Looking up, her eyes met Grant's. He frowned deeper and walked toward them. "Are you the doctor?" he asked.
She nodded as his deep voice seemed to resonate throughout her body. Suddenly, she was finding it hard to concentrate.
"Can you take a look at him?" he asked, turning Benji in his arms.
She stepped forward to take him when the most delicious smell overwhelmed her. It was an intoxicating mix of vanilla and freshly cut grass. She staggered back until her grandmother placed a supportive hand on her back.
Grant secured Benji in one arm; with his other, he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, concern on his face. She shook her head. For some reason, she couldn't seem to catch her breath.
"Are you all--" He stopped, his eyes widening. His nostrils flared as he inhaled deeply. A low growl emerged from his throat, and the background chatter in the courtyard ceased.
"Oh dear gods! He's your mate!" her grandmother exclaimed.
Shocked, Ellie's head snapped up, and they stared at each other, breathing hard. "Give me the child before you drop him." Her grandmother reached for Benji and plucked him from Grant's arms. "As much as I would like to say that the two of you should get to know one another, I think maybe that should wait until the children have been looked at," her grandmother reminded them gently.
Ellie nodded absently, still feeling a bit fuzzy. "Of course," she agreed. Grant's hand on her shoulder seemed to burn right through her clothing. He was also nodding his agreement, but neither one of them moved. Ellie couldn't believe that the man in front of her was her mate. For decades, she'd wondered if she'd been forgotten by Fate. That maybe she wasn't good enough, thin enough, or pretty enough to deserve someone. Even now, looking up into his face, she couldn't determine whether he was glad at finding her or not.
She wanted to throw herself in his arms but hesitated. How would he feel about being stuck with her? They stared at each other for a moment more until the screech of a child made them turn. Immediately, they went to the cot of the thrashing child who was slapping at his parent's hands.
"Dr. St. John, there should've been three silver cases brought down here by the warriors. One of them is labeled cold storage. Could you bring it here please?"
Dr. St. John jumped up and ran for the case. He wheeled it over, and she opened it. She quickly took out a syringe and a clear bottle. He watched her closely as she carefully measured out a dose. "This is a fever reducer, pain killer, and mild sedative. I am giving one and a half the normal dosage that I would give a human child. If there is no change at all, we'll double it. But this should get us started."
Dr. St. John nodded, grabbing another syringe and a bottle. He went to the other side of the room, and between the two of them, they quickly delivered medicine to all the children. Nearly all of the twitching and restlessness began to quiet down as the medicine began to kick in.
Ellie looked at her grandmother. "Could you start charts?"
"Of course dear, one step ahead of you." She held up a clipboard. "Anything in particular you want in addition to the normal?" she asked.
"Recent foods, bowel movements, temperature, any change in temperament, water intake, and anything you can possibly think of to help chase this back to the source."
Her grandmother made a few more notes. "I'm adding a one week timeline as well."
"Good call." Ellie looked up at her mate. He had stayed with her the entire time she was administering the medicine, helping to keep the children calm.
"I'm sorry--" she started.
He tilted his head. "For what?"
"This can't be how you imagined meeting your mate." She chewed her lower lip.
He reached out and tapped her lips. "Those are mine to nibble."
She stopped chewing her lip because her mouth opened in shock.
A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. "The kids are sick, and you're a doctor. Of course, they have your attention. I'm not going anywhere. But I would like to know your name."
Both hands flew to her mouth in embarrassment. "I'm...I'm..."
"Deep breath," he instructed.
She took a deep breath, but that didn't help anything, all she did was inhale his scent, making her more aware of her body.
"My name is Eleanor Kimball, but my gram calls me Ellie."
"It is an honor to meet you my mate. I am Grant Douglas, unit warrior of the Eta Unit. How about we check on the children so we can get to know one another better?" he suggested.
She blushed. "Okay."
For the next half hour, Ellie went from cot to cot and examined each child. She checked their eyes, nose, and mouth. She was surprised to find nothing that pointed to the reason for their abrupt change in behavior.