PassionsPoison

by Lexi Post

  He looked back to Susan, Andy and the other father. “My friend here is an excellent doctor. Would you mind if he took a look at her?”

  Susan broke down into tears as she collapsed back onto the couch.

  A cultured voice came from the hallway. “Please, have your friend come in. I think she’s slipped into a coma.”

  Susan’s sobs pounded on his nerves as he and Josh strode toward the stranger.

  The man offered his hand. “I’m Jim Bellante.”

  Zach shook. He must be the father Bea thought had sent the letters, but Zach’s instinct said this man was first-class. Without hesitation he followed him into the room. If Zach had to guess, he’d bet this man or the one sitting next to Susan was Bea’s biological father.

  When he entered the room, she didn’t move. Her face was white and as still as death. A sharp pain grabbed his chest, stopping him in his tracks. He shook his head, refusing to believe what his eyes told him. Making his feet move to her side, he sat in the chair next to the bed and touched her cheek. Oh God, were they too late? “Josh, she’s ice cold.”

  He tried to keep the panic from his voice, but Josh sensed it and took over. “Jim, I need my medical bag, which is back at Zach’s. Can you send one of those musclemen to get my car? It’s in there.”

  Jim nodded, catching the keys Josh tossed to him and left the room.

  Zach grabbed Josh’s arm. “Is she…?”

  Josh shook his head as he held Bea’s wrist. “No, she has a strong pulse, but something is seriously wrong with her and—”

  He steeled himself. “Tell me.”

  “Jim’s right. She’s slipped into a coma.”

  Zach put his head in his hands. Why hadn’t he let her explain? Maybe he could have helped her. Maybe she could have gone to a rehab center. They treated people for sex addictions these days. It was his fault either way. He’d stayed with her too long. Fate had already come to take her away too.

  “Move.”

  Startled, he stared blankly at Josh.

  “Let me check her vitals. You’re in the way.”

  “Right.” He stood and moved to stand against the dresser. Bea had wanted to see him before…hell. What Susan had tried to tell him was that seeing him was her last wish. His stomach clenched. He slammed his fist against the furniture behind him.

  Josh jumped, but Bea didn’t. “Do you mind?”

  He looked down. “Sorry.”

  The image of Bea crying, begging to come in, floated through his mind. He’d ignored her. He’d never treated a woman that badly. He’d been so caught up in the photos and his own feelings of betrayal he hadn’t even questioned the fucking source of the letter or how old the photos were. Christ. She had to live. He was tired of losing the women he loved. Loved?

  He leaned back and knocked over a ceramic bunny, probably a decoration for Easter. He righted it a bit farther away from the cooler. Cooler? What was a cooler doing in the room? He peered inside and found vials and unused needle packs. Had they been experimenting on her? What the hell. “Hey, Josh, look at this.”

  Josh came over and read the tiny scrawl on the labels. “I don’t know exactly what this is, but it appears to be some kind of antivenom.”

  “Antivenom?”

  Josh held a vial up to the light and shook his head. “I don’t think that’s right, but I’d say it’s along those lines. If I had my lab I could test it, but I don’t even have my bag.”

  Zach realized Josh was as anxious as he and more frustrated. “I appreciate anything you can do for her.”

  Josh raised a brow. “You mean the woman you never wanted to see again?”

  He stuffed his hands into his pockets. “Yeah, well, I’m sure I would have come to my senses eventually.”

  Josh put a hand on his shoulder. “Of course you would because I was nudging you there. Good thing you have a genius for a friend.”

  Zach gave him a halfhearted grin. “Yeah, really. You save Bea, and I’ll pay you back, promise.”

  Josh smacked him on the arm. “Hey, that’s what friendship is all about, buddy. Paying each other back.”

  “Right.” Zach choked back the lump in his throat.

  “Why don’t you go sit next to her, hold her hand, do that lovey stuff. I’m going to tell the others what little I know so far. I need to get her to my lab, but it’s a two-hour drive. I hope they have ambulances in these backwoods.”

