Dragon's Isolation - Miranda Martin Page 0,65

“That’s the accurate answer. I think so. It looks like it will. It’s not like I have a full laboratory. I can’t do animal testing and see the results. All I can do is insert this cure into this sample of what I think is the problem. It looks promising.”

“So . . . now what?” I ask, biting off all the snarky comments that pop into my head.

I’m trying to be a better person. I am a better person. She’s exhausted and has worked tirelessly to find a cure.

“Now we test it,” she says, rubbing her eyes. “And then we hope.”

“Who’s first?” I ask.

“Ladon,” she says. “If it works on him, then we’ll know it will work on the others. He’s been sick the longest, and he was patient zero.”

“Can I help?”

Addison stares at the table, not looking up. “Yeah.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“We have to give it to him,” she says.

“Yeah?” I ask.

“I don’t know how we’re going to do it,” she admits. “He’s crazed. Completely primal.”

“Calista can do it,” I say.

“It’s too dangerous,” Addison says. “I’d have three of the men come in to hold him but I can’t expose them.”

“Do Shidan, then,” I say. “I was able to reach him once, let’s try him first.”

Addison doesn’t speak for a long time. Then she looks up and nods. The decision made, she prepares a syringe, and then the two of us enter the holding area.

Ladon slams against the door, pounding on it and roaring. It makes me jump every time, even knowing it’s coming. I rush past him towards the end of the hall and the room that holds Shidan. I look in the door to his cell, which is what it really is, and squint my eyes to see him.

The cell is dark, and he’s at the back of it, crouched down. I can see his outline more than actually see him. It breaks my heart seeing him in there.

“Let me go in alone,” I say.

“You need to inject this into his arm,” Addison says. “Or butt. Either, or.”

“Okay,” I say, taking the syringe from her.

She unlocks the door and pulls it open. I walk in and she locks it behind me.

“Shidan,” I say. “It’s me.”

He growls and rises to his feet. My stomach clenches, but I force myself to take the next step forward. It’s small so that one step puts me right at him.

“I’ve got medicine,” I say. “This is going to sting.”

A low rumble is his answer, but he doesn’t move away. Rising onto my toes I kiss him, running my hands up to his neck, across his shoulders and then down onto his biceps. While he’s distracted, I open one eye and then stab him with the syringe.

He jerks back, eyes wide, and growls. I jerk the needle out and step back.

“I’m sorry love,” I say. “It will help. It has to help.”

He growls, and his eyes look more bloodshot. Then he starts trembling. My heart is racing as the trembling becomes violent, and he drops to the floor.

“ADDISON!” I scream.

The door swings open behind me and she rushes in, answering my call.

“Grab his head!” Addison yells.

I jump to do what she says, grabbing onto his head. He’s shaking so much I can barely hold onto it. I keep losing my grip. As I struggle with his head, she forces a thick stick into his mouth.

“What are you doing?” I cry.

“Keeping him from choking on his tongue,” she says.

“Oh god, what have I done?” I ask, tears streaming down my face.

“It’s fine,” Addison says through gritted teeth, struggling to keep Shidan from flailing.

“This is fine?” I yell.

“I expected as much, yes,” Addison says. “It will pass. In a minute.”

“You expected this!” I exclaim. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“In… a… minute…”

The convulsions begin to ease, becoming less violent, and it becomes less of a struggle to hold him down. At last he lies peacefully, almost as if he’s sleeping. My tears drip onto his sweet face.

“Is he…” I can’t finish the thought.

Addison rises to her feet and dusts herself off.

“Yeah,” she says. “He’ll be fine. Come on, let him rest.”

“Can we…” I rise, looking down at him and know the answer to my question.

We can’t lift him. He’s too big. He’ll have to rest here, on the floor. We exit the room and Addison shuts and locks the door behind us. As she walks away, I lean against it, pressing my face to the small window, watching. Hoping. Waiting for him.

17

AMARA

Something touches my cheek. I