Page 35 of Skinwalker's Bane
“The table is tiny,” Devin said and bit her lip.
Daly leaned around her and looked past her. “The counter,” she told the others, nodding toward the kitchen.
Devin got to the counter just ahead of them and whipped the two coffee cups out of the way as they laid Adam on the stone. He gave a soft moan.
In the light, Devin could see the blood. It was on his face, yet there was far more of it under his head. Her throat closed down.
Daly pushed her to one side and pointed at the table. “Sit. Stay out of the way.”
Devin dropped into the chair, more than willing to take the weight off her suddenly weak knees.
She watched for glimpses of Adam between the bodies of the guards, as they went through a simple checklist of first aid. Daly was tapping and swiping at a mobile terminal.
“Hello?” came the call from the front door.
Daly looked up, her eyes narrowing.
“It’s Kall Legoria,” Devin said, her words thick from the tightness of her throat. “He’s a neighbor. And a doctor. I called him.”
Daly nodded to one of her team and the man went through to the front door, moving quickly. He came back with Kall, who was carrying his case of diagnostic tools. Kall glanced at the guards. He didn’t seem ruffled by their presence. His gaze went to where Adam lay on the counter. “Oh dear,” he said shortly, moving to the counter. “Move the stools, please,” he said, his gaze staying on Adam’s face. “What is the man’s name?”
“Adam,” Daly said, before Devin could clear her throat enough to answer.
“Adam,” Kall said sharply. “Can you hear me?”
It took a long few seconds before Adam stirred. “Huh?”
Kall nodded. “Very good. Bernice, could I use you as an assistant? You’ve got steady hands. And a couple of your men, to turn him when I need it.”
“We’re here for as long as we need to be,” Daly assured him.
“Then let’s get to work,” Kall said, putting down his bag and rolling up his sleeves. He looked at Devin. “Wait in the lounge, Devin. You don’t need to see this.”
She sighed and got to her feet and made herself go out into the lounge. As she settled on the arm of the chair, she remembered Adam’s last words.
Tell Haydn.
Yes, it would be important for his supervisor to know what had happened. She looked at the time on the lounge terminal. It was only just gone noon, ship’s time. Haydn would probably be at the Institute.
She used the public line to the Institute and asked for Haydn.
“Oh, he’s outside today,” the woman at the other end informed her with a casual friendliness. “They were short on the Droolie team.”
Devin had no idea what the Droolie team was. She did know that the skinwalkers didn’t like pulling people inside for anything short of a major emergency. Even though this was a frightful event, it wasn’t a ship-wide emergency that threatened large numbers of people. She couldn’t demand they haul Haydn inside just to take a call from her.
“Is Noa there, then?” Devin asked. “Tell her it’s Devin Bronson and that I need to speak to her about Adam Wary.”
“Adam?” the woman said sharply. “Did something happen? He hasn’t come back to the Institute for his shift report yet.”
“That’s why I’m calling,” Devin said. “I should talk to Noa first.”
“Damn,” the woman said with feeling. “Wait a second…”
Noa was switched into the call and the noisy background sounds of the Wall District at mid-afternoon disappeared. Noa had to be using a sound bubble, too. “Devin?” she said calmly. “What has happened?”
Devin told her and finished quickly with: “There is a doctor seeing to him now. He’s a skinwalker, though. Is there a doctor who normally treats skinwalkers, who might know of complications from outside work? Adam just came off shift…”
“Yes, there’s a man I’ll send out to see him straight away,” Noa said. She still sounded calm. “His name is Anar Bader. It might take him a while to get there because he works in the Aventine. Could you let the attending doctor know he’s on the way? And tell the doctor who is there that Adam just came off shift.”
