listens to me, even though I was right. Wasn't I right, Rule? I said he'd be okay."
He turned, his smile coming easily now. "You were right. You get unlimited I-told-you-sos."
"Oh, you're gonna regret that." Cynna's grin spread. She stretched. "I'm glad that's over. When can I go see him?"
"Soon," Nettie said, standing. "But - "
Lily spoke. "One of us has to be with him. He needs to be guarded."
"Shit. Yes." Cynna frowned. "You said something about that earlier."
"Cynna." Nettie stood and took Cynna's hands. "You can go see him very soon, but I need to tell you something first. The surgery was a success, but Cullen's recovery may be... difficult."
Worry flashed through Cynna's eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I called it poison initially. It isn't. I could have eliminated a poison. I think it's a spell, but I can't identify it and wasn't able to rid him of it. This is difficult to put in words, but I more or less forced the intruding agent, whatever it is, to expend itself until it reached a level his healing can cope with. At this point, though, the intrusion is still there and active."
Cynna's throat worked as she swallowed. "But he's okay. He's going to be okay."
"He's okay now. Long term, of course, we want to find a way to get that intrusion out of him."
"I need to see him. I need to be there." She glanced at Lily. "I want to know what you've learned, too, but - "
"Later," Lily told her. "I'll fill you in later, when I relieve you."
"Relieve me? But you'll be... You've got to find him. Or her. Whoever did this. You can't just stand guard."
"Right now I don't have anyone else who's qualified to act as guard. Ah... " She glanced at Nettie. "I've already contacted the hospital's administration. Cullen will receive no visitors, and regular hospital personnel will not be allowed in his room, except for you."
Nettie frowned. "Cullen needs ongoing care. Professional care. That's why we're in a hospital rather than at Clanhome."
"That's why I brought Jason. He's not on staff here, but he's qualified. We'll need more than one nurse, I suppose, but he can handle it for now."
A rare spark of temper lingered in Nettie's eyes. "I suppose that will work temporarily. Jason doesn't have his RN yet, but he's an experienced LVN. He can handle both nursing and orderly duties for now."
"Good. Where's Cullen? Cynna needs to be with him."
"He's in post-op. Visitors aren't allowed there. Have you made arrangements to change that as well?"
Nettie had spoken sarcastically. Lily answered straightforwardly. "Cynna's officially part of security, so yes, that's taken care of. Jason, you know where post-op is?" When he nodded she went on to Cynna. "Take Jason's and Nettie's patterns so you can confirm who they are. Mine, too, and Rule's, if you don't have them."
"I'll take Jason's, but I don't need to with the rest. When it's someone I know well I don't have to take a pattern."
"Good. Allow no one in the room with Cullen unless you can confirm who it is. Do you have your weapon?"
Cynna nodded grimly.
"Okay. Go. I'll join you as soon as possible."
Cynna and Jason left. Lily turned to Nettie. "I didn't want Cullen carried in the records under his name, so when you look for your patient, look for Adrian Fisher, a patient who's been here since Tuesday."
"You're thorough."
"And you're pissed. I've trespassed in your territory."
After a moment, Nettie sighed. "Never let it be said that lupi are the only territorial critters around. Yes, you have, and I reacted poorly."
Rule went to Nettie. Up close, she gave off the faint, acrid scent of exhaustion. He dropped a hand on the back of her neck, using his fingers to unknot some of the tension. "Maybe because you're exhausted, drained, and scared. Cullen's not in good shape, is he?"
Nettie leaned her head back, her eyes closing. "Do that for another hour or so. No, he isn't. He's been through open heart surgery, and that - that intrusion is still there, still affecting him. Not as
He turned, his smile coming easily now. "You were right. You get unlimited I-told-you-sos."
"Oh, you're gonna regret that." Cynna's grin spread. She stretched. "I'm glad that's over. When can I go see him?"
"Soon," Nettie said, standing. "But - "
Lily spoke. "One of us has to be with him. He needs to be guarded."
"Shit. Yes." Cynna frowned. "You said something about that earlier."
"Cynna." Nettie stood and took Cynna's hands. "You can go see him very soon, but I need to tell you something first. The surgery was a success, but Cullen's recovery may be... difficult."
Worry flashed through Cynna's eyes. "What do you mean?"
"I called it poison initially. It isn't. I could have eliminated a poison. I think it's a spell, but I can't identify it and wasn't able to rid him of it. This is difficult to put in words, but I more or less forced the intruding agent, whatever it is, to expend itself until it reached a level his healing can cope with. At this point, though, the intrusion is still there and active."
Cynna's throat worked as she swallowed. "But he's okay. He's going to be okay."
"He's okay now. Long term, of course, we want to find a way to get that intrusion out of him."
"I need to see him. I need to be there." She glanced at Lily. "I want to know what you've learned, too, but - "
"Later," Lily told her. "I'll fill you in later, when I relieve you."
"Relieve me? But you'll be... You've got to find him. Or her. Whoever did this. You can't just stand guard."
"Right now I don't have anyone else who's qualified to act as guard. Ah... " She glanced at Nettie. "I've already contacted the hospital's administration. Cullen will receive no visitors, and regular hospital personnel will not be allowed in his room, except for you."
Nettie frowned. "Cullen needs ongoing care. Professional care. That's why we're in a hospital rather than at Clanhome."
"That's why I brought Jason. He's not on staff here, but he's qualified. We'll need more than one nurse, I suppose, but he can handle it for now."
A rare spark of temper lingered in Nettie's eyes. "I suppose that will work temporarily. Jason doesn't have his RN yet, but he's an experienced LVN. He can handle both nursing and orderly duties for now."
"Good. Where's Cullen? Cynna needs to be with him."
"He's in post-op. Visitors aren't allowed there. Have you made arrangements to change that as well?"
Nettie had spoken sarcastically. Lily answered straightforwardly. "Cynna's officially part of security, so yes, that's taken care of. Jason, you know where post-op is?" When he nodded she went on to Cynna. "Take Jason's and Nettie's patterns so you can confirm who they are. Mine, too, and Rule's, if you don't have them."
"I'll take Jason's, but I don't need to with the rest. When it's someone I know well I don't have to take a pattern."
"Good. Allow no one in the room with Cullen unless you can confirm who it is. Do you have your weapon?"
Cynna nodded grimly.
"Okay. Go. I'll join you as soon as possible."
Cynna and Jason left. Lily turned to Nettie. "I didn't want Cullen carried in the records under his name, so when you look for your patient, look for Adrian Fisher, a patient who's been here since Tuesday."
"You're thorough."
"And you're pissed. I've trespassed in your territory."
After a moment, Nettie sighed. "Never let it be said that lupi are the only territorial critters around. Yes, you have, and I reacted poorly."
Rule went to Nettie. Up close, she gave off the faint, acrid scent of exhaustion. He dropped a hand on the back of her neck, using his fingers to unknot some of the tension. "Maybe because you're exhausted, drained, and scared. Cullen's not in good shape, is he?"
Nettie leaned her head back, her eyes closing. "Do that for another hour or so. No, he isn't. He's been through open heart surgery, and that - that intrusion is still there, still affecting him. Not as
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