  * * * * *

  Zach glared at Susan as she lay next to her daughter in the hospital room, a tube transferring her blood to Bea. She wasn’t his favorite person at the moment, despite the fact she may be saving her daughter’s life. Even as he stood there, Bea’s grandmother was on her way to the hospital in Jim’s helicopter. As soon as Bea, Susan, Josh and he had arrived in it, Jim called it back for the grandmother.

  Zach approached the bed. “Susan, I think you need to tell me and Josh what’s going on if you want him to help Bea. I don’t mean bits and pieces either. I want the whole story.”

  She fidgeted with the metal bar on the side of her bed, not meeting his eyes. “Okay, but I need to have Mathew here or you won’t believe me.”

  He kept his tone stern. “They’re on the way, but in the meantime, we need to know what’s wrong with Bea. They can corroborate your story later. You do want her to come out of this coma, don’t you?”

  She nodded, but still avoided his gaze. He glanced at Josh, who threw up his hands in frustration. The good doctor wasn’t getting answers from her or from the contents of the cooler fast enough. Zach had never seen his friend uptight, but then again, he’d never seen Josh in his work environment either.

  He sat next to Susan, leaving Josh full access to Bea. Then he took Susan’s hand. “I know there’s a reason you and Bea’s fathers didn’t call an ambulance right away. I know there’s something unusual in that cooler, so you might as well tell me. We’re going to find out sooner or later and sooner will be much better for your daughter.”

  She looked at him and he gave her his best smile, despite the pain in his jaw.

  She melted. He could see it in her gaze. “Oh, Zach. I knew you were perfect for her. I just didn’t expect her to fall in love with you.”

  His heart sped at her statement, what a backhanded compliment that was. But he kept his face impassive. “So tell me why she’s in a coma and why you think your blood and her grandmother’s might help her.”

  Susan glanced away again and sighed. “We are cursed.”

  “Cursed?” If she thought Bea’s condition was about bad karma, he would break something, anything.

  She looked him in the eyes. “Yes, cursed. An ancestor of ours, Giacomo Rappaccini, was a great scientist in Italy. He grew beautiful, poisonous flowers, but flowers weren’t enough for him. No, he had to experiment on his daughter Beatrice. Her mother had died young, probably from him as well. But he got it right, which was so wrong. His daughter carried poison in her.”

  Zach held Susan’s gaze, but he wanted more than anything to look at Josh and see if such a thing were possible.

  Susan continued, her eyes glazing over. “Giacomo’s daughter Beatrice fell in love and became pregnant. Her intended discovered he’d been poisoned simply by being with her. So he found a friend to devise an antidote, but when Beatrice took it, it killed her. Giacomo became enraged and performed what we call a cesarean on Beatrice and Lily was born.” Susan looked up at him, anger contorting her face, making him wonder if perhaps she wasn’t a little off balance mentally.

  She grasped his wrist. “Giacomo provided Lily with a poisonous mate and she gave birth to the next Beatrice, complete with double the poison, and so our lineage started.” She looked off toward her own daughter. “Each succeeding generation has had less and less poisons.” Susan’s smile was pitiful. “My Beatrice has the least.”

  Zach squeezed her hand, but looked at Josh.

  His friend mouthed the word “possible” then left the room.

  Zach brought his gaze back to Susan.
“So what happened to Bea? Why was she given the medicine in the cooler?”

  Susan dropped her gaze again. “Could I have some water?”

  Zach patted her hand. “Of course, I’m sorry. I’ll send the nurse in.” He left the room.

  After letting the nurse know of Susan’s request, he went in search of Josh. But he couldn’t find him in any of the unrestricted areas. His friend must have gone to the lab. He sat outside Bea’s room to wait.

  He hadn’t been there more than a minute when Josh came through the restricted area doors. His eyes shone with excitement. “You’re not going to believe this. She’s telling the truth. I tested her and Bea’s blood samples and it’s true. Susan’s poisons are stronger than Bea’s. It’s a fascinating poison, not like anything I’ve ever seen. They may be the only ones to still have such a sample. I need to research this.”

  Zach stood. “I’m happy you have a new discovery to make, but I have a woman dying in there. What kind of poison is it? Do you think you can give her an antidote?”

