Page 45 of The Guardian (Dark-Hunter 20)
That question confused him. "I don't understand."
Margery patted him gently on the shoulder. "Do you know what medicines can ease your pain?"
Oh ... He remembered his adoptive father had used salves and some kind of root plant to soothe pain, but he had no idea what any of them had been. It was too long ago to remember.
And since then ... Noir, Azura, and the others had only wanted to give him pain, never take it away.
"No. Whenever I'm injured, I eventually heal without anything."
"Has anyone ever tried to give you anything?" Carson asked.
Only a hard time. "No."
Carson rubbed his jaw as he thought it over. After a few seconds, he nodded at the other doctor. "All right, Marge ... I'm going to give you the honor of choosing for him. Have fun."
"Oh thanks a lot, Carson. I appreciate it." She winked at Seth. "If it doesn't work, remember the one you want to be mad at is the male doctor, not the woman."
Carson snorted at her, then turned his attention back to Seth. "Do you mind if I knock you out?"
Hell yes, he minded. Last thing he wanted was to be hit anymore. He was tired of it.
Anger ripped through him as he glared at Carson. "Why would you want to do that?"
"So that we can work on you without causing you pain."
Yeah, right. No one cared about giving pain to others. They lived for it.
And now that he thought about it, he realized how stupid it was to be here with them. What had he done?
How could he have let them separate him from Lydia? Dear gods, they could be doing anything to her right now. Anything. What if she needed him?
What if they were hurting her?
Panic laid hard talons into his conscience. He had to find her before it was too late. "Where's Lydia?"
"She's safe," Carson reassured him.
Bullshit.
"I don't trust you ... Lydia!" He tried to sit up, then groaned as the pain in his stomach and head made him sick.
The doctor forced him back down, but he wasn't about to go. Not until he was sure they weren't raping or torturing her. Or worse, handing her back to Noir.
"Lydia!"
She came running through the door.
Only then did he breathe easily. He shoved at Carson so that he could reach for her.
Lydia took his outstretched hand and held it tight. Frowning, she glanced around at all three of them. "What's wrong?"
He couldn't answer for a few seconds as he struggled with the misery that tore into him from every angle. The only thing that grounded him was her soft touch ... the concern in her warm eyes.
"I didn't know what they were doing to you," he said at last.
"They were feeding me."
Really? He found it impossible to believe. "You're all right, then? No one hurt you? You're sure?"
Lydia's heart broke at the panic in his suspicious gaze. She cupped his face in her hands, desperate to calm him down and soothe him before he hurt himself any worse. "Not everyone is cruel, Seth. I told you that. It's all good. They're not going to hurt us. I promise." She pushed him back onto the bed.
Seth growled in fury as another round of agony shot across his stomach and down his back. Gah, it hurt.
Lydia took his hand into hers and placed her head next to his on the bed. He closed his eyes as he savored the first bit of real pleasure he'd ever known.
"I'm right here, Seth," she whispered to him as she brushed his hair back from his face. "I'm not going anywhere." She kissed his cheek, then looked up at Carson. "Do whatever you need to."
"You sure? 'Cause he's better off untreated than having another episode like that one."
"He won't fight you." She tightened her grip in his hand. "Will you, sweetie?"
Seth couldn't speak as he heard her endearment. No one had ever used one for him or if they had, he couldn't recall it. In that moment, he knew he was lost to her.
There was nothing she could ask of him that he wouldn't do. Nothing.
"I won't fight," he breathed.
The doctors returned while Lydia stroked his hair. He'd never felt anything better than her fingers against his scalp. Her tenderness left him even more raw and bleeding than his wounds. It shattered something deep inside him that craved her.
Suddenly, something sharp bit into his arm. Cursing, he reached for the doctor and grabbed him in his fist.
Lydia pulled at his hand. "It's all right, Seth. It's just medicine. It'll help you. I promise. Please let go."
Seth did, but only because she asked him to.
Lying back, he tried to focus on Lydia's face.
He couldn't. His eyelids were so heavy now. The pain was fading and as it went, it pulled him with it.
Seth tried to fight it, but in the end, he took one breath and surrendered himself to the darkness.
Lydia let out a relieved sigh as Seth finally relaxed. "I'm so sorry about that," she said to Carson.
"Think nothing of it. Believe me, we've seen just about everything you can imagine, and a few things I'm sure you can't, shoot through our doors at one time or another." Carson inclined his head toward Seth. "And he's not the only one with a really bad past. Believe me."
