Lost Inside - 15. Chapter 15

“Fuck you, asshole.” Benny flipped off the driver who swiped the parking spot he’d waited for.

“Not very nice.” Yuri crossed his arms over his chest.

“His smirk as he stole my spot wasn’t nice either,” Benny snapped.

“Maybe he has an emergency. That’s what that sign says over there.” He pointed at the sign to the Emergency Room doors.

“I doubt it.” Benny was pretty sure the guy was just a jerk. Yuri didn’t seem to think bad of anyone though. It made him worry that his mate might trust the wrong person. When they’d found the scent mark from the strange Tiger, Benny had been worried.

But he’d also known Yuri would freak out if a Tiger came near him. But he hadn’t broken down when he saw Benny for the first time. He ran for him.

Would he run toward another Tiger? Benny had called Velaku and Dav. Velaku had more Falcons looking for the intruder, and Dav hired a replacement… for a few weeks, at least. Until the Tiger was caught, and Yuri was better, his only concern was his mate.

“Finally.” Benny found a parking spot.

“Can I eat now?” Yuri held the bag with their breakfast on his lap. He started unrolling the top.

“Oh no, not in my truck! We have a meeting in a few minutes anyway. We’ll eat while I talk to the doctors.”

Yuri frowned.

“You don’t have to wait much longer, I promise.” He got out of the truck. “Come on.” Yuri didn’t budge.

“Why do you need to talk to the doctors?” he asked.

“To get the test results.”

“My test results?”

“Yes. But we have to get in there before we can get them.” Benny leaned in the door. “Come on, Yuri.”

“I want the doctors to talk to me.” Yuri set his jaw and stared at Benny.

There wasn’t time to argue with him. Benny sighed. “They will.” He straightened, ready to head inside.

“Promise?”

Benny leaned back into the truck. “What?”

“Promise me.”

“I promise the doctors will talk to you. Okay? Can we go now?”

Yuri opened his door. “Sure.” He shut his door and was in front of the truck in seconds. “Well, are you coming?”

His mate’s mercurial moods baffled Benny. He’d been so serious, so dominating, before. He didn’t ask for promises. He didn’t need someone else to reassure him.

But this was his mate now. Their year apart had nearly killed Benny inside. But he didn’t feel incomplete anymore, even if things were… strange.

They both grimaced at the smell inside the clinic. It reeked of sickness. Benny could hear someone retching. They hurried away from the treatment area. Dr. Poinyard and Dr. Vancould weren’t alone when they entered Dr. Pannar’s office. The Falcon was absent, but the far side of the table was full.

“Good morning,” Benny said.

Everyone looked up from the folders spread out on the table. “Good morning, Benny, Yuri. It’s good to see you again.”

Yuri ignored Dr. Vancould. “Who’re you?” He’d stopped just inside the door. He stared at the woman sitting at one end of the table.

“Hello. I’m Doctor Millie Viscu. You can call me Millie.” She smiled at Yuri. He didn’t smile back.

Maybe he wasn’t that trusting of strangers.

“Millie is a herpetologist, Yuri. I called her.” Ellis came around the table from his seat next to her. Yuri gave him a hug.

“I remember you,” Yuri said to Ellis. He looked from Ellis to Millie. “You kinda look like him.”

“I’m a Snake. I study venom and look for ways to make medicine from it. Ellis thought I could help you.”

Yuri came in finally, and put their breakfast on the table. He tilted his head sideways, flicking his ears. “Can you?”

“I think so.”

His mate beamed. “Good. Can I eat breakfast before you make me better?”

Benny snorted.

Millie laughed. “Of course.”

Benny was floored again at Yuri’s quick change in mood. His mate was sitting, eating his breakfast, secure in the belief that the doctor meant what she said.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Yuri asked with his mouth full.

“I want to talk to Millie for a bit first.”

Yuri swallowed. He scowled. “No.” He chomped off another bite of his breakfast burger and chewed furiously.

“What?” Benny blinked.

“You said they’d talk to me. I’m eating. Talk afterward.” Yuri took another bite. He watched Benny with narrowed eyes.

“Okay.” It wouldn’t hurt to humor Yuri. Benny sat down. “Can I have mine?”

“Sure.” Yuri slid it over to him. “These are really good. We should have gotten more.”

“I like them too. Next time I’ll get you another one.” Yuri was bigger than him; he could probably eat more.

“Yay!” Yuri twisted his chair back and forth happily.

Benny ate his food neatly, keeping his sandwich in the wrapper. Yuri took his out, and the sausage patty came out the bottom of his sandwich and smacked against his shirt before it fell in his lap.

“Oops.” Yuri grimaced.

A memory hit Benny. He started laughing.

“What?” Yuri paused with the greasy patty halfway to his mouth.

“You know, you have a really bad habit of getting food on your clothes.” Yuri had spilled something almost every meal they had together. For a Tiger so powerful, yet sleek, he was awfully clumsy when it came to eating.

“I do?”

Benny snorted, still chuckling. “Uh-huh.”

Yuri shrugged. He popped the sausage in his mouth. “Still tastes good.” He wiped his mouth and hands with a napkin, then folded it up really small.

“Okay, I’m done now.” He turned his chair and sat up straight. “How are you going to help me?”

The doctors all began to talk. Yuri folded his ears flat, and they stopped.

“I want to know what you’re going to do.” Yuri pointed at Millie.

“Today?”

He nodded.

Millie cleared her throat. “Today we’re going to inject you with Ellis’ venom.”