Coming In Hot Box Set

by Gina Kincade

  Aleah looked around and saw that her raised voice had indeed brought a few onlookers to their conversations. She nodded and began walking toward the elevators, not caring if either of the men were following her. Aleah suddenly needed to be away from everybody so that she could think.

  Wyatt hurried to catch up to her, grabbing her arm once he was beside her, “Slow down, baby. What was that all about? I mean this is a whole other side of you that I’ve never seen before. First you put William on notice, and I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, and then you practically attack the Director because of a few words spoken by people who barely know you? You usually handle things with a lot more finesse than you have today.”

  She pushed the down button and watched the numbers as they counted down to the first floor, “It’s nothing, Wyatt. Dr. Morgan will tell you everything that we’ve been working on for the good of our community and you’ll be in the know. You’re going to see how hard it has been for me to be doing all of this on my own. I just feel that we should include everyone on the team, including William, because secrets destroy everything that is good. Having everyone working on the plan will make things much easier, not to mention faster.”

  The Endocrinologist nodded as the elevator dinged signaling its arrival, “That makes sense but I don’t think attacking the Director is going to get him to agree with you. Sweets, you need to ease into things like this with someone who is set in his ways.”

  Aleah sighed, “You’re probably right. Look, let’s just head down to the basement and meet Dr. Morgan. The way things were left back there I’m pretty sure we’re going to be picking up that conversation where it was left off anyway so I’m just going to take a few deep breaths and regain my composure on the ride down. Maybe if I come at him logically instead of emotionally he’ll start really thinking about what I’m saying.”

  Wyatt nodded, “There’s the girl I fell in love with.”

  She ducked her head as she felt the blush begin to climb up her cheeks. The two had been dating since the team was first brought together but he could still cause her to blush and that was one of things she loved about him.

  They both climbed onto the elevator car, Wyatt pushing the button for the basement.

  As the doors closed Aleah asked, “Did you see where the Director went as I walked off?”

  The Endocrinologist shrugged, “I wasn’t really watching Dr. Morgan, sweets. I was more worried about you. But if I had to guess I would say that he was talking to the humans who were listening in on our conversation, trying to get them to understand why you were feeling so frustrated without them losing any faith in him or his experiments. I’m sure we’ll see him at the lab.”

  Aleah watched the numbers count down as she nodded her acknowledgement, tapping her foot impatiently, “Yes, I’m sure that’s what he’s doing.”

  Wyatt took her hand and gave it a small squeeze, “Things are going to work out the way they work out, sweets. But you need to know you will always have me at your side, no matter the outcome.”

  He pulled her into an embrace and leaned down; grazing her mouth with his own as the elevator doors slid open.

  Chapter Six

  Dr. Morgan was already at the lab when the couple arrived, “Crisis averted with the human staff that overheard our little discussion earlier. That being said, the next time you have something to say to me or would like to confront me on any matter I think we should do it in a less public place.”

  Aleah opened her mouth to speak but the Director held up his hand, “I’m not done. I understand your frustration and I apologize for what your teammates think of you, but they aren’t ready to know about the experiments conducted down here. The only reason I agreed to allow you to bring Dr. Masterson in is because your iron levels are bordering anemic and I can’t have you getting sick. Now, you said that Dr. Masterson is a shifter and I believe you so here he is being brought into our lab and our research.”

  Wyatt sat down at the microscope, taking a look at what was under it, “Whose blood is this?”

  Aleah walked up behind him and ran her hand through his hair while watching the Director, “It’s mine. We haven’t had any volunteers come forward to join the study so I’ve been providing blood and tissue samples for Dr. Morgan to study for his research. The humans haven’t given him much time to relax with all of their demands on the difference between supernatural and human.”

  Dr. Morgan took the blood sample out from under the microscope and set it aside, “We need to provide them some answers within the week or they will shut the whole thing down. And now that we have gotten our first real patient it would do more harm than good for us to lose our funding.”

  Wyatt turned to look at the Director, “You’re trying to figure out what makes us so different from the humans and haven’t found any answers?”

  The Director scowled at him, “I didn’t say that I haven’t found any answers, now did I? I just said that I hadn’t provided them with said answers.”

  Wyatt looked from Dr. Morgan to Aleah, “You have answers and you’re sitting on them?”

  Aleah took his hand, “It’s not like that at all, lover. We have answers as to why we’re so different from humans but those answers also provide the humans with our weaknesses. What we’re trying to do right now is separate our weaknesses from our difference. Do you understand?”

  Wyatt nodded, “Yes, I think so. If you give the humans the answers you have, right now, they would have the answer to hurt us; or at least some of us anyway. That makes sense and is a good plan actually.”

  Dr. Morgan nodded, “You were right, Aleah, he is quick study. I’m glad you talked me into including him on our team.”

  The Director moved around the lab, gathering vials and needles, “I need you to draw some blood on Dr. Masterson, then head back up to the fifth floor and check on our patient. I want to run some tests on your honey before I join you.”

  Aleah nodded, taking the offered vials and syringes, “Sure thing, Doctor. But what should I tell the team when I arrive upstairs?”

