Gifted Connections 4

“Is this a field trip to the hospital wing?” I looked up and noticed Will, Paul, Leo, Jemmy, Gavin, Sierra, Dawn, and Rachel were trailing us as well. “I hope everyone got their permission slips signed by their parents,” I said tartly. A few people laughed at my sarcastic comment.

Then I looked over briefly at Lincoln. “I won’t lie to you, I am a hot mess. Sometimes intentionally, other times unintentionally. You know what they say; you’re never given more than what you can handle,” I said flippantly.

“I have half a mind to leave now. I must be losing my damn mind,” Lincoln muttered.

I saw Jaxson preparing to say something, his eyes full of storms.

“You won’t,” I stated confidently, even though I felt the anxiety and panic hit me at the thought of Lincoln leaving. “You value your gift and health too much. You wouldn’t have traveled to the other side of the country if you weren’t ready to fix this.”

“We’re here,” Troy interjected as he pushed a button on the wall. The double doors swung inward, letting us in.

The hospital wing wasn’t that large and really wasn’t used that often. They did a lot of inoculations here and treated minor injuries related to training.

The moment you entered through the doors, you were greeted by a large lobby with one desk customarily operated by two nurses. It was so laid back here that Paul and Will didn’t bat an eye when the nurses there paused the movie they had been obviously watching.

One of the nurses did a double take as she looked at Lincoln. “Has anyone ever told you how much you look like Lincoln Hudgens?” she said in an awed tone. She was a young blonde-haired beauty and obviously enamored.

Lincoln gave her a charming smile, immediately transforming his sharp features. “I’ve been told that a time or two.”

I snorted aloud. “Oh brother,” I muttered.

“Joy,” the older nurse softly reprimanded the younger girl before she looked over at me with a knowing look. I instantly recognized her as Henderson’s wife. “Blake, I take it you didn’t follow the doctor’s orders by light training,” Paula, Henderson’s wife, stated as she placed her fist on her ample hips.

She was a no-nonsense, blunt, woman, and I loved her for it. She was outspoken without being meanspirited and wasn’t afraid to tell you like it was.

“No, ma’am,” I feigned contriteness.

She snorted at me, clearly seeing through my ruse. “Bring her back, put her in room one and the doc will be with her shortly.”

When almost everyone went to follow us, Paula held out her hand. “You done lost your mind if you think you’re all going back into the exam room. You’ve all seen how small the room is.”

“Troy, Mr. Hudgens,” Pops said resolutely. “Why don’t you go back with her?” he looked pointedly at Remy and Jaxson, knowing that they would be the first ones to protest.

“OMG!” the girl squealed. “You are Lincoln Hudgens!”

I saw Will grimace slightly at his slip up. Lincoln just gave her a crooked smile.

“He’ll give you an autograph on the way out,” I called behind Troy’s shoulder. I turned to Lincoln and glared at him. “Are you Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or are you only a douche towards me?” I hissed quietly at him.

“Blake,” Troy said in exasperation. “You aren't exactly friendly right now either.”

“Careful, mon trésor,” Lincoln smirked at me. “I may take you for the jealous type, and it’s not a desirable trait, especially,” he lowered his voice to a near whisper as he exited the room, “since you expect seven men to share your affections.”

“I expect no such thing,” I barely refrained from rolling my eyes at him. “You act like I marked myself, that I would choose this life, this situation, given a chance.”

Troy carried me into the room and placed me on the paper-lined table. Lincoln still had his hand on my wound.

“How does that even work?” Lincoln turned to look at Troy. “You look like an attractive, self-confident man, and you're acting like it’s completely normal to share your woman with five other men—six, if I decide to drink the Kool-aid.”

I was lucky it was Troy back in the room with us and not Remy or Jaxson, because they wouldn’t be taking this discussion as well as Troy, Drake, or Jace would. They were used to being more diplomatic with their words.

“I am all of that and then some,” Troy assured him with a confident grin. “But I was also marked when I was younger and was raised by a man that taught me the importance of your marks, so I grew accustomed to the idea. After meeting Blake, I understand now why she was chosen for me, for us.”

“So just like that, you drank the Kool-aid?” Lincoln asked in bafflement.

“She’s my favorite flavor,” Troy said glibly before he shook his head and chuckled. “I don’t think anything I say will convince you. You’ve probably grown up outside of a community and wasn’t exposed to our way of life often.”

Lincoln opened his mouth to say more but the door opened, and the doctor walked in. “Blake.” Doctor Wyatt shook his head in fond vexation.