His dragon spoke up. Maybe we don’t need a special medicine to help the boy. His pupils are round and he’s laughing.
Aye, but we’ll see how long it lasts.
The boy shouted, “Cat in the Hat!”
Cassidy nodded. “Five in a row. Are you sure you’ve only played this twice before?”
Brendan opened his mouth, but then caught sight of Gregor. “The other doctor is here.”
Cassidy turned around. Between the flush on her cheeks and joy in her eyes, she was the most beautiful thing he’d seen in a long time. And one he wanted to see every day for the rest of his life.
Placing a hand on her hip, Cassidy demanded, “How long were you standing there?”
He shrugged. “Long enough. I love watching you move about and play charades.”
As he gave her a slow once over, her cheeks turned pinker. “Well, I’m nearly out of ideas. So maybe you can take a turn for a bit?”
He walked up to her and gently touched her cheek. “Later, love.” He moved his gaze to Brendan. “One of the nurses is bringing you some soup.”
The boy scrunched up his nose. “I don’t like soup.”
He moved closer and lowered his voice. “This soup is different. It’ll make you strong, which means you can be out of that bed sooner.”
Brendan searched his eyes. “Is that the truth or is it just a lie to make me feel better?”
He blinked. “Why would I lie to you?”
“Adults sometimes lie to make children do things.”
He placed a hand over his heart. “I swear on my life that I’m not lying to you. There’s some medicine to help you in the soup. If you eat it all, you should be well soon.”
The boy hesitated. “What about my dragon?”
Gregor gripped the boy’s shoulder. “It will help him, too.”
Cassidy spoke up. “If Dr. Innes says it’ll help, then believe him.”
Brendan looked between them. “You have to say that as he’s your mate. You
smell of him.”
Gregor chuckled and Cassidy shot him a look before turning back to Brendan. “Your parents are mates, right?” The boy nodded. “Does your mum always do what your dad says?”
He shook his head. “No. She sometimes calls him an eejit and Dad backs off.”
Gregor bit his lip to keep from laughing. The lad was observant. No doubt, Cassidy would call him an idiot many times in the future, too.
“Well, I’m the same way,” Cassidy replied. “If I didn’t like Dr. Innes’s idea, I’d say so. But I trust him. Will you give him a chance?”
Brendan studied Gregor for a few seconds before replying, “Okay. But if the soup doesn’t help me, I won’t eat any more.”
“Fair enough. I also want you to tell me the truth when I visit again later, okay?” Sid said.
Brendan gripped the sheets. “You’re leaving?”
His mate was probably wondering what was going on with regards to the soup, but obviously wanted to stay. Gregor chimed in. “How about I talk to Dr. Sid for a few minutes out in the hall once the nurse gets here? That way she’ll be close by in case anything goes wrong. Won’t you, Doctor?”
Cassidy bobbed her head. “Yes. And I’ll come back in as soon as we’re done talking.”