Obsidian(4)
“We can’t just allow him to die. He’ll lie there until his body wastes away if we continue our current methods of treating him. It’s not enough just to feed him and keep him clean.”
“I understand but we’ve done all we can. We have faith in you and the other doctors that you’re all doing your best. Since there are no medical reasons for the coma, he has probably just emotionally shut down.”
“I think this could work if that’s the case. He’ll form a bond with someone and it might draw him out of his coma.”
“It’s too dangerous. We won’t risk any of our females on an unknown male. I know that sounds harsh but the bottom line is protecting the ones who survived.”
“He’s not dead.” He would be if something wasn’t done soon but she kept that to herself. She’d sent reports to Justice and his people every few days. They knew how grim the outlook was for 880. “What if I volunteer? I’ll spend a lot of time with him and allow him to get to know my scent. That won’t put your women at risk.”
“No.”
“Why not? It’s my ass on the line and I’m willing to do it. It won’t interfere with my duties. I’ll set up a cot inside his room and kind of move in there when I’m not working. I’ll read to him and get him used to my voice too.”
“You’re human. He will probably kill you on sight if he wakes. We won’t allow you to put yourself in that kind of danger. You work for us, Allison. We care what happens to you just as much as if you were one of our own.”
“He’s going to die!” Her temper snapped. “I can’t just do nothing, damn it. That’s what you’re asking me to do. He’s hitting a point where there’s going to be no return. Even with PT, his muscles are starting to atrophy, he’s lost weight, and it’s only a matter of time before his internal organs begin to fail. You hired me to be a doctor and treat New Species. Don’t tell me to sit on my ass and just watch this go down.”
“I’m sorry but it’s not up for debate. Do what you can safely but you aren’t to spend more time with the male than when you run required tests.”
“Tiger—”
“No. I have to go. There is a council meeting I must attend.” He hung up.
She clutched the dead phone for long seconds before hanging up too. Her teeth dug painfully into her bottom lip while she decided to refuse to allow 880 to waste away.
“Desperate times call for desperate measures,” she muttered.
A plan formed in her mind. It was insane, dangerous, but if it worked, the New Species in the basement would wake. His survival was what really mattered.
Chapter Two
The terror was hard to suppress but New Species had excellent senses of smell. They could sometimes pick up emotions and she’d been assured fear was one they could detect. Allison couldn’t afford to screw anything up. It was all about timing and not rousing suspicion.
Her hands trembled as she hid the folded note inside her upper desk drawer and pocketed the key. Locking it away would give her more time to implement her plan before they found it. She lifted her gaze to the clock on the wall and her heart raced. A hundred things could go wrong and she’d be in a world of trouble if even one part of her plan failed. Minutes ticked by at a snail’s pace until it was finally four o’clock. The officer downstairs assigned to guard the patient would leave to eat dinner. She had exactly twenty-five minutes before he’d return.
Her legs felt weak when she stood, inched around her desk and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves. During the previous twenty-four hours she’d laid the groundwork to make her plan go off without a hitch.
Destiny wasn’t at his desk and that was one hurdle down. She rushed to the elevator, pressed the button, and prayed whoever guarded 880 wasn’t behind schedule. Her fingers brushed the coat pocket containing the keys to assure herself she could do it as the doors opened.
The hallway chair sat empty as the doors to the elevator opened on the basement level and she fisted the air in joy. Her flat shoes didn’t make much sound as she jogged in the direction of the patient’s room and dug out the key to his door. She’d lifted the spare from Destiny’s desk an hour before when they’d had a Species come in with a cut arm from a sparring match. The key twisted and the door opened.
880 lay still and she rushed into the room after she blocked open the door. It only took her a minute to turn off the machines, unhook his IVs, and remove the feeding tube. She watched his chest and face for signs of pain or shock from the sudden loss of support. He kept steadily breathing.