  The Director was looking at his notes, “Hmm? What? Oh, tell them nothing. Take the patient’s blood and have it sent down here by a lab tech. Try to stay away from the other team members as best you can so there are no confrontations. I don’t want you to accidently say something because you’re angry.”

  Wyatt watched as Aleah wrapped the elastic tubing around his upper arm, “I’ll be with her, Director, so there is no need to worry about her saying something you will regret later on down the road.”

  “Pump your fist so I can find a vein and I don’t need a babysitter,” Aleah said as she prepped the syringe to draw Wyatt’s blood.

  Wyatt began pumping his right hand, “I never said I was babysitting. I merely said that I would be there with you.”

  The female shifter inserted the needle on the syringe into the male shifter’s arm, attaching the vial after she made sure the vein was tapped, “Still sounds like you’re going to babysit me.”

  She untied the elastic tubing and pulled it off his arm, replacing the first vial with a new one, “Let me tell you something, Wyatt. I don’t need anyone to keep me in check. For any reason. I know my job, I’m damn good at that job, and I’m not going to let my temper or hurt feelings jeopardize what we’re doing here so you and the Director don’t have anything to worry about. I’m not going to do anything to cause anymore strife.”

  Wyatt winced as Aleah moved the needle in his arm, “I know that, sweets. You don’t have to sell your good intentions to me.”

  He gave a subtle nod towards their boss who was at the microscope muttering under his breath, “He’s the one you need to worry about.”

  Aleah smiled as she removed the needle and set the two vials of blood on the counter next to them, “Dr. Morgan is a good guy; he just set in his ways and takes his work seriously. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good quality in a doctor but sometimes I wish he would let some new blood take control once in a while.”
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  She disposed of the syringe in the sharps container above her lover’s head and placed a small cotton ball on Wyatt’s arm and wrapped it with some tape bandage wrap, “You can take that off in about fifteen minutes. Give me five of those fifteen to get these samples to the Director and we’ll head upstairs to check on our patient.”

  Wyatt nodded, “Go do what you have to do. I’ll be here when you get back.”

  She smiled and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek, “I’ll be right back, darling.”

  Aleah picked up the vials and made her way over to the Director who was still muttering under his breath, “Here’s Dr. Masterson’s blood sample, Doctor. Is there anything else you need before we head up?”

  Dr. Morgan turned around and gave her his full attention, “Can you take a look at your blood sample under the microscope and tell me what you see please?”

  Aleah gave him a soft smile, “But of course. Is there anything I need to be looking for?”

  The Director chuckled, “Now, Aleah, you know that is not how I work. I want to see if you notice the same thing I do about the blood, but I’m not going to tell you what it is I’m noticing beforehand. Just take a look and tell me what you see.”

  The female shifter gave him a questioning look but did what he asked. She almost didn’t see what had been causing him to mutter, but the movement finally caught her eye, “Oh my God. Blood’s not supposed to do that.”

  Dr. Morgan moved behind her, “The blood isn’t supposed to do what, my dear? What is it that you see?”

  Wyatt heard her exclamation and turned his attention to that side of the lab, “What’s going on over there?”

  The Director turned his head to look at the male shifter still sitting in the chair in the corner of the room, “It’s nothing serious, my lad, it’s just curious. It would seem that our Hematologist is not only unique in her profession but in the shifter world as well.”

  Aleah looked up from the microscope, “Did you mix anything with my blood?”

  Dr. Morgan shook his head and leaned over to look into the microscope again. The female shifter could feel the heat coming off of his body as he stood so close behind her. She looked toward her lover and saw that he had stood, pulling the tape bandage wrap off and throwing it in the trash on his way over to where she was sitting. The blood had drained from her face and she felt light headed but Aleah stood, vacating the only seat in front of the microscope. She needed to get some space between her and the Director.

  Wyatt wrapped her in his arms as they met in the middle of the room, pulling her close, “What does he mean, Aleah?”

  Aleah shook her head and buried her face in her lover’s chest, “I don’t know what any of it means, Wyatt. Go on. Go look at the blood and you’ll see.”

  Dr. Morgan left the chair in front of the microscope and picked up the vials of the male shifter’s blood, “Aleah you should be pleased. This could be the answer to our predicament.”

  She shook her head again, “I don’t think so, Dr. Morgan. I don’t know how my being different is going to help anything.”

  Wyatt let out a whistle as he looked up from the microscope and caught Aleah’s gaze, “I’m not a Hematologist but that certainly is different. And you haven’t mixed anything with her blood?”

  The Director looked at the female shifter’s pale face, “No, nothing. That’s the sample we took this morning. I’ve been studying Aleah’s blood for months and have never seen something like this. But I strongly believe this is the solution to all of our funding problems.”

  Aleah felt light-headed and leaned against the wall, “What does it mean, Dr. Morgan?”

  The Director took her hand, “It could mean nothing or everything. I won’t know until I run a few more tests, my dear. Why don’t you head upstairs and see to our patient? Bring his blood sample down yourself. Hopefully by then I’ll have something more than theories to run by you.”

