Graham opened the door enough to stick his head in, and said, «The doctor is here.»
«Let him in,» Claudia said, and her voice held tension. Was I making everyone crazy with nerves?
Dr. North came in, with a glance at Ixion, still by the door. «Your men are making the nurses and patients a little nervous. Could they come in the room?»
I looked at Claudia. She was the one in charge. She nodded, and sent Lisandro to open the door and invite Graham and Ixion inside. Graham just found a piece of wall to hold up. He gave me a nervous smile that I think was meant to be comforting. Ixion scowled at the entire room, and didn't seem to know where to stand. The room was getting a little crowded.
«The window, Ixion,» Claudia said. «Not everything that hunts us comes through doors.» We weren't really in that much danger from direct attack, but it gave the man somewhere to stand that was far away from the bed and whatever we'd be doing. Though if there was a pelvic exam coming up, then everyone who couldn't be the father was leaving.
When Ixion had settled against the window, Dr. North looked around the room. «Do you want this discussed in front of everyone?»
«You just had me bring two extra people inside, doc.»
He smiled. «I mean, maybe you'd want some of them to go to the cafeteria.»
I sighed, and shook my head. How could I explain that if the news was bad enough I might need one, or all, of my support staff? I couldn't, so I didn't. «Just spit it out, doc, okay? The suspense is getting to me.»
He nodded, adjusted his glasses. The door opened behind him, and Richard came in. «Did I miss anything?»
I shook my head.
«Anita,» Dr. North said, «you're going to bleed if you don't stop digging your nails into your arms.»
I stared down at my hands as if they'd just appeared at the end of my arms. My fingers were stiff with tension when I peeled them away from my arms. Little half moons from my fingernails decorated my skin. Almost blood, almost.
Richard offered me his hand. I hesitated, then took it. The energy spiked between us; we were both too nervous to be of much help to each other. He shut down, shielded up, and his hand was just warm and real in my hand. I appreciated the effort on his part, after he'd seen what I'd done to my own arms, but I finally lost the battle not to look behind me at Micah. I was too scared to play to anyone's ego. Too scared not to want to wrap myself in as much comfort as I could find.
Micah came to my other hand. Richard stiffened, not wanting it, and not able to hide that he didn't want it, but he didn't throw a fit. I squeezed his hand, and bumped my head against his shoulder to let him know how much the effort meant to me, because it did. It really did. The extra attention earned me a smile, that smile that brightened his whole face. The smile that once I'd have given my heart to see.
I turned back to the doctor, clinging to both of them, and feeling better for it. I'd have liked to play it cool, but I clung to their hands as if they were the last pieces of wood in a drowning ocean.
«I had them run the blood work a second time, Anita.»
«That can't be good,» I said.
«Is this where you ask her to sit down?» Claudia asked.
Dr. North glanced at her. «She can sit down if she wants.» He turned back to me, with a smile. «Do you want to sit down?»
«Do I need to sit down?»
His smile widened, and he glanced at the men on either side. «I don't think so, but if you do, I think you've got enough support.» He nodded at Micah and Richard.
«Just tell me, doc,» I said. My voice strained, but normalish. Points for me.
«Can I be absolutely candid in front of everyone in this room?» he asked.
I fought the urge to scream, and managed to say, «Yes, yes, just say it. God, please, just say it.»
He nodded, again. «Are you aware that you have lycanthropy?»
I nodded, then frowned. «I'm aware that I'm carrying lycanthropy.»
«Funny you should say it that way,» he said. «Your blood work is just unique, Anita.»
«I learned a few weeks ago that I'm carrying leopard, wolf, lion, and something that the doctors couldn't even identify.»
He gave me a look. «You know that it's impossible to carry more than one strain of lycanthropy. They cancel each other out. You can't catch it more than once.»
I nodded again, squeezing the hands that held me. «I know all that. It's a medical miracle, yadda-yadda-yadda, just get to the pregnancy part. Do I have Mowgli syndrome, or Vlad's syndrome?»
He gave me very good eye contact, way too serious, and said, «Yes, as far as the tests can tell us.»