She shook her head and leaned back, taking deep breaths. "I'm okay."
No, she damn well wasn't. "I need to call Rodgers." Knox stood and pulled out his cell phone just as Tanner entered the room and headed straight for Harper. The moment Rodgers picked up the phone, Knox said, "Harper's running a fever. She says her blood feels hot."
A pause. "Her blood feels hot?" The doctor's words rung with confusion and disbelief.
///
"Yes. What's wrong with her?" The question came out through gritted teeth.
"I can't say without examining her. Put me on speakerphone so I can talk to her."
Knox did as he requested, and then crouched again in front of Harper as the doctor addressed her – asking her various questions that she drowsily answered. The whole time, Knox rubbed her thigh. He could feel the feverish heat of her skin even through the denim of her jeans. Insane with a worry it wasn't used to feeling, his demon snarled and roared.
A moan slipped out of Harper as she began to tremble. "It's like my blood's sizzling."
"Sizzling?" Rodgers echoed. "That doesn't sound good."
She scratched at her skin, eyes wide. "Shit, I feel like my veins are going to explode."
"That's not good either," said Rodgers.
Knox's hand tightened around the phone. "We're fucking well aware that it's not good. I'm going to send a teleporter to collect you. Are you home or in your office?"
"Home."
"They'll be there in a minute. Be ready." Ending the call, Knox spoke to Tanner. "Send Armand to collect Dr. Rodgers and bring him to the mansion."
Levi jogged into the room, expression hard. Watching as Harper reluctantly sipped more water, he asked, "What's wrong with her?"
"I don't know." Knox urged her to drink more. "Does the water help, baby?"
"Yes, I'm okay." Harper handed him back the glass. "I'm cooler now."
Knox looked at her, dismayed. "No, baby, you're not. I swear, I feel like I'm sitting next to a damn radiator."
Shaking her head, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around herself. "I'm cold. Ice-cold. But my blood still feels hot."
Knox's jaw clenched. "Your skin is still burning. You're not cold."
There was a knock at the front door, and Dan left the room only to swiftly return with Rodgers. The doctor pushed his way past the people gathering around and spoke to Knox, "Armand says he will come back when you need him."
Standing, Knox nodded. "Find out what's happening to her so we can fix it and make her better."
Harper looked at Rodgers through squinted eyes. "Something's wrong, Doc," she said, teeth chattering.
Rodgers put his hand to her clammy forehead and grimaced. "You say your blood feels like it's hot?"
Harper nodded. "But I'm freezing. Where's the damn blanket?"
"As you've seen for yourself, she's roasting hot to touch," Knox said to Rodgers. "Tell me you know what kind of fever this is."
Levi's brow creased. "Give me a second." At that, he fished his cell from his pocket and backed out of the room.
Knox stood there, arms folded, as Rodgers used a penlight to check her eyes and pottered around, checking her temperature and other things. Knox fisted his hands, impatient for an answer. Harper seemed to have drifted off, which only increased his worry. "Rodgers … "
The doctor sighed. "I truly have no idea what's the matter with her." And he was now panicking.
Knox's demon growled and shoved its way to the surface. "How can you not know?" it demanded of Rodgers. "You are a doctor. Do something. Make her better."
Rodgers paled. "Th-there's nothing physically wr-wrong with her," he stammered. "I'm a gynecologist. This sort of thing isn't my specialty, but I know enough to be sure that this isn't pregnancy related."
Knox forced his demon to retreat before it scared the doctor away. "What would normally cause a fever this intense?"
Rodgers seemed relieved to be once again dealing with Knox. "Honestly? Nothing I've ever come across."
"Could it be some kind of allergic reaction?" asked Meg, hovering close enough to stroke Harper's hair. "Some demons develop allergies when they're pregnant."
Rodgers shook his head. "It's too extreme to be an allergy."