Page 22 of Rarely Pure and Never Simple
"Let's get it over with. Hippo's bedside manner's on par with a rabid weasel's, and I'd rather havelessof her company than more." Blaze flicked his eyes over to Damien and went on in a softer tone. "Damien, you should go for a cup of coffee or something."
"I'm not leaving you." Suddenly, it seemed the most important thing in the world to stay, which was ridiculous. What could he do?
"Suit yourself. But don't freak out and start beating people with IV stands and stuff, hear me?"
"Yes."
Hippocrata peeled the sheet back to Blaze's waist and set both palms flat against his chest. A strange flicker of unease darted through Damien's midsection that quickly escalated to alarm when the two accompanying hulks grabbed Blaze's arms and shoulders and pinned him to the bed.
No, oh, no.
At first, Blaze went rigid, his back arching off the mattress. Hippocrata leaned into him, her eyes squeezed shut in concentration. Blaze's breaths sped, ragged panting between clenched teeth. He began to pound the mattress with his right foot, his fingers tightening into white-knuckle fists. Hippocrata began breathing hard as well, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.
She must have reached some critical juncture, since she whispered, "Easy now. Stay with me."
Blaze whimpered, a sound that tore at Damien's heart. Then he began to scream. Damien pulled his knees up under his chin and wrapped his arms tight around his legs. He shut his eyes, rocking, telling himself any moment it would be over, any moment…
The dark was unrelenting, pressing down on him, suffocating him, but it never lasted forever.
"Hazelwood!"
Hippocrata stood over him, her hands on her hips. He craned his neck, trying to look past her to the bed. Blaze lay flat now, though he whimpered still and shifted restlessly.
"Pay attention. Look, I don't much care if that jackass hurts. He deserves everything he gets. But you seem to care. God only knows why."
"Why couldn't you give him something for the pain?" Damien whispered. "Was it just to be cruel?"
"No. I have to be connected with the patient on a cellular and neurological level. Any kind of anesthesia gets in the way of the connection."
"But he's worse off than when you started."
She heaved a slow breath as if she needed patience. "It hurts. Accelerated healing. A lot. He's braver than most. I'll give the jerk that much. So, yes, he'll be flat on his back today. Maybe tomorrow. But that's it. He'll be up in a couple of days instead of two or three weeks."
Cold, cold woman.Please go away.
Hippocrata snorted as he continued to stare at her. "Whatever. Do what you want with the info. You're welcome."
She swept out like a winter storm, her goons hustling in her wake to keep up. Damien slid over to the bed and perched on the edge, uncomfortable and mortified. Blaze's eyes remained shut, each indrawn breath accompanied by a tortured whimper.
"Hey," he whispered as he dared to reach out a trembling hand pat Blaze's arm. His skin felt clammy, and he shivered when Damien touched him, but he groped for Damien's hand and clutched it tight.
The whole situation felt too bizarre, the fact that he had reached out to touch someone without coaxing completely surreal.Too bad. Suck it up. Damien pulled the covers up to Blaze's chin and tugged the extra blanket up from the foot of the bed as well. He laid his free hand on Blaze's chest, smoothing across the blanket in slow, soothing circles.
"You have to breathe. Slow down. You want me to count with you?" Damien nearly smiled when he received a broken piece of a tortured laugh. "All right. Maybe not. I never liked that woman. So icy for someone who's supposed to help people."
"Says… the man… who… can't… smile."
"But I've never tried to make people better. I just find what's left after they're already shattered."
"Least… you're honest." Blaze caught the hand on his chest and pressed it down over his heart. It seemed to help for some odd reason. "She took the hypocritical oath."
Damien frowned. "You mean the Hippocratic Oath."
"Nope. Knew… what I meant." Blaze squeezed his hand while he tried for a longer, shuddering breath. "Hippo likes pain."
For a moment, this baffled Damien. "Likes feeling it?"
"Causing it. Her boys… always… pain whores."
