expected.
My human has a worried look on her beautiful, exotic face. “The doctor said they could do this today. I tried to get ahold of you, but I couldn’t. You weren’t answering.”
“I had to go dark,” I explain, “for safety reasons. That happens sometimes. What happened?”
“Well, the doctor said these hard casts were the only way to train his feet to walk in the proper position and that it would last six weeks. He needs to come in once a week for the next six weeks for a new set of casts. She recommended that we start today so that he could be done with the casts by the fire solstice. Because I couldn’t get ahold of you, I decided to let Dagr decide what he wanted to do. He was there, listening to everything the doctor said. He heard it all and I went over the pros and cons with him again, to make sure he understood. And then I asked him if he wanted to start today or wait until we could come home and talk this through with you and make a return appointment. Dagr wanted to start today. The doctor wanted to start today too.”
I nod and look at my son and sit down next to him, near his feet and legs. I place a claw on one of his casts. “Dagr, this is what you really wanted?”
“Yes, this was my choice. I told them I wanted to start the casts today.”
“Are you okay, son?”
“He was in pain at first,” Avery continues, “but he’s on meds now and he says he feels fine.”
I wince.
“Are you hungry?” Avery asks, changing the subject. “Would you like dinner? We were about to eat.”
And then I notice that actually, everything looks fine. There’s a good smell coming from the kitchen. Skylo is next to my son on the couch. Dagr is watching his favorite vid program and the human has been in the kitchen, busy programming the evening meal. In fact, my son is now glancing over my shoulder, trying to get back to watching the show I’d interrupted.
Avery has taken care of everything and everyone, magnificently. I suddenly feel very selfish, wishing this was my life, always.
“Yes,” I admit. “I’m hungry.”
“Good.” She smiles. “We can all eat dinner together.”
That night I carry Dagr upstairs and put him to bed. I help him put on his pajamas and Avery gives him another dose of pain reliever. And then he looks perfectly comfortable and I tell him goodnight and turn his lights off and leave the room.
My human goes to her own bed and I retreat to my own room. I use the cleansing unit and change and then lay on my bed by myself, and all I can think about is my son and my female.
I’m alone and it’s not right. My mind flashes with reoccurring images of Dagr receiving hard casts on both of legs, while I was distant and unreachable. And Avery stepped up and took care of my son.
I stand and march into her room and turn on the light.
Avery sits up in shock, blinking at the bright light, pulling her bedding over her ample chest. “Hannibal? What are you doing here?”
“You are required to sleep in my bed each night, next to me,” I declare.
“What?”
“Assistants and their employers also share rooms,” I say, thinking up yet another lie, and thinking it up quick. I normally never spout falsehoods like this to civilians, but this is an emergency situation.
“Oh come on now, you expect me to believe that? Our sleeping arrangements weren’t specified in the contract.”
I step closer to the edge of her bed. “I am changing your work requirements. You will work with me during the day, eat all meals with me and you will spend time with my son and my wulver. And each night you will sleep in my bed next to me.”
She purses her lips, like she’s thinking about it. “You want me to just…sleep next to you?”
“Yes, having you there each night will help me sleep better,” I admit. “I enjoy your scent.”
“Hold on, you need to know something. I…I saw what you did last night,” she says, staring right at me, bold and fierce. “I happened to be walking down the hall and your door was slightly ajar. I saw you touching yourself…and I heard when you said my name at…at the end. I know you want more from me than just sleep. But that’s not what I want.”
I don’t even