Page 35 of The Alpha

"Doctor!" Oswald yelped.

"Why is it when I want something done, I always have to do it myself?" Dr. Charles groused.

Pari watched the doctor grab a gun off a nearby table, then go to the cell door of the alien man. He shot once, twice, then handed the gun off to his assistant. "There, that should put him out long enough to replace the section of wall he just ruined." He approached the table Pari was strapped to. “And as for you. You were such a disappointment."

Her eyes grew wide, her screams muffled by the gag as he picked up the syringe, grabbed her arm, and....

"Oswald, come over here."

"Doctor?" Oswald was suddenly at his side.

Dr. Charles peered at Pari's arm. "Didn't she have tattoos?" He looked at her other arm. "On both arms?"

"She did sir," Mr. Vance volunteered.

"Was I asking you?" Dr. Charles snapped with annoyance.

Mr. Vance swallowed hard. "No, sir."

Dr. Charles tossed his head in the direction of the cells. "Make yourself useful and get some men to move him to the table. I want to run more tests."

"Yes, sir." Mr. Vance saluted and was off like shot.

Dr. Charles pulled the sleeve of Pari's hospital gown up to her shoulders. "Not a trace left. How fascinating.”

"She had one on her upper left thigh as well, sir," Oswald said.

Dr. Charles looked at him with raised eyebrows, then pulled the hospital gown up to expose her thigh. "What is that?"

Oswald bent down to look. "It appears to be a cute, pony-like unicorn, sir."

Dr. Charles eyed Pari with indecision. "Did we test to see if the tattoos were real?"

"Yes, sir. They were," Oswald said.

"Then where are they?" the doctor asked, perplexed.

Oswald looked Pari in the eyes, then looked over his shoulder at the cell area. "I don't know sir. It's as if she never had them."

Pari watched as the doctor and Oswald exchanged the same look of confusion.

Oswald studied her arms, then gazed at her face. "Her nose ring is gone."

Pari twitched her nose. She could usually feel her nose ring touch the area above her lip when she did. There was nothing there.

The doctor got in her face and looked at her nose. "You're right." He straightened. "Find it."

Oswald hesitated, then disappeared from her line of sight.

Dr. Charles stared down at her. "Well, aren't you full of surprises?" He ran a hand over her arms then peered at her noseagain. "That was a good-sized piece of jewelry you were wearing. And from the looks of it, there's no trace of the piercing."

"Found it!" Oswald cried.

"Bring it to me."

Pari, breathing like a winded horse through the nose, was as confused as they were. Even if her nose ring fell out, the hole in her septum would be noticeable.

The doctor peered at her nose again as Oswald handed him her ring. "Hold still now." He tried to put it in.

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