  Wyatt stood up, “I think that’s a good idea, doc. We’ll check on the patient, take some blood samples and then come back down.”

  The Director went back to the microscope and the male shifter lead Aleah out of the lab and towards the elevators.

  Chapter Seven

  The couple walked into room 526 and saw that the patient seemed to be lying comfortably in the hospital bed, the other specialists taking vitals and asking questions.

  Aleah cleared her throat, “This room isn’t very big, is it? Do you really think all of us need to be in it right now?”

  Deanna turned from the blood pressure machine, a frown on her pretty face, “Are you delivering a message from the Director, or are you calling the shots now Dr. Macleod?”

  The female shifter felt her anger start to rise but she pushed it down before she answered, “Merely stating a fact and asking a question, not trying to dictate anything. But I do believe the patient might be more comfortable if there weren’t so many of us in here. If you’re that worried about it, why don’t we ask Mr. Crabtree?”

  Rosa stepped between the two women, placing a hand on each of their shoulders, “Let’s not fight ladies. We all have to work together so it might be wise to get along. I know there is tension and I’m aware of the reason it’s there, however I think we should stuff it, don’t you? For the sake of our patient?”

  Aleah looked to the soft-spoken Latin woman with interest. She agreed with her whole-heartedly but Deanna didn’t seem to be the type to let a grudge go. And there was no doubt in the female shifter’s mind that there was a grudge there.

  Instead of voicing her thoughts she simply shrugged, “I couldn’t agree with you more, Rosa. Thank you for being the voice of reason in this trying situation.”

  Alfred had been standing silently, taking notes of the vital signs and checking the patient’s saline drip.

  He looked up at the four standing in the doorway of the room, keeping a close eye on Wyatt as he spoke, “I agree with Rosa. We have to work together, but we don’t have to get along. And Aleah has made a few enemies in this room.”

  He set his clipboard down, crossing the room, “Look, I don't want to get into everything in front of a patient but you have to admit that Dr. Morgan dotes on you. Why don’t you come in and do what you need to do? When you’ve finished, meet us in the conference room so that we can air out our problems. It may not solve anything but at least the tension will ease a little.”

  Wyatt took in the tall, dark skinned man, trying to gauge his intentions, “Agreed. Alfred, we will meet everyone in the conference room in half an hour. From there we can all air out our grievances and maybe lay to rest all of this hostility once and for all.”

  Alfred nodded his agreement and looked at the two women who had stopped Aleah’s entry into the room, “Let’s go record our findings. I’m sure the two of you can wait half an hour to say everything you need to say to our Hematologist.”

  Deanna threw Aleah another dirty look, turned her nose up and stalked out of the room without another word. Rosa gave the female shifter a soft pat on her shoulder and a warm smile before following the others out the door. Alfred gave Wyatt another nod and left in silence.

  Aleah let out a breath she hadn’t been aware she had been holding and looked around the room.

  “You’re just making friends wherever you go, aren’t you beauty?” William said sarcastically as he stood in lithe movement from the chair in the corner of the room.

  She turned her gaze from the patient lying in the bed to the Cardiologist across the room, her guard instantly going up, “I have no idea what you mean, William. Now if you would excuse me, Dr. Morgan would like some samples of our patient’s blood, sooner rather than later.”

  Wyatt moved her collection box into his left hand, placing his right one onto her lower back and lightly pushing her further into the room. He didn’t want to be in the hallway if William decided to cause a scene. It seemed that their Cardiologist wasn’t as concerned with image as their Rheumatologist was.

  William chuckled, “Oh c
ome off it already, Aleah. You love being the center of attention. You can’t go one day without causing some sort of trouble. Admit it to yourself if you won’t admit to others. You’ll be happier for it. Trust me, I know.”

  The Cardiologist walked slowly toward the couple still standing next to the door of the room. Wyatt flexed his right hand on Aleah’s lower back, letting her know with that movement how much he didn’t like the other male shifter.

  She gave William the sweetest smile she had in her arsenal, “Quite the contrary, William. I don’t, nor have I ever, liked being the center of attention. All this strife between myself and the other specialists is tearing me apart inside. But I can see that it doesn’t bother you one way or the other. You would absolutely love it if the other woman on this team and I started fighting. It would give you great joy to watch them tear me down with their insults and insinuations, wouldn’t it? Well I’m sorry to burst your bubble, but there is no reason for them to hate me this much. I’m not the Director’s pet, no matter what anyone else has to say, nor am I sleeping with him. You’re going to be kicking yourself in the ass soon enough and I can’t wait to watch that.”

  William sneered at her, “Is that so? Well, beauty, pull up a chair because you’re going to be waiting a really long time for that to happen.”

  He pushed past the couple on his way out the door, making sure there was physical contact with both of them.

  Wyatt took Aleah’s shaking hands in his own, “That could have gone sideways really fast, sweets. Aren’t you glad that I was indeed here?’

  Aleah only nodded and picked up her collection case, “One crisis at a time. Let’s get Mr. Crabtree’s blood sample and hand it over to the Director so we can take care of the problem waiting for us in the conference room.”