The Shadows (Black Dagger Brotherhood #13) - J. R. Ward Page 0,29

of people came in, more than there had been, and he nodded at Tohr, Qhuinn and Blay—and was glad that Layla was there, along with Cormia and Phury. Forcing himself to his feet, he went to step back, but the Primale came over and eased him down into that chair again.

“You stay where you are,” Phury said, squeezing his shoulder. “You’re right where you need to be.”

Trez let out some kind of croak. It was the best he could do.

Doc Jane cleared her throat. “I’ve never seen anything like this.” She called something up on the big computer screen by the desk. “It’s as if the joints themselves have turned to solid bone.”

The black-and-white image was of what appeared to be Selena’s knee and Doc Jane indicated different areas with the head of a silver pen. “On X-ray, bones register white and pale gray, whereas connective tissue like ligaments and tendons don’t offer that kind of contrast. Here”—she drew a circle around the joint—“there should be dark patches in between the cap and the socket. Instead it’s just … solid bone. The same is true for the joints in her feet, her elbow, her…”

More of those images flashed up on the screen, one after another, and all he could do was shake his head. It was as if someone had poured cement into all the junctures.

“What’s particularly worrisome is this.” A new picture became visible. “This is her arm. Unlike the other joints, the bone growth appears to be spreading and invading into the musculature. If this continues, her entire body—”

“Stone,” Trez whispered.

Oh, God, those marble statues in that place he’d found her.

That wasn’t a courtyard—that was a cemetery. Full of the females who had suffered and died from this.

“The only thing I’m aware of that is remotely like this is a human disease called fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. It’s an extremely rare genetic condition that causes bone to form where muscles, tendons, and ligaments are, and it results, over time, in a total restriction of movement—to the point where patients must choose the position they want to be locked into. The growth of the bone happens sporadically and can be triggered by trauma or viruses, or can be spontaneous. There are no treatments for the disease, and surgical removal of the growth just triggers further genesis. What Selena’s going through is like that—only it seems to have occurred all over her body at once.”

Trez twisted around to the two healthy Chosen in the room. “Has this ever been treated? At any time in the past, did someone try to find a way to stop it?”

Layla looked at Cormia and the latter spoke up. “We prayed … that was all we could do. And still the attacks came.”

“So this is … an episode of some sort?” Doc Jane asked. “Not the terminus?”

“I don’t know how many of these she’s had.” Cormia brushed a tear off her cheek. “Usually there is a period of them before the final one from which they do not recover.”

Doc Jane frowned. “So the body unlocks? How?”

“I do not know.”

Trez spoke up to the Chosen. “Did either of you have any idea she was sick?”

“No one did.” Cormia leaned against her hellren as if she needed his support. “But considering the condition she’s in now … I believe she must be toward the end of the disease. It’s my understanding that the early episodes affect only parts of the body. This is all of hers.”

Trez deflated on his exhale, his strength expelling out of his mouth. The only thing that kept him from breaking down was the possibility that Selena might be aware of what was happening—and he wanted to appear to be strong for her.

Doc Jane leaned her hip against her desk and crossed her arms. “I can’t imagine how the joints can recover from this kind of state.”

Cormia shook her head. “The attacks, those few I’ve seen, come on fast and then … I don’t know what happens. Hours or a night later, they start to be able to move again. After a period of time, they regain mobility—but it always happens again. Always.”

“They also choose a position,” Layla said quietly as she, too, brushed at tears. “Like the humans you spoke of, our sisters always chose—they would tell us how they wanted to be and we would make sure…”

There were more things said. Questions asked. Explanations given to the best of people’s abilities. But he had stopped tracking.

Like a train gathering speed, his mind,