Page 10 of Chains
“To directly wash any residual poison from Thor’s stomach. It’s a highly effective way to remove a toxin from the stomach before the body ingests the element.”
“What do you have to do for that?” he asked.
“I’ll put a tube filled with water into Thor’s stomach to flush his system. Diuretic drugs will enhance the secretion of the substance through the urinary tract.”
“That doesn’t sound too comfortable.”
“I’ll have to administer an anesthetic, but before I do that, I’m going to run blood work and some other diagnostic tests. Once we begin the procedure, you’ll have to wait in the lobby. It won’t take more than thirty minutes, and I’ll come out and get you once it’s done.”
“All this shit from eating just a few berries?” Chains ran his fingers through his hair.
“A fewpoisonousberries.” She stroked the dog’s soft fur. “Thor has a very good chance of recovery. I just need you to let me do my job, okay? Time is really of the essence.”
“Yeah, okay… sure.”
“Great. While Mary draws blood, let’s go to my office and we’ll go over the paperwork.”
An hour later, Autumn called Chains into the recovery room, then rushed out to examine another patient.
The clinic had three veterinarians on staff, two nurses, four techs, and two receptionists. Ever since Autumn had graduated from veterinary school, it had been her dream to own a clinic, and when the opportunity to buy a retiring vet’s practice arose, she jumped at it and moved from Denver to Alina.
“Chains is asking for you,” Mary said as Autumn finished up with an ailing Persian cat. “I still can’t get him to tell me his last name. He’s a bit odd, don’t you think?”
Autumn chuckled. “I suppose we’re all odd in some way. I think it’s sweet that this tough-looking guy adores his dog—you can see it in his eyes.”
“I wasn’t payingthatclose attention to him.” The older nurse moved away from the doorway. “I’m just wondering why he doesn’t want us to know his real name. I highly doubt any mother would name her sonChains.”
“I don’t know… some parents give their kids some pretty crazy names. Frank Zappa named his daughterMoon Unitand the nameSemajcracked the top 1000 names for boys in 1999—it’sJamesspelled backward.”
Mary clucked her tongue. “Well, I think he’s hiding something, but you seem to be taken with him.”
Autumn’s jaw muscle tightened and irritation pricked the back of her neck. “Please ask Dr. Jenkins to take my walk-in appointment in Room Four.” Shoving her hands in the pockets of her lab coat, she strode over to the recovery room.
I’m certainly nottakenwith him. That’s just nonsense… Mary’s full of it.
When she opened the door, Chains was leaning over Thor, whispering into the dog’s ear while he stroked his side over and over. For some reason, the sight of this very masculine man soothing his dog struck her as incredibly sexy. As if sensing her presence, Chains looked over his shoulder and his gaze locked on hers for a half second, then slowly moved down her body.
Autumn cleared her throat and walked over. “How’re you holding up?” she asked.
His eyes lingered on her breasts and then her lips before meeting her gaze again. “Okay. Is Thor good now?”
Feeling uncomfortable with his undisguised scrutiny of her, Autumn took a pen from her pocket and fiddled with it while walking to the other side of the table. “He’s doing better than when he came in. I’m pretty sure he’s out of the danger zone.” She ran her hand over the waking dog and looked at Chains, faking nonchalance. “But I’d like to keep him here for a day or two to monitor his condition. I’ll hook up an IV for fluid therapy to make sure he’s well hydrated and that the electrolyte levels are where they should be.”
“Yeah… do what you think is best.”
“You can come and visit him while he’s here if you’d like to.”
Chains nodded, his gaze fixed on her face. “So, you’re the one who bought Doc Nelson’s practice.”
“Yes. I’m assuming he was Thor’s vet.”
“Yeah, he was until he retired, then I went to Doc Eisenberg. He’s the one who gave me your card when he retired about four months ago. I didn’t figure a chick owned the clinic.”
A small smile danced across her lips. “Believe it or not, uschickscomprise more than fifty percent of the student body in veterinary schools.”
Chains’s eyes didn’t waver from her face. Autumn’s breathwhooshedout of her lungs as she felt her heart rate increase under his intense gaze.
“Don’t take offense—I didn’t mean anything by it.”