  Josh’s face sobered. “Sorry. I got excited there for a minute, but you’re right. There’s plenty of time for discovery later. I don’t think Bea needs an antidote, in fact, I think that is what caused her coma. The liquid in that cooler is an antidote and she was given a lethal dose. It attacked all the poison in her body, leaving her with little left. The blood transfusion with Susan should help, but I can’t let it go on much longer because I also don’t want to poison her. You have to understand, I’m just guessing here.”

  Josh reached for the door. “Or it could be a doubly potent mix of poison and we are currently killing your mystery woman. I’ve got to find out and our hippie lady needs to start talking.”

  Zach swore, his blood chilling, but somehow he managed to follow Josh into the room. Focusing on Susan, with a tube in her arm in hopes of saving her only daughter, helped him find the compassion he needed. Besides, he’d already learned intimidation didn’t work with Bea’s mom, so he pulled Josh back before his friend started an interrogation. “Susan, can you tell me what was in the cooler?”

  She brightened. “Oh yes, that’s Phillip’s. He discovered an antidote for Bea’s poison.” Her face filled with confusion. “But he gave her too much. He said if she couldn’t love him then no one could have her. That’s when I got scared. He loved her so much. He said he had written her letters, but she ignored them. I’m surprised Bea would be so rude.”

  Zach heard Josh’s sigh of relief. “Thank you, Susan. Why did you find it hard to tell me all this?”

  She shrugged. “Most people don’t believe it. We have to stay away from regular doctors because they try to cure us, but many things don’t work on us or have the wrong effect.”

  She shivered and Zach realized she was talking from experience. “Trust me. You’re in the right hands now. I’m just glad Josh was with me when Gerry showed up.”

  Susan wrung her hands. “I’m sorry about that. He loves Bea so much and needed to do something to help. I’m glad Charlie was with him.” She cupped his cheek with her hand. “How is your jaw?”

  He wiggled it around and gave her a smirk because it hurt less than a smile. “I’ll recover.”

  Josh clicked off a machine. “Susan, I’m going to stop the transfusion. I don’t want to give your daughter too much of your blood. It’s significantly stronger in its poisons, but I may call upon your mother when she gets here if Bea needs more. Hers will be stronger, I’m assuming, and I wouldn’t need too much.”

  Josh unhooked the intravenous tube. “You may be a little lightheaded as I’ve taken a full unit, so I’m going to have a nurse bring you to get some orange juice and something to eat.”

  Susan nodded then looked at her daughter. “Zach, you’ll have to ask Bea about the rest.”

  The rest? “What do you mean?”

  The nurse came in with a wheelchair, interrupting them, but before Susan left with the young woman, he stopped them. “What do you mean by ‘the rest’? Is there something we should know that will help save Bea?”

  She shook her head. “No, but it will explain a lot. And it won’t be relevant unless she wakes up. Ask her how we’re able to live with the poison, if she—”

  Zach put his finger to her lips. “I will.”

  When the door closed, he made himself comfortable in the chair next to Bea and glanced at his friend. “Josh, when will you know about the antidote?”

  “It will still be another hour or so.”

  Zach stared at Bea’s face. Was there color back in it, or was it his own hopeful thoughts? “Come on, Bea, I came to you, now you have to come to me. Fair’s fair.”

  * * * * *

  “Zach, go find something to eat.” Josh made a note on Bea’s chart.

  He shook his head, he far preferred Bea’s silent company. Besides, there was no way he would walk past that waiting room again. Too many people, and they didn’t all get along, especially Susan and Bea’s grandmother. That old lady was one sharp woman and a force to be reckoned with, but when she flirted with another doctor, he’d had to keep himself from laughing. “Do you think you’ll need to use the grandmother’s blood?”

  Josh shrugged. “I’m not sure about anything here. I’m giving it my best guess. The antidote is pure genius, but the dosage would have killed her. I’m going to play it safe and wait a little longer.”

  Zach squeezed Bea’s hand. At least she wasn’t as cold as she’d been.

  The nurse popped her head in. “Excuse me, Dr. Sutton, but Ms. Rappaccini has a new visitor. She says her name is Kayla Weeks.”

