Free Web NovelChapter 129: Doctor Thomas I
"Of course we aren’t at the morgue." Damon rolled his eyes. "Can’t you read the words on the building? Besides, they wouldn’t bother with a morgue― they’d just toss the bodies onto the roadside for the wild animals to eat."
I gaped at him in horror. Then, Damon let out a sharp laugh.
"Ha, you really believed that? What an idiot," Damon chuckled and he cuffed my head good-naturedly as I grumbled up at him. "It looks better on the inside. What’s the point of wasting their money on making it look good, when there’s nowhere else for the injured and sick to go?"
I could see the point of that argument, but I only began to believe it when we pushed the door open and walked inside. Thankfully, the interior of the tiny hospital wasn’t as dilapidated as the outside. The white tiles looked old, but they were clean and unbroken.
The entire place smelled vaguely of antiseptic and lavender. There was only one other person in the lobby, and that was the receptionist who sat behind a small oak desk, who seemed more busy with her phone than her job.
Damon walked up to her and cleared his throat.
"What is it― Oh, I mean, hello, h-how can I help you?" The receptionist looked up, and a flush began to bloom all over her cheeks as her eyes took in the sight of Damon in front of her.
Damon’s T-shirt was doing a terrible job of concealing his muscles, and I caught her eyes widening as they roved down what she could see of his body. Her phone clattered loudly on the table.
Her name was on the nametag pinned to her uniform. Poor Elise. She didn’t deserve to deal with Damon on her shift.
I stifled a laugh. It was almost amazing how quickly the irritation on Elise’s face at being interrupted transformed into surprise and embarrassment when she realized a man as good-looking as Damon was in front of her.
"Good evening, Elise," Damon said politely with the faintest hint of a smile on his face. Clearly, he had noticed the name tag too. "I would like to speak with Doctor Thomas, please."
I blinked. Was it just my ears that were malfunctioning, or was Damon using a strangely flirtatious tone with Elise? Or was he simply being polite― and this was his version of politeness?
"Oh, I’m sorry, but Doctor Thomas has retired for the night. He doesn’t take night shifts anymore," Elise said apologetically, the red flush still on her face. "Do you want to see another doctor? Doctor Mallow is also very good at his job."
"No, that’s fine," Damon said, and I felt the irritation well up within him. Yet he only gave Elise a look of mild dismay and disappointment. "I suppose I should have arrived earlier, but the traffic on the road was so bad..."
I raised an eyebrow. Wow. Damon was a terrible actor, but since Elise didn’t know him, she fell for his words hook, line, and sinker, staring at him with pity.
"I could help you make an appointment for tomorrow?" Elise offered, but Damon shook his head.
"No, even a few hours is too much of a delay," Damon said seriously, "Time is of the essence. I really needed to see Doctor Thomas. It’s a matter of life and death."
Elise looked conflicted, and I decided to help Damon hammer the last nail in the coffin.
"He’s right," I said, making myself look as pathetic as I could. "My brother needs help with a grievous affliction," I said, discreetly gesturing to Damon’s crotch with a nod of my head. "You know, men’s health problems. Elise, is there nothing you can do?"
I didn’t need the mate bond to know that Damon was cursing me in his mind for slandering his health, but he only pasted an embarrassed contrite look on his face as Elise gasped in understanding. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
"Oh, I see..." Her lower lip wobbled as she gave Damon one last look of pity. "I guess... I could make an exception, but don’t tell him I gave you his number! He’ll fire me."
"We won’t," I promised quickly. "You’re saving my brother’s life, and the lives of all of his future descendants. Our family is in your debt."
"Oh, I couldn’t bear such an honor," Elise said weakly, her cheeks flushing even darker as she stared at Damon with stars in her eyes while sending him Doctor Thomas’s number. "I hope you get well soon."
"Thank you, Elise," Damon said politely.
I could tell that poor Elise was hoping that he would give her his number, but Damon simply took back his phone and gestured for me to follow him out, causing her face to fall in disappointment.
"So... I’m your brother now?" Damon commented as soon as we stepped out of the hospital. "A brother with some inexplicable male health problem in my crotch? Could you not think of any other ideas?"
"Technically, you’re considered my brother-in-law," I quipped back. "But that’s too complicated. And I definitely wasn’t going to tell her you’re my mate. How am I supposed to explain things to a human? But hey, don’t look so grouchy. Everything worked out in the end, didn’t it? You got that doctor’s number!"
At the very small cost of Damon’s reputation. Then again, it wasn’t as though we would meet Elise again, so Damon should be less grouchy about things.
"What’s wrong with saying we’re friends?" Damon grumbled.
"Because Elise might not have offered to help if she thought there was a chance we’d end up together," I said simply.
I had years of growing up with Aubrey to know the worst of how girls thought when they realized they had competition. For every Nicole in the world, there was an Aubrey.
"Now stop wasting time and call Doctor Thomas," I ordered.
Damon rolled his eyes at me, but he proceeded to do as I said. We waited for someone to pick up at the other end and waited, and waited. I could sense Damon’s mounting anger and impatience.
The phone continued to ring. Just as I thought the doctor might have simply gone to bed, someone finally picked up the phone.
"Where the hell are you?" Damon exclaimed rudely. "Are you avoiding me on purpose?"
