Page 57 of Surviving Enchantment: Part One
Solor looked at the marks.“Those are goblin scratches.Are they anywhere else?”
“All over my torso and one hip.He was particularly scrappy.”
Skip came out and explained.“He had a head injury, and they tend to make the elder goblins a little crazy.”
Demuel had walked up to her, and he was looking at the marks.“I will heal this, but we need to show Dem-rah.”
“What?Why?”
“He’s the goblin king, and he made the arrangements for the goblin community to receive care.He needs to see what one of his did to a responder.”
“He couldn’t have done anything.”
“No, but the other goblins should have kept your patient under control.That is what they agreed to.”
“Okay, if it’s political, we can go.”
Demuel took some pictures and then said, “Can you lift your shirt?”
“If this is what is passing for foreplay nowadays...”She shrugged.The bags went to the ground, and she pulled the top off, showing her shredded bra and the exposed metal of the slashed corset.She unbuckled and unzipped, pushing her cargo pants down to show off the cuts on her hip.“I stopped being able to heal fully a few hours ago.Demuel’s booster actual bought me some time.”
Demuel was taking pictures of the damage, and Solor was firing off a furious text.
She looked at Demuel.“Can I pull everything back on?”
He nodded as he arranged the images, and Solor’s phone got a series of texts.
She eased the waistband of her trousers over the open wound of her hip.And then she went faster as she pulled her shirt over her head.
“Dem-rah would like to see you to apologize.”
“Why?”
“His people, his responsibility,” Solor muttered.
Demuel snagged the bags and walked with her to the dark green SUV.They tucked her in, and she saw Skip by his car.He turned and waved, and she tried, but her shoulder stopped her.
“Why didn’t your partner help you at the scene?”
“He was dealing with the second patient.The one that my patient fell on.”
Demuel paused.“That is not what I expected.”
“I know.We need an extra set of hands at the best of times.For people who need help, patients can kick, punch, spit, and an amazing array of fluids can go flying.Ah, my job is amazing.”She chuckled as they started to drive.
Solor was driving, and he was pissed.
She was dozing a little, but she was still so hungry that sleep eluded her.When they pulled up to the taco truck, she breathed slowly as the smells hit her.To her shock, Solor said, “Remain in the car.”
“Why?”
Dem-rah opened the door and hissed.“Ah, Nylora, I am so sorry.You haven’t been by recently.”
“After my second month, everything I loved made me ill, and since I loved your truck most of all, I had to stay in the ambulance.”
Dem-rah looked at her.“He had six arms?”
“Yeah, those little ones coming out of his shoulders.They did most of the headwork; the others worked the body.I am very happy that Bump was protected by steel.”
