to be a doctor, it was her prerogative.
“Same here.” Julian pulled her arms off. “Now, let me examine Jin.”
“It’s strep throat. I’m willing to bet on it.”
“She shouldn’t have passed out from a simple infection like that.”
“She was tired and stressed out, and then Kalugal gave her Poo Poo tea, and it was the last straw.”
The doctor shook his head. “I’m not even going to ask.” He looked at Kalugal. “Can you please wait in the other room? You can leave the door open.”
“Of course.”
Kalugal would have liked to stay, but Jacki would probably threaten to scratch his eyes out if he insisted on it.
The doctor sat on the bed next to Jin and put his hand on her shoulder. “Jin, it’s Julian.”
Kalugal walked out into the sitting room and headed to the wet bar. Pouring himself a drink, he listened to the conversation in the other room.
“Can you open your eyes for me?” the doctor asked.
69
Jin
“Julian? When did you get here?” Jin whispered because talking hurt too much.
“A few minutes ago. I need to look at your throat.”
“It hurts.”
“I bet. Can you open your mouth?”
“Am I transitioning?”
“You are ill, Jin. But I’m here to take care of you.”
Right. She wasn’t supposed to mention transition next to Jacki. Although at this point, it was stupid. Jacki already knew about immortals, so what was the harm in telling her about Dormants?
Except, Jin lacked the energy to argue with Julian.
“She is delirious,” Jacki said. “Before I gave her the Motrin, she thought that I was her mother.”
Ignoring Jacki’s comment, Julian lifted the tongue depressor. “Open and say ah.”
As Jin followed the doctor’s instructions, producing the ah sound hurt like hell, and it turned into a whimper.
“I’m sorry. I’ll be quick.” Julian shone his slim flashlight into her throat. “Just as we thought. Your throat is covered with pus. It looks like streptococcus, but it’s always best to check. He pulled out a long cotton swab. “Open wide.”
That was going to be a bitch, especially since she was starting to think that Julian was putting on a show for Jacki. Maybe she didn’t have a throat infection and was transitioning?
Nevertheless, she opened her mouth as wide as she could and almost gagged when Julian swabbed the back of her throat.
“Where is the bathroom?” he asked.
“I’ll show you.” Jacki got up.
As the two left, Jin reached with a shaky hand for the glass of water on the nightstand. The thing almost fell out of her hand, but she gritted her teeth, tightened her hand around it, and brought it to her mouth.
Mey had said something about transition involving swollen glands, but that was supposed to happen only to the males. But then Mey had grown a pair of tiny fangs, which was an anomaly. None of the other Dormant females had lost or regrown teeth during their transition.
In Mey’s case, the fangs had come without venom glands, but maybe Jin was going to get both?
That could be so cool. Talk about being a badass.
On the other hand, it felt like strep throat. The last time she’d suffered from it, Jin was eight, and all she remembered was that her throat had felt on fire and she couldn’t even swallow her own saliva. Why would it come back so many years later, though? Strep usually affected kids, and Jin hadn’t had contact with any for far too long to get infected.
It didn’t make sense.
“It’s strep,” Julian announced as he came back with Jacki. “The culture tested positive in a matter of minutes.”
Was he still putting on a show?
He sat next to her on the bed. “Are you allergic to penicillin?”
“No.”
“That’s good. I’ll give you a Bicillin shot, which is an injectable form of penicillin, and you’ll be all better in two to eight hours. It’s a one-dose treatment. You won’t even have to take pills for ten days.”
“Really?”
“The streptococcus bacteria responds very well to antibiotics. The downside is that the shot is painful.”
As the daughter of a pediatric nurse, Jin knew all about the shot. Her question wasn’t about the speed of recovery or whether it would hurt.
“I know. I had it when I was a kid. But are you sure that I need it?”
“Do you prefer pills? I have those too. But it will take them longer to work.”
More and more, it seemed like Julian was serious about it really being a bacterial infection and not the start of her transition. And in that case, Jin would rather heal faster than slower.
She still had a job to do.
“I’ll take the shot.”
Jacki grimaced. “Is it okay if I wait in the other room? I really hate needles.”
Hallelujah.
Finally, she would have a moment alone with Julian.
“Go. I trust Julian.”
“Thank you.” Jacki scurried out of the room.
Jin put her hand on Julian’s forearm. “Do I really have a strep throat, or am I transitioning and this is all for Jacki’s sake?”
He chuckled. “If this was a charade, I would have given you sugar pills instead of subjecting you to a penicillin shot. You are not transitioning. In fact, you can’t until you heal. We've learned from experience that unless the Dormant’s body is healthy and in good physical condition, it’s not going to enter transition. The process is incredibly taxing on the body, which is why it can be potentially fatal for older Dormants even if they are healthy.”
“So, it’s a defensive mechanism. The genes don’t activate unless they have the right environment.”
“That seems to be the case.”
Jin sighed and turned on her side. “Do it quickly.”
“Try not to scream. We don’t want Kalugal and his men running in here to save you from me.”
“I won’t.”
Just to make sure though, Jin grabbed a pillow and held it in front of her face. “I’m ready.”