  Zach smiled. “Finally, a normal person.”

  Sighing, Josh went back to his calculations. “I guess you can send her in.”

  Kayla came through the door and Zach left his chair to give her a welcome hug. “It’s good to see you.”

  She lifted her brow. “Really? Has it been that bad?”

  He pulled her over to Bea. “Yeah.”

  She took Bea’s hand. “Oh, honey, what’s happened to you? You need to wake up and make this man yours. Don’t wait forever or someone else will steal him.” Kayla looked at him excitedly. “She squeezed my hand.”

  He rubbed her shoulder. “Josh says that’s just reflex.”

  Josh cleared his throat.

  Zach glanced at his friend. “Oh, sorry.” He turned back to Kayla. “This is Dr. Josh Sutton. Josh, this is Kayla.”

  Kayla pushed her hair behind her ear and offered her hand. “Hello. Zach didn’t tell me Bea had such a handsome doctor or I would have come hours ago.”

  Zach peered at Kayla to make sure she wasn’t poking fun at his friend, but she gave Josh a hot once-over and licked her lips.

  Josh, on the other hand, actually blushed. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kayla.”

  Zach coughed as the two remained standing, hands clasped. He couldn’t believe it, but then again, everyone had different tastes. “Kayla, Josh is a very close friend of mine and he’s been going nonstop for the last twenty-four hours trying to help Bea. Could you do me a favor and escort him to the cafeteria so he can get a bite to eat?”

  “I’d be happy to. And when I get back, I think I’ll organize the people mess you’ve got going on in the waiting room. You boys definitely need my help with Bea under the weather.”

  Zach looked at the ceiling and thanked whoever watched over them for sending Kayla. They did need her.

  She linked her arm around Josh’s. “You ready, Doc? Let’s get some grub. I’m hungry too.”

  Josh glanced at Zach. “You should eat as well.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll let Kayla find something for me. You guys can bring it back. I’m not leaving this room.”

  “Okay. We’ll be back soon.” As Josh opened the door for Kayla, his gaze riveted to her ass.

  Zach shook his head. Never would he have matched the two of them together. Then again, they had just met. His own night with Kayla made things a bit awkward, but if Josh liked her that was all tha
t mattered.

  He sat next to Bea and took her hand. If the attraction was anything like what he had for Bea, it could last a lifetime. His jaw tightened. He just hoped Bea’s lifetime hadn’t already passed.

  He kissed her hand and felt a reflexive squeeze. The touch grabbed at his heart and tears formed in his eyes. What was that song? You don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone?

  Hell. He was in love with the woman holding his hand. Now if she would only wake up so he could do something about it.

  * * * * *

  Zach woke to someone brushing fingers through his hair. He opened his eyes and lifted his head from Bea’s bed. The sight that greeted him made his heart constrict, even as a tear made its way down his cheek.

  Her eyes were open. She gazed at him with such love, he thought he would explode with joy. “Hi, beautiful.”

  She smiled. “Hi. I’m so glad you came.”

  He smiled wider despite the pain on one side. “I couldn’t stay away. Bea, I’m sorry I was such an ass.”

  He moved forward and kissed her, reveling in her arms as they surrounded him. Her lips were warm and her face flushed. He broke away. “How do you feel?”

  “Like I was beat up.” She touched his jaw. “Looks as if you were too.”

  He glanced away. “Just one of your dads being a dad.”

  “Gerry.”

  He looked back at her. “Yeah, how’d you guess?”

  She smirked. “Because while any of them might want to hit you at some point, Gerry’s the only one big enough to leave a mark.”

  Zach held her face in his hands. He couldn’t stop touching her yet. “Yeah, well, he was scared and worried. You almost didn’t make it.”

  She peered beyond him. “I’m in a hospital?”

  “Jim flew us here in a helicopter. This is where Josh works. He needed his lab to figure out what was wrong with you. Do you remember anything?”

  Her eyes lit up. “Yes, it was Phillip. He sent the letters.” Then her face fell, but her gaze remained fixed on him. “Zach, you have to let me explain the letters.”