“You are not going to ignore me, Moon.” She knew that voice and he sounded equally as angry, minus the snarl. “I am ordering you to my office.”
“No. Stop blocking the hallway or the next thing I throw will be you.”
“The only place you’re going is to my office. I’ve called for officers. You can walk on your own or they can take you there.”
“Not now.” Moon was worked up. “I don’t want to hurt you but I will. Get out of my way.”
“Help!” the man yelled. “I need assistance!”
“What is going on?” That was Trisha’s voice.
“I’m going to see Joy,” Moon declared.
“He’s not going anywhere but to my office.” The guy had a whiny tone now. “Nurse? Bring a sedative. He’s having a psychotic break.”
Joy slid off the bed and her bare feet touched cold tile. A wave of dizziness hit, reminding her she still hadn’t eaten, but she wanted to get to Moon. She used the bed and then the wall to keep her balance to reach the door. She paused in the doorway, staring down the corridor.
An average-size man had planted himself in the middle of the hall about ten feet away with his back to her. Both his arms were outstretched so his fingertips almost touched the walls to keep Moon from getting past him. A cart lay on its side between them, the source of the crashing sound.
Moon glared at the guy, his hands fisted at his sides. His lips curled back as a deep snarl tore from him. Trisha stood at his side, looking equally angry, minus the show of teeth.
“Why are you here, Kregkor? No one called you to come in. You’re not on duty.” Trisha didn’t hide her anger as she spoke.
“I got a call about what happened. He ran away from Homeland, attacked someone, and had to be brought back by force.”
Trisha frowned. “That’s not what happened. Someone from Homeland called you? Who? I want a name.”
“A friend of mine read it on the internet and knows I work with New Species. He gave me the heads-up. No one here bothered to inform me. I’m going to be speaking to my supervisors about that, and Justice too. I’m sure the president will be very concerned when he hears that you’ve got a Species running around a major city on a rampage and you tried to cover it up. This is my patient and he needs treatment. I’m tired of being prevented from doing my job.”
“Your information is wrong.” Trisha attempted to calm the situation when she used a professional voice. “Moon is fine. He—”
“This isn’t any of your concern. You’re not qualified to tell me how my patient is. You’re out of your league, physician. I’ll send him to you if he gets a broken leg or a cut but right now you’re out of line.”
Paul rushed from the reception area, looking as if he’d just woken. “What’s wrong?”
“I need a sedative and restraints,” Kregkor demanded. “Call for more officers in case he puts up a fight. My patient is having an episode.”
Joy resisted rushing forward, even though she wanted to. It was hard enough to stay on her feet when her knees wanted to collapse but she refused to return to bed.
She needed to assess the situation before she proceeded. It was tough to even pretend to be emotionally detached when the jerk blocking the hallway was threatening the man she loved. She knew Dr. Kregkor was the resident psychiatrist at Homeland but he was an idiot if he honestly believed Moon could have done any of the things he’d accused.
“Get out of my way,” Moon snarled, his gaze landing on Joy.
Trisha gripped his arm to draw his attention. “He’s not worth it, Moon. I get it. Trust me. He’s an ass**le but are you really going to make me patch him up?”
“I told you to get me a sedative and call for orderlies to help us restrain my patient, nurse. Do your job,” Kregkor snapped.
Paul shook his head as he took a few steps back. “I don’t take orders from you.”
“You’re fired.”
Trisha released Moon. “You can’t fire my nurse. You’re the one totally out of line here, Kregkor. You’re making a big mistake if you believe that bullshit you just said. Your friend shared information with you from some story on the internet? Are you serious? Moon didn’t run away and he sure didn’t go on some rampage attacking humans. If you will be reasonable and lis—”
“I’m calling my supervisors.” He dug into his pocket and jerked out a cell phone. “You people are harboring a danger to society. They were justified in sending me here to keep an eye on how things are run. I’ll call a news conference if that’s what it takes to force you to allow me to treat these unfortunate souls. Allowing them loose on society isn’t acceptable. He could have killed someone and you’re trying to cover it up!”
Joy’d had enough. She kept her hand on the wall to steady herself as she moved closer to the son of a bitch. He was pushing buttons when she reached out and snatched the phone from him. He started and spun, gaping at her. She canceled the call with her thumb and tossed the phone Moon’s way, assuming he’d either catch it or let it hit the floor. It didn’t matter to her either way.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Hello, Dr. Kregkor. We met at the front gate, remember? I assume you know by now that we’re both in the same field of medicine.” She struck out her chin, giving him a chilly stare. She didn’t offer him a hand to shake. “You are going to close your mouth and behave like a rational, functional adult or I’m going to kindly ask the nurse to bring me a sedative to give you.”
