Lost Inside - 8. Chapter 8

Benny closed his eyes and sighed when Ellis took the papers. “Fine, I forgive you. This time. That was....”

“I know. I’m sorry. I will never say anything like that again. I’m just….” Benny rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.

“Missing your mate.” Ellis frowned. “I think we’ve missed a lot. You’ve been through a lot too, and hiding just how hard a time you’ve had dealing with it.”

Benny shrugged. “Someone has to.”

“And with Yuri experiencing medical problems, and Jerret looking to you to lead, you haven’t had a chance to deal with your issues.”

Benny didn’t care about himself. If he could have Yuri back, any part of his mate really, he’d be happy. “When can you contact the specialists?”

“Well, I hope you’re not angry, but I already did. I called one of the leading neurologists in the country, as well as the top herpetologist.” Ellis hesitated. “It’s a she, actually, and she’s a Snake. Dav said he’d never met her before, but if she’s a doctor, I’m guessing she’s safe to bring into the territory. Velaku already had his men vet both doctors.”

“I’m not mad,” Benny assured him.

“Good,” Dr. Pannar said. “Now, I have patients to see.”

If anything, Benny was grateful. “So do they think they can help Yuri?”

“They’ve read the files we have, yes, but both said they’d need to come in person. The neurologist has a lot of tests he wants Yuri to have, and the herpetologist thinks being closer will be better so she can study my venom. Fresher sample, and all that.” Ellis reached over to Benny, and shook his knee when he didn’t say anything.

“This won’t be a miracle cure. At least, I don’t think it will be. I’ve no idea how I healed Bob. But medicine is making great strides. Even if nothing else, they can help Yuri find his way back through the maze his mind has become, trapping him inside.

“I know what you’re saying. I won’t get my hopes up too high.” Benny hesitated. “Do you think I can see Yuri soon? Is he well enough to be near a Tiger?”

“Let me talk to him tomorrow and see, okay?”

Ellis’ phone rang. He yanked it out of his pocket. “Hi Dav.” He turned around and mumbled under his breath.

Benny didn’t tell him he could hear every word as Dav grumbled about his mate not being around when he wanted him, and how Ellis should get his cute ass home, now, because he was horny and his teeth ached at the thought of getting his mate under him.

Ellis tried to protest quietly.

“It’s fine, Ellis. Go home. I’ll be headed there soon, myself.” Ellis blushed, but headed out with a wave over his shoulder. He’d left the papers in a folder on the counter. Benny assumed they were for him, so he took them as he left Dr. Pannar’s office. He threw them on the front passenger seat of his car. He sat in the parking lot for a while, just thinking.

“Okay, first we go to the beauty shop,” he said out loud. He stroked his bandaged hand carefully over the broken dashboard. “Sorry about that.” Then he’d go see Jerret. His brother had liked Yuri too, and welcomed him into the family like another brother.

He’d be ecstatic.

***

Benny winced at the estimate he’d gotten to fix his baby’s dash. He was sitting at the bar before it was going to open, going over his money, scribbling figures down on a napkin.

“What are you doing?” Dav walked up beside him. “I haven’t seen your forehead that wrinkled in a helluva long time.”

“Math,” Benny muttered. He shifted on his stool.

“Well that makes sense.” Dav laughed when Benny flipped him off. “Hey, I’m your boss, remember?”

“You were my friend first, so I reserve the right to flip you off whenever you’re being an ass.” Benny crumpled up the napkin into a ball. There was no use worrying about the cost of bringing the specialists in, and all the tests they’d want to do, until the time came to do them.

He’d find a way to get anything done that Yuri needed.

“Seriously, how’re you dealing, man?” Dav folded his arms on the bar and leaned close, keeping his voice down.

“One day at a time. Ellis said he would head down to the Eyrie today, talk to Yuri, see if I could visit.”

“You wanna take the night off?” Dav offered.

“Nah. One more day won’t kill me, right? Besides, I need cash. I put a big hole in my dashboard yesterday.” He wiggled his fingers under the white not-so-white anymore bandages.

“So I heard.” Dav turned on his stool. Benny glanced at him, then away.

“What?”

“Look. I know you, and I know how you worry. You came when I needed a hand—”

Benny interrupted, “We both know that’s not—”

Dav continued over him. “—and I don’t forget that. I have the money, and I want to help you pay for this medical shit. I already sent the docs tickets. So stop being a stubborn ass and just go with the flow for once.”