Page 11 of Lay It Bare

Lisa was a hot, heavy weight between Rei’s legs. Rei rested his hand on Lisa’s shoulder and rubbed gently. Somehow, his touch seemed to be grounding Lisa through the confusion of the fever.

Sevastyan returned with a water bottle sometime later and disappeared again. When he came back there was strain in his face. “I’m going out to pick up medication.” He placed Rei’s phone within reach. “Call me if anything changes.”

Ellisandre

Ellisandre’s phone rang late-morning. They were at the office, going through Linda’s calendar. The lock screen read Bal. They answered at once, giving Linda a nod and stepping out of the meeting.

“Vast.”

“I need a favor,” Sevastyan said. His voice was tight and it sounded like he was walking outside.

“Ask.”

“IV saline. How could I get it?”

The fine hairs on Ellisandre’s back stood up. The previous day had been rough, but Sevastyan shouldn’t have needed another IV after all that. “Give me your status and location.”

“Not for me. Someone else.” He bit the words off as if he didn’t want to say that much.

Ellisandre glanced back through the glass wall at the meeting. “I can get it for you. Meet me.”

“It’s not for me.”

“Prove it.”

Sevastyan cursed. “How fast can you have it?”

“Tell me what kind you need.”

“IV saline. For dehydration.”

Ellisandre checked the clock at the end of the hallway. “Give me two hours.”

“I can be by the elevators of the parking garage across from your office in two hours, floor two.”

Ellisandre grimaced. There was a lot that Sevastyan could hide from them, meeting in public. “Men’s bathrooms, second floor of the mall.” Ellisandre named cross streets two blocks south of Linda’s office.

“Two hours,” Sevastyan said. He hung up.

Ellisandre took the phone away from their ear and checked the screen, confirming that their boy had really just hung up on them. He was crashing hard. They’d meant to give him a few more hours before checking on him. He should have still been asleep. But if he was up scouring the city for medical supplies, he wasn’t caring for himself like he should have been after what they’d been through together the previous night.

But—for the low, low price of saline—they’d have him in their hands in two hours. Linda’s private doctor would be amenable. She’d been willing to make medical supplies available previously for at-home care. Ellisandre dialed the doctor’s direct number. It went to voicemail. Ellisandre leaned against the wall and checked their messages and email waiting for a call back. It came in ten minutes.

“Ellisandre?”

“Rosie, need to ask a favor.”

“Always, doll, ask away.”

“Can I buy IV saline off you?”

“How much? Just the normal saline, D5NS? Or do you need LR?”

“Both, two liters each.”

“Send a courier over for it. It’ll be boxed up at the front desk like a turkey.”

Ellisandre rolled their eyes. “You’re a lifesaver.”