“No. Stop blocking the hallway or the next thing I throw will be you.”
“The only place you’re going is to my office. I’ve called for officers. You can walk on your own or they can take you there.”
“Not now.” Moon was worked up. “I don’t want to hurt you but I will. Get out of my way.”
“Help!” the man yelled. “I need assistance!”
“What is going on?” That was Trisha’s voice.
“I’m going to see Joy,” Moon declared.
“He’s not going anywhere but to my office.” The guy had a whiny tone now. “Nurse? Bring a sedative. He’s having a psychotic break.”
Joy slid off the bed and her bare feet touched cold tile. A wave of dizziness hit, reminding her she still hadn’t eaten, but she wanted to get to Moon. She used the bed and then the wall to keep her balance to reach the door. She paused in the doorway, staring down the corridor.
An average-size man had planted himself in the middle of the hall about ten feet away with his back to her. Both his arms were outstretched so his fingertips almost touched the walls to keep Moon from getting past him. A cart lay on its side between them, the source of the crashing sound.
Moon glared at the guy, his hands fisted at his sides. His lips curled back as a deep snarl tore from him. Trisha stood at his side, looking equally angry, minus the show of teeth.
“Why are you here, Kregkor? No one called you to come in. You’re not on duty.” Trisha didn’t hide her anger as she spoke.
“I got a call about what happened. He ran away from Homeland, attacked someone, and had to be brought back by force.”
Trisha frowned. “That’s not what happened. Someone from Homeland called you? Who? I want a name.”
“A friend of mine read it on the internet and knows I work with New Species. He gave me the heads-up. No one here bothered to inform me. I’m going to be speaking to my supervisors about that, and Justice too. I’m sure the president will be very concerned when he hears that you’ve got a Species running around a major city on a rampage and you tried to cover it up. This is my patient and he needs treatment. I’m tired of being prevented from doing my job.”
“Your information is wrong.” Trisha attempted to calm the situation when she used a professional voice. “Moon is fine. He—”
“This isn’t any of your concern. You’re not qualified to tell me how my patient is. You’re out of your league, physician. I’ll send him to you if he gets a broken leg or a cut but right now you’re out of line.”
Paul rushed from the reception area, looking as if he’d just woken. “What’s wrong?”
“I need a sedative and restraints,” Kregkor demanded. “Call for more officers in case he puts up a fight. My patient is having an episode.”
Joy resisted rushing forward, even though she wanted to. It was hard enough to stay on her feet when her knees wanted to collapse but she refused to return to bed.
She needed to assess the situation before she proceeded. It was tough to even pretend to be emotionally detached when the jerk blocking the hallway was threatening the man she loved. She knew Dr. Kregkor was the resident psychiatrist at Homeland but he was an idiot if he honestly believed Moon could have done any of the things he’d accused.
“Get out of my way,” Moon snarled, his gaze landing on Joy.
Trisha gripped his arm to draw his attention. “He’s not worth it, Moon. I get it. Trust me. He’s an ass**le but are you really going to make me patch him up?”
“I told you to get me a sedative and call for orderlies to help us restrain my patient, nurse. Do your job,” Kregkor snapped.
Paul shook his head as he took a few steps back. “I don’t take orders from you.”
“You’re fired.”
Trisha released Moon. “You can’t fire my nurse. You’re the one totally out of line here, Kregkor. You’re making a big mistake if you believe that bullshit you just said. Your friend shared information with you from some story on the internet? Are you serious? Moon didn’t run away and he sure didn’t go on some rampage attacking humans. If you will be reasonable and lis—”
“I’m calling my supervisors.” He dug into his pocket and jerked out a cell phone. “You people are harboring a danger to society. They were justified in sending me here to keep an eye on how things are run. I’ll call a news conference if that’s what it takes to force you to allow me to treat these unfortunate souls. Allowing them loose on society isn’t acceptable. He could have killed someone and you’re trying to cover it up!”
Joy’d had enough. She kept her hand on the wall to steady herself as she moved closer to the son of a bitch. He was pushing buttons when she reached out and snatched the phone from him. He started and spun, gaping at her. She canceled the call with her thumb and tossed the phone Moon’s way, assuming he’d either catch it or let it hit the floor. It didn’t matter to her either way.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Hello, Dr. Kregkor. We met at the front gate, remember? I assume you know by now that we’re both in the same field of medicine.” She struck out her chin, giving him a chilly stare. She didn’t offer him a hand to shake. “You are going to close your mouth and behave like a rational, functional adult or I’m going to kindly ask the nurse to bring me a sedative to give you.”
