she murmured shyly, and realizing she was hungry,
started tucking in. As usual, by the time she’d gotten less than halfway
through, she put the bun down and pushed her plate away. Her stomach wasn’t
full, but her head was full of the orderlies’ faces when they’d watch her eat.
She was never allowed to eat on her own. Sometimes, she just wasn’t hungry. Too
many pills stuffed down her throat. They’d stood over her. Cracking jokes about
her going on a diet. Her throat closed, and she couldn’t eat any more, even
though when she’d first seen the food, she could have eaten two of them.
She glanced up at Mac, and his hand squeezed her thigh. She
stilled. Another guy had come into the room. She hadn’t noticed him before, and
she drew into Mac’s side, alarmed.
“This is Dr. Michaels. This is the guy responsible for
getting you out of the hospital.”
Mac smiled, but made no move to make Lisa go near the
doctor.
The fairly average looking, sandy-haired guy with glasses,
had a smile that crinkled as he spoke. “Hi, Lisa, good to see you’re a bit
better. Do you mind if we talk some?”
Lisa nodded carefully and kept close to Mac.
“Lisa, I want to apologize. The system hasn’t treated you
very well I’m afraid.”
Lisa gaped, amazed. She blurted out, “It wasn’t your fault,”
before she could stop herself. Heat crept up her face.
“Well, no, not personally maybe, but really, in this day and
age, these things shouldn’t be happening.” He sighed. “I just stopped in to say
hi, but I can see you’re doing well. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to stop
in regularly over the next few days. Just to talk.”
She was sure they could all hear her heart hammering, trying
to escape her chest.
“I’m on my way to see another patient, and I can’t stay
today, but I just wanted to say hello.”
Short breaths became longer. He didn’t seem that bad.
“I’ll be going now. Mac, want to walk out with me?”
Mac gazed down at Lisa. “Will you be okay with Riley for a
few minutes?”
Lisa nodded. She quite liked Riley, and she needed Mac to
stop guarding her so closely.Didn’t
she? So she could get away when she needed to.
* * * *
Mac walked to the door where Zack stood, obviously guarding
the kitchen door in case Lisa and Dr. Michaels needed privacy. Mac gave him a
grateful smile.
“What do you think, Doc?”
“I think it’s remarkable she seems to have come out of this
relatively unscathed. According to Riley, her mind is quite clear. At the very
least, I would have expected serious side-effects, if not permanent damage.
Shifter metabolism is quite remarkable.”
Mac nodded, pleased.
“You’ve still got a long haul with her. Panic attacks
certainly. I wouldn’t be surprised at moderate or severe agoraphobia. I’m
amazed she isn’t suffering serious withdrawal symptoms. I asked for the drugs
to be reduced,” he smiled questioningly, “not completely stopped.”
Mac shrugged. “Riley would know if it were a problem.”
Dr. Michaels let out a heartfelt sigh. “I wish he would
consider a career in medicine. I understand you’re her mate?”
Mac nodded.
“Well, I suppose what I’d normally say to spouses won’t
apply to you.”
“Which is?”
Dr. Michaels sighed. “She needs someone for the long haul.
If you’re not totally committed, I can arrange for a transfer.” He shook his
head at Mac’s askance look. “Like I said , if you weren’t
a shifter . The other thing is her
general health. I’m can’t be entirely sure without getting a full work up on
her, which given her reticence, isn’t a good idea at present, but you’ve
noticed she’s quite plump?”
Mac growled, feeling his bear rush to defend his mate. Dr.
Michaels took a step back.
“Whoa, listen. That isn’t a criticism. It’s something I’ve learned
from a colleague I worked with last year, a wolf shifter, and my wife also.
She’s seriously undernourished, she’s probably had junk
started tucking in. As usual, by the time she’d gotten less than halfway
through, she put the bun down and pushed her plate away. Her stomach wasn’t
full, but her head was full of the orderlies’ faces when they’d watch her eat.
She was never allowed to eat on her own. Sometimes, she just wasn’t hungry. Too
many pills stuffed down her throat. They’d stood over her. Cracking jokes about
her going on a diet. Her throat closed, and she couldn’t eat any more, even
though when she’d first seen the food, she could have eaten two of them.
She glanced up at Mac, and his hand squeezed her thigh. She
stilled. Another guy had come into the room. She hadn’t noticed him before, and
she drew into Mac’s side, alarmed.
“This is Dr. Michaels. This is the guy responsible for
getting you out of the hospital.”
Mac smiled, but made no move to make Lisa go near the
doctor.
The fairly average looking, sandy-haired guy with glasses,
had a smile that crinkled as he spoke. “Hi, Lisa, good to see you’re a bit
better. Do you mind if we talk some?”
Lisa nodded carefully and kept close to Mac.
“Lisa, I want to apologize. The system hasn’t treated you
very well I’m afraid.”
Lisa gaped, amazed. She blurted out, “It wasn’t your fault,”
before she could stop herself. Heat crept up her face.
“Well, no, not personally maybe, but really, in this day and
age, these things shouldn’t be happening.” He sighed. “I just stopped in to say
hi, but I can see you’re doing well. If it’s okay with you, I’m going to stop
in regularly over the next few days. Just to talk.”
She was sure they could all hear her heart hammering, trying
to escape her chest.
“I’m on my way to see another patient, and I can’t stay
today, but I just wanted to say hello.”
Short breaths became longer. He didn’t seem that bad.
“I’ll be going now. Mac, want to walk out with me?”
Mac gazed down at Lisa. “Will you be okay with Riley for a
few minutes?”
Lisa nodded. She quite liked Riley, and she needed Mac to
stop guarding her so closely.Didn’t
she? So she could get away when she needed to.
* * * *
Mac walked to the door where Zack stood, obviously guarding
the kitchen door in case Lisa and Dr. Michaels needed privacy. Mac gave him a
grateful smile.
“What do you think, Doc?”
“I think it’s remarkable she seems to have come out of this
relatively unscathed. According to Riley, her mind is quite clear. At the very
least, I would have expected serious side-effects, if not permanent damage.
Shifter metabolism is quite remarkable.”
Mac nodded, pleased.
“You’ve still got a long haul with her. Panic attacks
certainly. I wouldn’t be surprised at moderate or severe agoraphobia. I’m
amazed she isn’t suffering serious withdrawal symptoms. I asked for the drugs
to be reduced,” he smiled questioningly, “not completely stopped.”
Mac shrugged. “Riley would know if it were a problem.”
Dr. Michaels let out a heartfelt sigh. “I wish he would
consider a career in medicine. I understand you’re her mate?”
Mac nodded.
“Well, I suppose what I’d normally say to spouses won’t
apply to you.”
“Which is?”
Dr. Michaels sighed. “She needs someone for the long haul.
If you’re not totally committed, I can arrange for a transfer.” He shook his
head at Mac’s askance look. “Like I said , if you weren’t
a shifter . The other thing is her
general health. I’m can’t be entirely sure without getting a full work up on
her, which given her reticence, isn’t a good idea at present, but you’ve
noticed she’s quite plump?”
Mac growled, feeling his bear rush to defend his mate. Dr.
Michaels took a step back.
“Whoa, listen. That isn’t a criticism. It’s something I’ve learned
from a colleague I worked with last year, a wolf shifter, and my wife also.
She’s seriously undernourished, she’s probably had junk
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