Given to the Savage(44)

Kara turned tear-filled eyes up to him.

“If you know, you need to tell us now,” he said, forcing himself to speak softly to not scare the girl.

“We need to get her fever down but I can’t give her anything until I know what, if anything, she’s taken,” the doctor said when Kara wouldn’t speak.

“Kara. God damn it, this is serious. If something happens to her…”

Tears fell down the girl’s face and she looked at Rowan as if she were torn.

“Please, tell us if you know anything. You won’t be in trouble. We only want to help her,” Dr. Stone said.

“Outside. The selenium. She’s been growing it. I didn’t know what it was but saw her making her tea with it a few times and she wouldn’t give it to me ever. I was curious and so I looked it up in Freya’s old books.”

“What the hell is selenium?” Silas asked.

Dr. Stone’s face grew even more worried. “It’s been used as a contraceptive in the past,” he said, dragging his eyes to Silas. “But too much and it acts as a slow poison.”

Silas sat down on the edge of the bed and looked at Rowan who shivered and convulsed now, her lips pale while the rest of her was burning up.

“Kara, go to the clinic and ask the nurse to give you my emergency kit. Bring it as fast as you can.” As he said it, he filled a syringe with a clear fluid. “We need her to wake up to tell us how much she took so I know how much damage has been done. Turn her over and hold her still. This should help get her fever down until we can get the poison out of her.”

Silas turned her and the doctor raised Rowan’s dress, pricking her hip with the needle. Rowan’s body tensed and Silas held her tight while he pushed the medicine into her. Kara in the meantime ran out the door. Once the injection was given, Silas tore Rowan’s dress off and lifted her, carrying her into the bathroom.

“Silas, what in hell are you doing?” the doctor asked.

“I’m waking her up,” he said angrily, disappearing into the bathroom where he set her in the tub and turned on the cold water. Her eyelids flew open when the cold rushed her and she grabbed hold of Silas’ arm, mumbling something, trying to climb out of the tub but too weak to.

“Shh,” Silas said, holding her down. “You’re sick, Rowan. You need to wake up.”

“It’s cold,” she managed, her eyes closing again, the initial fight at the cold going out of her too quickly.

“How much did you take? How long have you been poisoning yourself?” Silas asked, cradling her head as she clutched his arm.

But instead of answering, she convulsed with pain, doubling over with it.

“Rowan, tell me how much you took,” he asked, surprised to hear the panic in his voice. “You have to tell me how much so we can help you!”

She opened her eyes again and looked up at him, the usually sparkling, bright green looking dull and clouded now. “You don’t want to help me,” she muttered, the effort seeming to take every ounce of energy from her.

“Silas,” Dr. Stone said from behind him. “Take her out of the tub now. Dry her off and lay her down on the bed.”

Silas turned to find the doctor standing there with Kara staring wide-eyed.

“She’s going to tell us how much she took,” Silas said through clenched teeth, opposing emotions warring within him: guilt, anger, and most prominently, fear at what might happen to her.

“Screw you,” Rowan managed.

“Maybe it’s best if you leave her with me. She’s awake now, obviously,” Dr. Stone said.

“Not a chance. Get me a towel.” Silas lifted her to stand but had to support her as her knees simply buckled beneath her. After wrapping her in a towel, he carried her back to the bed where as soon as he lay her down, she doubled over, her face contorting in pain.

“It hurts,” she moaned, tears coming from her tightly closed eyes.

“Rowan,” Dr. Stone said, sitting down beside her. “I can give you medicine to counter the effect but I need to know for how long you’ve been using the selenium and how much you think you’ve taken.”

She made a sound but wasn’t able to speak.

“The medicine will help but I need to know how much to give you.”

“She drank it every day, two, three times a day,” Kara volunteered from against the wall.

The doctor nodded and Silas watched Rowan’s face.

“Thank you, Kara. Why don’t you go wait outside.”

She nodded, her eyes still on Rowan. “I’m sorry, Rowan. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

Silas saw Rowan squeeze her eyes harder as Kara said it.