Linda Johnston - Visionary Wolf

He couldn’t ask detailed questions now, though. Not in front of Drew.

“So, how’s our patient doing?” Rosa asked. She approached Drew, who regarded her with stony eyes that, on some canines—whether shifters or not—would have made Liam worry that he was about to attack.

He knew Drew wouldn’t do that. But Drew’s expression did indicate that he wasn’t happy.

That he probably didn’t have a sense he’d be shifting back anytime soon—and it was getting to be late afternoon on the day he should have retaken his human form early in the morning.

“He’s mostly been resting,” Noel answered for him. “We’ve been for a couple of walks and he seemed happy enough to be out of this room, but, well— happy isn’t the best word. I think he’s really frustrated.”

“Understandably,” Liam said.

Drew made a growling sound that didn’t seem threatening, but might’ve connoted frustration. It was enough to get Chase, who had sat beside Liam, to stand again and watch his sort-of counterpart.

“Tell you what,” Liam said. “Drew, are you okay with being here on your own for a few minutes? Dr. Rosa and I brought lunch back and we need to sort it out, but one of us is going to bring you a really good burger very soon.”

Drew answered by making a noise that this time sounded like a sigh, then lying back down.

He didn’t seem overly excited about the late, tasty lunch he’d get.

And Liam could understand why.

“I don’t want to leave him alone for long,” Rosa said quietly, once they were back in the hall with the door shut behind them. “But we do have a sandwich for you, too, Sergeant Chuma.”

“Noel,” he corrected. “And I’m sure you want to talk with me about our CO and what went on while you all were gone.”

Rosa watched the two military guys trade glances. She figured Liam would hear a lot more than she would, but not while they were all together.

And she appreciated that the sergeant had come here, to ensure that Drew was nearly never alone. His condition was such that no one knew what needs he might have, or when he might have them. And he certainly wasn’t in any condition to grab a smartphone and call for help.

They all headed the short distance along the hall to the break room. Rosa motioned for the others to enter first, glad to see that Brendan had just come into the hall, ushering a young woman with her standard poodle mix from another exam room. Rosa waited long enough for Brendan to ensure that his charges entered the reception area, where the owner could pay her bill and they could leave. But when Brendan turned again, Rosa was right beside him.

“Is Melanie in that room?” She gestured to the room he’d just come out of.

“Yes. Want me to get her for you?”

“Please.”

Brendan once more went through that door, and almost immediately Melanie, in her white lab jacket, strode out and faced Rosa. “You’re back. Do they have any answers yet at Ft. Lukman?”

“They’re working on it. I gave them the blood samples and discussed what I’d seen, and my concerns. They got right on it, so hopefully they’ll figure it out soon.”

“Yes. Hopefully.” Melanie’s hair wasn’t pulled back as neatly as usual. Her pretty face seemed to be aging minute by minute. Rosa just hoped she was providing adequate care to their patients, despite the stress she was under.

“Meantime,” Rosa said brightly, “Liam came back here with me, but I assume he’ll be leaving Noel here, since he has to get back to the base right away. Or almost right away. We brought a late lunch from Fastest Foods, a few sandwiches. That includes a really nice big, rare burger for Drew.” Rosa made herself smile broadly, then motioned for her employer to follow her as Brendan reappeared in the hall, followed by a large man hugging a moderate-size golden cat.

She was glad when Melanie did as she hoped and joined her, Liam and Noel in the break room. Given a choice, Melanie picked out a chicken sandwich among those laid out on one of the tables in the middle of the room, as did Rosa. That left burgers for the guys.

Including the large one for Drew, which Liam was holding. “I’d like to go say hi to Drew, if that’s okay with you,” he said to Melanie. “I can give this to him then.”

“Of course. And thank you both so much for bringing Drew a burger from Fastest Foods. It’s one of his favorite places when...when...” Her voice started to drop off, and Rosa recognized her signs of sorrow.

“When he’s not shifted,” she finished brightly for Melanie. “And when he is shifted. I get it. Let’s give him what we have now, and I promise that, when he’s back to his unshifted self again, I’ll go get him even more burgers there. Okay?”

She looked at Melanie’s brave smile and almost broke down herself. Rosa had had a few relationships now and then, but hadn’t met anyone she wanted to spend her life with. Melanie had, and she’d even gotten past whatever confusion she might have felt about falling hard for a shapeshifter.

She was clearly, deeply in love. And the man she loved was in distress. Ill. In the middle of a condition that no one knew anything about, so no one knew how to fix it. Fix him.

A wonderment about how she’d feel if Liam somehow became her veterinary patient flashed through Rosa. Ridiculous. Yes, she found him good-looking as a human. Kind. Sexy... No, she wasn’t going there. She wasn’t going anywhere with him, or with these ideas. She glanced at him, though—and saw that, for some reason, he was watching her.

She turned away and quickly stepped toward Melanie, then gave her a hug. “We’ll figure it out,” she promised, hoping she wasn’t lying about something as important to her employer as that.

“I know,” Melanie said hoarsely. “And thanks.” She turned to where the two men stood behind her, eating their sandwiches. “And thanks to both of you, too.”

“No problem,” Liam said. “Noel, you said you’d give us a rundown of how Drew’s been doing while you’ve been with him.”

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