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Tarragon paled. "We need a NICU."
"And why would we need a neonatal intensive care unit?" Bethy asked.
Tarragon just gave her a look as if to say 'why wouldn't we need one with your child?'
Magnus waved a hand at him. "Arrange for whatever you need or whatever you think you may need or whatever you think you could ever possibly need for any and every worst-case scenario you can imagine," Magnus ordered. Tarragon looked relieved.
"You can add the NICU to my laboratory. Evidently, it's becoming this city's infirmary," Broderick said sourly.
Magnus winced. "We have never really needed an infirmary before. The only person who ever got hurt was Bethy."
"Maybe we should have one," Bethy suggested. "I mean we have shifter children here now; I'm sure they will get into tumbles. Plus, you never know what may happen. Declan and Kari both needed the facilities recently, and Dr. St. John has expressed an interest in maintaining an infirmary here."
Tarragon swayed looking ill. "What if her child is like her? What if we have to do it all over again?" he asked. Kuruk paled and started shaking his head. He looked over at his brother. Tarak wrapped an arm around Tarragon and steered him out of the room. "Let us go enjoy a celebratory drink," he suggested.
Tarragon's eyes were still unfocused. "Yes, right, celebrate. A drink would be lovely, thank you." He was still trembling and shaky as the door shut behind them. Kuruk, with one hand on Bethy's shoulder, steered her toward her chair.
Magnus continued as if the poor healer hadn't just had a nervous breakdown. "Next, I have a surprise for Meryn."
"A surprise?" Meryn asked, perking up.
"Yes, I heard you refer
to something, and I realized I do not think we have one here. I believe you, Nigel, and Neil were talking about an Xbox." He grinned.
"You didn't?" she whispered.
Magnus nodded enthusiastically, and Sebastian came into the room with a wheeled cart. Stacked high were three unopened Xboxes. Meryn squealed and launched out of her chair. She ran over to Magnus and began peppering his face with kisses. He began to blush furiously and tried to fend her off her affection. But to anyone watching, it didn't look as if he were trying very hard.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She raced to the cart and began looking over the boxes. "We can play online now, and you got us headsets and extra controllers. We can kill zombies all we want!"
Magnus chuckled. "I am glad that you are feeling better Meryn."
Declan saw her eyeing the Xboxes and raised an eyebrow, she shrugged. They'd find out soon enough.
"Are you feeling better?" Bethy asked Meryn.
Meryn stayed facing the games. "I'm okay. But, like, your city sucks."
"Meryn!" Bethy exclaimed.
"It does. I thought it would be all Lord Of The Rings, but it's more like Resident Evil.
"Resident Evil?" Aiden asked.
Meryn pushed the cart so it was behind her chair and sat down. Smiling, she patted the boxes. "Yeah, it has this evil corporation zombie feel where there are shadows, and the shadows want to eat me."
Kari stilled; that was the feeling she'd had before she had gotten dizzy. As if something watched her from the dark.
Kari watched as Ryuu moved quickly. One moment he was in the corner, the next kneeling beside his charge. "Why do you describe it like that?" He watched her face intently.
"I don't know," she admitted. "But the dark never bothered me before coming here."
He stood, looking first at Kuruk and then Sebastian, both men nodded. Ryuu looked down at Meryn. "If you would excuse me for a moment denka, I will be back momentarily." He quickly walked out of the dining room.
Meryn just stared at the door. "He left me," she muttered. She hopped down out of her chair and started to leave, but the door wouldn't budge. "He locked it!" She put her ear against the door and then spun to face the table, a look of disgust on her face. "And soundproofed it."
Aiden shrugged. "It's like he knows you or something," he said, his lips twitching.
