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“My name is Dr. Sam Collier. I’m in town for a conference and—“
Marshall held up a hand and offered a small smile. “Look, Doc, I’m sure you mean well and all, but I’ve seen more doctors in the last couple of years than are probably at your conference. No one knows what’s wrong with me.”
“Let me guess. Slow but steady weight and muscle mass loss? Crippling pain that started out as an ache but is now to the point where no painkiller can help? Headaches that can take you out for days?” Excitement and expectation glowed on his face as he recited Marshall’s symptoms almost perfectly.
“Yeah,” he replied warily.
“Do you know what’s wrong with him?” Saint asked, and Marshall could hear the hope in his voice.
“Possibly,” Sam hedged.
Saint’s face fell, and another low growl rumbled from his chest. Marshall placed a hand on his friend’s arm.
“If you’re not sure what’s wrong with me, then how do you know about my symptoms? All the doctors I’ve seen have said they’ve not come across it before.”
“My Pack Alpha has the same symptoms.”
The half-a-dozen words unleashed a gamut of emotions in Marshall’s chest. “Your Alpha? You’re a shifter?”
“Yes, I’m a bear shifter and part of the West Mill Pack. Our Alpha, Aaron, is a wolf shifter, and he started getting aches and pains a couple of years ago. Since then, he’s got steadily worse.”
Marshall wasn’t sure how to react. There was maybe someone else out there like him.
“And you don’t know what’s causing his symptoms?”
A familiar look of helplessness crossed the doctor’s face. It was one that Marshall had seen multiple times on the faces of the medical professionals he’d seen over the last two years.
“No, but… look, I know this sounds crazy, but would you be willing to come back with me to the Pack and let me run some tests? I’d like to make a comparison against the tests I’ve done with Aaron. There may be something that can help us fix this for both of you.”
Marshall looked at Saint. His best friend looked both hopeful and skeptical, mirroring how Marshall was feeling. Saint shrugged;it’s up to you.
“Where’s your Pack based?” Marshall asked. He didn’t think he could manage days of traveling, and he didn’t want to be too far away from Saint or his family.
“Oh, we’re just over the river in Bakersfield. Only about an hour from here.”
“How long would you need me for? I’ve got commitments and a business to run here.”
Marshall ignored Saint’s snort. Saint had been right earlier. They had worked hard to establish Black Star Gyms, and he didn’t want to give it up, but if the worst came to the worst, then at least Saint would be the rightful owner. Yes, he may be signing over his share of the business, but he was still going to work for as long as he could.
“Probably no more than a week? I honestly won’t know until I run the tests, but we have a pretty cool pack house, and Aaron and his family are good people.”
Marshall considered his options and realized he really had nothing to lose. He nodded his head. “Okay, Doc. I’m all yours. When are you heading home?”
Sam grinned, happiness flooding his features. “Thank you. I promise I’ll do all I can to help you. Would tomorrow morning be too soon?”
“No, I can be ready by then.”
“Great. I’ll ring Aaron and let him know to expect us. I can pick you up around nine in the morning if that works?”
Marshall nodded his agreement, and they swapped contact details.
“Thanks, Marshall. Can you email me your doctor’s name and permission to access your medical records? It will help me know what’s already been done.”
“Is there room for one more?” Saint asked. Marshall looked at him in surprise. “What? Did you honestly think I’d let you go off without me to cover your six?”
“Of course,” Sam agreed quickly. “In fact, it will be good for Marshall to have someone he knows there. Why don’t I meet you at your place, and you can follow me out to Bakersfield?”
Saint nodded his agreement, and Marshall was relieved that he was coming too. It wasn’t like him to make snap decisions, but something in his gut was telling him that this doctor may be able to help him, and really, he’d got to the point he’d try just about anything.
