Page 73 of From the Noblest Motives
Shudder sniffed in mock offense. "I'm a man in love. I can be needy. And Airmed says there's something in my brain."
"A tumor?" Damien's hesitation evaporated, and he strode in to hover at the bedside. "A blood clot?"
"Don't be so dramatic, boss. You scare people like that." Airmed rolled her eyes, and Blaze was glad to see that at least some of the young people weren't awed by Shudder. "It's not a physical mass, but I can feel it? Hear it? I think it's the persuasion link he told me about."
"Can you…" Damien's fingers twitched as he searched for a word. "Excise it?"
"No." She shook her head. "If it was physical, I could do something. But I can't get hold of this."
"So if Cyril gets hold of Shuds again, he can talk him into doing any damn thing," Blaze growled. "Did you verify the others have it? The kids we brought with us today?"
"Not yet. That's next on my list."
"Empaths, Air," Shudder said, breaking in at his most serious. "You need to get the empaths together and see if they can finagle something."
"Rather not go finagling in your brain, boss. But maybe we can figure this out."
"Thank you." Shudder patted her arm. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Die of some horrible infection, probably," Airmed said with grim satisfaction as she slid off the bed and headed out. "Now stay put. Anyone who needs you can come find you."
Blaze nodded at her retreating form. "She's tough."
"She's grown into it." Shudder frowned at his hands as if they were about to tell him something important. "Airmed was our only healer for, oh, about seven years, and she was only fifteen when she came to me. Running from a variaphobe family. Angry. Scared. Like so many of them. So many…"
"Hey." Damien moved a plate to the trunk and took the spot Airmed had vacated. "This is important. All that you've done. You can't save every child."
Blaze winced at Shudder's laugh—sharp and brittle as shattered crystal. "Damien Hazelwood. That's very pot meet kettle of you."
Instead of shutting down, Damien took his hand and met his gaze without flinching. "I know how hard it is. Bone deep, I do."
Instead of bristling or doubling down as a younger Shudder would've done, he let out a hard breath and nodded. "You do. I'm sorry. That was snarky of me and unkind."
"And here I thought you were made of snark." Blaze yanked his boots off so he could settle against the headboard on Shudder's other side. "You're tired, Shuds. You're hurting. Now that you've seen the healer and filled your stomach, maybe it's time for some real sleep."
"That sounds like heaven." Shudder slid down to burrow into his pillows, though he still kept hold of Damien's hand. "Bed. I've missed you, bed."
Blaze lay down beside him and slid an arm over Shudder's waist, and it looked like Damien, boots off now, was going to do the same. Then he hesitated and pointed to a plate with the remains of a muffin.
"Were you going to eat that?"
15
SHUDDER, WHEN HE'S AT HOME
This is my bed. I'm waking up in the bed I thought I'd never see again. With the two people I love most, who I never thought would want me. Surreal. That's what this is.
Shudder let himself lie there and drink everything in—Blaze snoring against the top of his head, Damien breathing gently, where he snuggled up against Shudder's back. Good chance Damien was awake and trying to stay still. He didn't seem to sleep long unless he was utterly, shatteringly exhausted.
A careful wriggle got Shudder to where he could confirm his suspicions, dark eyes meeting his the moment he turned his head. A suggestion of a smile lit Damien's gaze as he whispered, "Good morning."
Shudder couldn't have stopped his grin even if he'd glued his mouth shut. "Morning, beautiful. Feel like helping me to the shower?"
With almost supernatural quiet, Damien gathered up their things and hovered to be certain Shudder didn't need help getting out of bed. The hardest part was sliding out from under Blaze's heavy arm without waking him, but the big guy was really out, Marianas Trench deep in sleep. After that? Getting up posed less of a problem than Shudder had feared. Yes, the leg still hurt. Airmed said no amount of healing sessions could fully rebuild the torn sections of muscle.
He'd have to be patient and stop running around the country like a maniac. Her words.
Still. He was mobile and not hobbling. Progress.
