Against The Grain (THIRDS 5)

“I don’t know yet.” Cael got down on his hands and knees in front of the desk and reached under it, then pulled out a small white prescription bottle. He read the label. “Thelxinomine. I’ve seen this name before.” And recently too. “Can you run it through Themis?

”

“Sure. Give me a sec.”

Rosa tapped away at her tablet. The search was taking longer than usual.

“Nothing.” She shook her head. “That can’t be right. I’ll run it again.”

She tapped away, conducting another search, her frustrated huff telling him the second search had yielded the same results.

“This isn’t possible. How can a hospital-prescribed drug not be in Themis?”

Cael couldn’t understand it. Every legal and illegal substance known to man and Therian alike was listed in Themis. If the information was out there, Themis could find it.

Nurse Russell returned, lingering in the doorway. “Is there anything I can help with?”

“Perfect timing.” Cael showed Russell the prescription bottle. “Can you tell me what this medication is? What it’s used for?”

“I’m kind of new here, so I’ll have to look that information up. I can bring you the file.” Russell took the bottle from him and motioned toward the door. “I’ll be back in a sec. Left my tablet at the nurses’ station outside.”

“Sure.”

The nurse left, and Cael looked around the office. Everything was so clean. If Ward had been poisoned, they’d need Hudson and Nina to get the body back to the lab to run some tests. They needed confirmation on time of death and whatever it was the Therian had been injected with. Cael couldn’t shake the feeling something was off about all this. Why were they the only ones here? Why did no one seem bothered? They were all so cold. And why the hell hadn’t Rosa been able to find any information on the drug?

“Where did that nurse go? I thought he said he left his tablet outside at the nurses’ station?” Rosa said, standing to join Cael.

“Let’s go find out.” Cael left the office with Rosa behind him. The nurses’ station was a short distance from Ward’s office. This time there was only one nurse behind the desk.

“Excuse me.” Cael flashed his badge again. “Have you seen Nurse Russell? We’re waiting on some information.”

“One second.” The Therian nurse picked up the phone, and seconds later, a young Therian female nurse with dark hair appeared.

“Can I help you ?”

Cael frowned. “No. Sorry. We’re looking for Nurse Jude Russell.”

“I’m Nurse Jude Russell,” she said, smiling pleasantly.

Cael looked at her ID. It did indeed say Jude Russell. Well, that wasn’t confusing at all. What the holy hell was going on around here?

“The nurse we’re looking for is a male Therian,” Cael insisted. “Blond hair and pale blue eyes.”

The two nurses exchanged puzzled glances before female Nurse Russell turned back to him. “I’m sorry, Agent, but I’m the only Jude Russell in this department.”

“Okay.” Rosa turned to the nurse behind the desk. “Is it possible the Jude we’re looking for was from a different department?”

She tapped away at her screen. “I’m sorry, but there’s no other registered nurse under that name.”

What the hell? They hadn’t made up the guy. Cael hurried back to the office with Rosa on his heels. “What the hell is going on?”

“This is seriously fucked, Cael.”

Cael rushed inside and came to an abrupt halt. No, this was seriously fucked. “Rosa, tell me I’m not going crazy. There was a body on the floor last time we were in here.”

Rosa walked past him and stared down at the floor where Dr. Ward had been a moment ago. “What the fuck is going on?”

There was no sign anyone had been in the room, yet the place had been swept. It was empty. All of Dr. Ward’s belongings, everything on his desk, in it, the shelves, anything that wasn’t furniture, were gone. They’d yet to hear from Hudson and Nina. Cael spun on his heels and stomped back to the nurses’ station, frowning at the male Therian sitting where the female Human nurse had been seconds ago.