Lachlan blinks.‘What?’
Blaire shoots him a look.‘We probably shouldn’t discuss—’
‘No, no, wait.He had Mimi…’ Lachlan drops his tone.‘He had Mimi to use against Jules, to keep him in line, I thought.’
‘I’m sure that was an added bonus, but it’s not why he had her, or such is my understanding,’ she explains under her breath.‘Jules was borderline terminally ill.Doctors recommended Penhalyx have another child for the stem cells, plasma, all kinds of things, not to mention spare parts if necessary.Clara told me that Jules became instantly attached to her and seemed to start getting better on his own, but Penhalyx still carried out the recommended procedures.’
Lachlan thinks of his little girl.
Spare parts.
‘Jesus,’ he mutters.
‘We shouldn’t be talking about this,’ Blaire reminds him.
‘Yeah, of course.’Lachlan shakes himself.‘Sorry.’
?
Jules’ medical is very thorough.
Lachlan remains present throughout.He listens carefully to everything they’re saying, all the questions they ask Jules, what their focus seems to be.At first, it’s not so different from any medical Lachlan himself has had, just more technologically advanced and thorough, unsurprising in this place.
Jules is pliant and closed off, yet he’s so fucking pale.
Lachlan sees him subtly pressing his wrist.
But despite it seeming fairly standard, when it comes to the final part, Lachlan knows what’s going to happen.Watching closely, he sees them wheel over the equipment and Jules looks up at Lachlan.The first time he’s met his gaze all morning and he’s pleading openly.
‘What’s that for?’Lachlan asks the medics.
They look faintly startled, as though they hadn’t realised he was capable of speaking at all.Lachlan has always been good at blending into the walls.
‘We’re taking some samples,’ one medic explains, sounding mildly bemused to be questioned in the first place.
‘What kind?’
‘Blood.’
‘I can’t let you do that.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I’m contracted to keep his blood inside his body, verbatim.’
They laugh, dumbstruck.‘We were given direct orders from Mr Penhalyx.’
‘You may not draw blood from him,’ Lachlan tells them flatly.
‘Mr Tanner, maybe it’s better if you wait outside.’
‘He’s my responsibility and you will not draw blood from him today, so we’re done.’
‘No, we arenotdone.He’s nineteen now.We were given explicit instructions from Mr Penhalyx himself.’
‘What do you even need it for?’
‘To run tests, of course.’
