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Ellie nodded absently, still feeling a bit fuzzy. "Of course," she agreed. Grant's hand on her shoulder seemed to burn right through her clothing. He was also nodding his agreement, but neither one of them moved. Ellie couldn't believe that the man in front of her was her mate. For decades, she'd wondered if she'd been forgotten by Fate. That maybe she wasn't good enough, thin enough, or pretty enough to deserve someone. Even now, looking up into his face, she couldn't determine whether he was glad at finding her or not.
She wanted to throw herself in his arms but hesitated. How would he feel about being stuck with her? They stared at each other for a moment more until the screech of a child made them turn. Immediately, they went to the cot of the thrashing child who was slapping at his parent's hands.
"Dr. St. John, there should've been three silver cases brought down here by the warriors. One of them is labeled cold storage. Could you bring it here please?"
Dr. St. John jumped up and ran for the case. He wheeled it over, and she opened it. She quickly took out a syringe and a clear bottle. He watched her closely as she carefully measured out a dose. "This is a fever reducer, pain killer, and mild sedative. I am giving one and a half the normal dosage that I would give a human child. If there is no change at all, we'll double it. But this should get us started."
Dr. St. John nodded, grabbing another syringe and a bottle. He went to the other side of the room, and between the two of them, they quickly delivered medicine to all the children. Nearly all of the twitching and restlessness began to quiet down as the medicine began to kick in.
Ellie looked at her grandmother. "Could you start charts?"
"Of course dear, one step ahead of you." She held up a clipboard. "Anything in particular you want in addition to the normal?" she asked.
"Recent foods, bowel movements, temperature, any change in temperament, water intake, and anything you can possibly think of to help chase this back to the source."
Her grandmother made a few more notes. "I'm adding a one week timeline as well."
"Good call." Ellie looked up at her mate. He had stayed with her the entire time she was administering the medicine, helping to keep the children calm.
"I'm sorry--" she started.
He tilted his head. "For what?"
"This can't be how you imagined meeting your mate." She chewed her lower lip.
He reached out and tapped her lips. "Those are mine to nibble."
She stopped chewing her lip because her mouth opened in shock.
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "The kids are sick, and you're a doctor. Of course, they have your attention. I'm not going anywhere. But I would like to know your name."
Both hands flew to her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm...I'm..."
"Deep breath," he instructed.
She took a deep breath, but that didn't help anything, all she did was inhale his scent, making her more aware of her body.
"My name is Eleanor Kimball, but my gram calls me Ellie."
"It is an honor to meet you my mate. I am Grant Douglas, unit warrior of the Eta Unit. How about we check on the children so we can get to know one another better?" he suggested.
She blushed. "Okay."
For the next half hour, Ellie went from cot to cot and examined each child. She checked their eyes, nose, and mouth. She was surprised to find nothing that pointed to the reason for their abrupt change in behavior.
Dr. St. John walked alongside her. Everything he said was true. All the children had a slightly elevated temperature and flushed skin.
Her grandmother walked over to where she and Dr. St. John stood off to one side going over the results of her examinations. "Ellie, the dosage of the painkiller and fever reducer has helped to settle the children, though some are still whimpering in their sleep. They calmed down when any of the Bolivars or Grant laid a hand on their heads. In all my years of nursing, I have never heard of a sick person acting differently because of someone in the room. It might make sense if the children were reacting to one of their parents, but I can't figure out why those four."
Ellie chewed on her bottom lip, thinking about what her grandmother had said, when she felt a warm hand at the small of her back. She practically jumped out of her skin.
Grant scowled. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to frighten you," he said in low tones.
She shook her head. "It's not your fault. I was lost in my own little world." She turned to the doctor. "Dr. St. John--"
He held up a hand. "Call me Nathaniel, please," he practically begged. "Everyone here calls me Doc. I think I'll forget my name if someone around here doesn't use it. Besides, we'll be working together, and Dr. St. John is a mouthful."
She smiled. "I know the feeling, and you can call me Ellie."
