He did, emptying the ipecac into Rory’s mouth. It didn’t take long to work, and Grey stood with a basin for Rory to vomit into. The sounds were awful, but I didn’t think anything of it, simply preparing what I needed for the next steps. Emptying his stomach was only the first item on the to-do list. I needed to clear the toxins from his blood now.
As my concoctions filtered into his system, Rory twisted and writhed on the hospital cot. He groaned so much, gripping Grey’s hand, as his mom stood behind him, stroking his back. I pressed a cool compress to his forehead as we waited.
And waited and waited.
Greylen’s other hand rested on my back. Even though his attention was fully on Rory, that little touch meant everything. Grounding me.
The first few times Kiki had let me heal, she had done something similar, resting a hand on my shoulder. It was a familiar and comforting gesture, and I appreciated Greylen just a little bit more in that moment.
“It’s… It doesn’t hurt anymore.” Rory mumbled and stilled on the bed, taking several deep breaths as he relaxed, his muscles no longer rigid.
I sagged, while Leah and Donald downright collapsed from the relief. Blinking slowly over and over, Rory drifted off, the exhaustion getting to him.
Twenty minutes later, Rory was peacefully asleep as the IV slowly did its job.
“So, it’s working?” Leah asked between tears.
“I think so. I don’t want to promise anything just yet, but his temperatureis getting a bit better, and he’s calmed down.”
Then the door to the small clinic room opened roughly, and Jenkins came in with Orsen and Bastian.
“What the hell happened?” Bastian growled.
“He must have eaten something,” I explained, running a hand through my hair. “He got so sick, so quickly?—”
“Well, well. Perhaps you're not as good a healer as you thought you were,” Jenkins hissed, his words dripping with venom. His gray hair was scraggly and he looked more unkempt than usual.
He was still wearing that stupid white lab coat, though.
I was pretty sure he would request to be buried with that stupid thing when the time came.
“What on earth is hedoing here? Get him the hell out of my clinic,” I instructed, looking at Orsen.
“He heard Rory was bad and… wanted to help.”
“We don't needhisbrand of help here,” I shot back, fury rising in my gut and twisting it nearly as much as whatever fucking toxin had gotten into Rory.
Everyone in the room stared between Jenkins and me, their faces torn.
“Rowan…” Orsen trailed off.
“You can’t be serious.” I glared at him. “After what I proved about his so-called vitamins. You need to?—”
“Bastian,” Jenkins cut in, “enough is enough. Let metake over the boy’s care. I will get him better swiftly. I assure you.”
“Oh? How can yoube so sure?” I snapped, cocking my head.
“BecauseI’ma competent doctor.” Jenkins flared that haughty tone, irritating the crap out of me. “Iknow what the boy needs.”
“No doctor, medical degree or otherwise, should act like they have all the answers. You weren’t even?—”
But I stopped, my stomach dropping as I looked between Rory and Jenkins, a sickening thought occurring to me.
No. That can’t be… but…
I’d seen cases where dragons had been poisonedby something natural from the earth. That was my firsthand experience. But this was different; I could tell right away. If it was something syntheticattacking Rory’s system, there was no way he’d just eaten it. Like I’d mentioned to Grey, Rory wasn’t a baby. He wouldn’t chow down on something he knew he shouldn’t be messing with. And his parents had been there the entire time to vouch for that.
“This doesn’t look like natural poisoning,” I whispered, turning away from Rory slowly as I faced Jenkins.
