Page 22 of Monsters and Mocha

He sighed, conceding defeat. “Fine. If that will get you out of here and asleep faster, please do.”

She sat on the cot beside him, listening to his heart from both the front and the back and sending goosebumps down his arm every time her warm fingers brushed his skin. “Everything still sounds good.”

“Excellent. Now go.”

“I will. Just give me a moment.” She turned and rested the back of her head on the wall beside him, and her eyes drifted closed. “Now that I’ve sat down again, I need to mentally prepare myself for the thought of all those stairs.”

“Darby, just—” His words were cut off as the sudden weight of Darby’s head fell onto his right shoulder, the soft, even breaths evidence that she had already fallen asleep. He shook his head, even as a fond smile pulled at one side of his mouth. He met Raven’s eyes from across the room. “What now?”

The bird nodded. “Make it work.”

He breathed out a laugh as he looked at the head of soft red hair on his shoulder. A spark of hope ignited in his chest.

“You know, as long as she’s here, I think it just might.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

DARBY

“Here you are, sir.”

Darby set the mug of coffee on Dr. Fransten’s desk and stood with her hands clasped in front of her, waiting for him to give her the day’s schedule. Artificial energy buzzed through her limbs, keeping the exhaustion that pulled at her at bay.

The doctor answered without looking up from the patient charts in front of him. “Thank you, Shelton. Have a seat.” He picked up the mug and motioned with it to the chairs before taking a sip.

The silence stretched across the office for a few moments, broken only by the ticking of the clock on the wall. Finally, Dr. Fransten set the papers down and leaned back in his chair. “How is your patient progressing?”

It took her tired brain a few seconds to realize he was referring to Fitz. Darby smiled. “His recovery is promising. He was able to sit up yesterday, and he has regained nearly full range of motion in both arms. Walking is the next step—if you’ll pardon the pun—and I have hope that with some recalibration of the artificial leg he will be fully mobile within a week or two.”

She did her best to give her report in a clinical, professional manner, though it was hard to keep the excitement completely from her voice.

Thankfully, Dr. Fransten seemed to share her enthusiasm. “Amazing,” he remarked softly, his eyes bright with interest. “I will admit, I was skeptical that you would be able to effectively connect his neural pathways between his brain and the metal mechanisms you designed, but it seems your experiments have been quite successful. You should be proud of your accomplishments, Shelton.”

She felt her cheeks warming at his praise. “I’m just thankful that I was able to save him.”

“When would you like me to present your findings to the Guild of Medicine?”

The question caught her off guard. She blinked. “Oh. I suppose I hadn’t thought of it as strictly necessary at the moment, given his recovery.”

He set his empty mug down on the desk. “Unless you plan to keep him locked away and out of sight, his appearance will hardly go unnoticed. And notice will bring questions, and questions will bring your name and reputation under scrutiny, unless we act preemptively.” Dr. Fransten steepled his fingers together. “I am more than happy to take full responsibility for whatever repercussions there might be. A slap on the wrist from the Guild is worth it for the medical advancements this will make possible.”

Darby pressed her mouth into a thin line, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth as she considered. “I see what you mean. Perhaps in a week or two, when Fi—Captain Monstrego has had a chance to recover fully?”

Dr. Fransten nodded. “Very well. In the meantime, we have a full day ahead of us.” He handed her one of the patient charts. “I want you to take care of the tonsillectomy.”

Her jaw dropped. “On my own?”

“Unless you doubt your ability to handle it.”

“I can.” She took the chart from him, a feeling of elation bubbling up from her toes. “Thank you, sir. I won’t let you down.”

He waved her away with a smile. “As I have seen, Shelton. As I have seen.”

Her feet ached from standing all day and a heavy weariness had settled deep into her bones, but Darby couldn’t keep the smile from her face as she trudged down the steep, narrow stairs to her workshop.

I knew it would only be a matter of time before my hard work paid off! Maybe now Fransten will finally let me take on more cases by myself. After all, if I could put Fitz back together on my own, it’s not like he can say I’m not ready for far simpler procedures.

The thought of the captain caused her smile to widen, and she against the workshop door with her knuckle before opening it. “It’s a beautiful evening! I hope you’re ready for—Fitz!”