70
Kalugal
“I won’t be needing the equipment after all.” The doctor walked into the sitting room. “It’s a simple bacterial infection that responds very well to antibiotics. Jin is going to be fine in a matter of hours.”
Kalugal rose to his feet. “Best news I’ve had today. Thank you.” He offered the doctor his hand.
“I’m going to check on Jin.” Jacki walked up to Julian. “Thank you for coming, and say hi to everyone else in the gang for me.” She leaned and kissed his cheek. “Bye, Julian.”
Even though there was nothing going on between the two, Kalugal didn’t like her touching the male.
Forcing a smile, he turned to the doctor. “Would you like to stay the night, or are you going back to your people?”
“I doubt Jin will need my services, but I don’t mind staying around if it’s okay with you.”
An unexpected relief washed over Kalugal. “I would very much like for you to stay. I find myself out of my element with an ill human, and I must admit that I didn’t enjoy the feeling of not knowing how to help her.”
The doctor nodded. “I know how you feel. Sometimes doctors can’t help either, and that’s incredibly frustrating, even depressing. It was difficult for me to work in a human hospital and be exposed to suffering I couldn’t alleviate.”
“Are you an empath?”
“Not a strong one. But it would have been hard for any immortal with a sensitive nose. I hate the scent of despair.”
Kalugal nodded. “I hear you. There are many emotional scents that I find repugnant. My favorite by far is the smell of female arousal,” he added to lighten the mood.
Julian cracked a smile. “Isn’t it every male’s?”
“You guys are gross.” Jacki walked back into the sitting room, the color of her cheeks a deeper peach color than before.
Was she embarrassed?
“My apologies.” Kalugal dipped his head while stifling a smile.
When they were waiting for Julian to administer the shot, he'd caught a very slight whiff of that best scent, and now that Jacki had heard his and Julian’s exchange, she must’ve realized that her secret was out.
She waved a dismissive hand. “No need to apologize. All it proves is that all men are the same. Immortal or human, sophisticated or not, educated or not, it doesn’t matter. Leave you alone for a few minutes, and you turn into adolescents, spewing locker-room humor.”
Julian shrugged. “There's no harm in that. It just proves that we are female aficionados. Imagine a world in which males were indifferent to female charms.”
“I could do without your appreciation for certain female-specific scents. But speaking of smells, I helped Jin to get into the shower. Can I borrow some clean clothes for her?”
“Certainly.” Kalugal opened the door and motioned for Shamash to come in. “Can you show the doctor to a guest room?”
They’d never had guests before or had planned on having any, so there was no spare room in the house that was dedicated for that purpose. But since most of the men were still in the bunker, Shamash could put the doctor in one of their rooms.
“I don’t intend to sleep,” Julian said. “Point me to an armchair, and I’ll spend what’s left of the night reading.”
“Then you will enjoy my library.”
The doctor’s eyes sparkled. “I definitely would. I’m also going to call Kian and give him an update if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It will save me the trouble.”
Julian waved a hand at Shamash. “Lead the way.”
“Bye, Julian.” Jacki waved before turning to Kalugal. “You didn’t tell your guy to get clothes for Jin.”
“She can have some of mine. Follow me.”
“Where?”
“To the closet, of course.”
Jacki snorted. “That’s the worst pick-up line I’ve ever heard.”
“You have a one-track mind, Jacqueline.”
As Kalugal walked back into the bedroom, he expected to be greeted by the smell of vomit. But Jacki had opened the windows, and most of it was gone.
“What do you mean?” She followed him into the closet.
“You keep insinuating that I’m flirting with you, but I am not.” He was, but so far, he had been so subtle that it could have easily been interpreted as friendliness.
She rolled her eyes. “My mistake.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
Naturally, a beauty like Jacki was used to a lot of male attention, and the best way to deal with someone like her was to appear unaffected by it.
He pulled out a set of silk pajamas and handed them to her. “If the pants are too loose, she can use only the top.”
“Jin is tall. It might not be long enough to cover the essentials.” Looking around his cavernous walk-in closet, Jacki pointed to a bank of drawers. “Do you have a pair of new boxer shorts by any chance?”
“I sure do.” He opened the drawer and handed her a pair that still had the tag attached to it.
She ran the fabric between her fingers. “It’s so soft. Is everything you wear next to your skin made from silk?’
Was she thinking about him in the nude, wearing only his boxer shorts or pajama bottoms?
The thought was very arousing.
“I like how it feels.” His voice dropped half an octave.
The peach color of Jacki’s cheeks deepened. “I bet. Only the best will do for you.”
71
Jin
After showering, Jin already felt significantly better. First of all, the disgusting smell of puke was finally out of her hair, and secondly, much as she hated to admit it, Kalugal’s silk pajamas were incredibly soft and luxurious.
Arwel would not have approved of her wearing another man’s sleepwear, especially a sexy devil’s like Kalugal, but he wasn’t there, and she didn’t have a choice.
Not much of the vomit had gotten on Alena’s sweater and skirt, but they had still smelled horrible. Jacki had washed both in the bathroom sink, and then one of Kalugal’s men had taken them to put in the washing machine and then the dryer. By morning, she could change back, and Arwel wouldn’t know she had ever worn Kalugal’s pajamas.
