Thisreallyisn’t like any venom I’ve ever heard about,she thought, dazed – but then, before she could think anything else, the man had lifted her hand to his lips and – and –
Oh my God,Maisie thought as he opened his mouth and pulled her fingers inside.
For a moment, Maisie was too shocked to do anything – shocked by the heat of the inside of his mouth, and the roughness of his tongue against the pads of her fingers. She could feel it lapping at the burned tip of her index finger, as if soothing it. And as he did so, the pain of the burning sensation seemed to lessen.
It felt…good,Maisie thought, her head clouding a little as she let her eyes range over his face, taking in the beads of sweat that coated his skin, the way his damp eyelashes were clumped together into sharp points, his full, slightly pursed lips.
But he’s – he’s sucking on my fingers!
Maisie had been a nurse for seven years, andnothinglike that had ever happened to her before.
Still more unexpected was the reaction she was having to it.
Maisie knew she should be jerking her hand away, telling this guy to cut this nonsense out right away or she’d call the cops.
But instead, she found herself unable to move, feeling as if little sparks of electricity were running up her arm, a small but very definite warmth gathering in her lower belly.
This is totally inappropriate!Maisie tried to tell herself, but somehow, she just couldn’t bring herself to pull away. The warmth of his mouth seemed to fill her with heat, and Maisie could hear her own heartbeat thundering in her ears, her breath coming quickly and shallowly.
“That’s – that’s enough!” she finally managed to stutter out, pulling her fingers away from his mouth. They felt cold after having been engulfed in the heat of his mouth, and she stared down at them, wondering what on earth had come over her. Her fingers were shiny with his saliva, and she could see a tiny red mark on the tip of her index finger, where the goo had burned through her glove.
“You – you’d better not try anything like that again, mister,” she scolded him, but she sounded unconvincing even to her ownears. Which, she was pretty sure, were pretty much glowing red now with the power of her blush. “If you want me to help you and call an ambulance, you need to start behaving yourself.”
“I said no ambulances.” The guy shook his head, and tried again to heave himself to his feet. “They can’t help. I need to – need to get to –”
He staggered, and Maisie sprang forward, putting her shoulder under his arm to try to hold him up – she knew she’d barely be able to, but she was stronger than she looked.
“You’re not going anywhere except to a hospital,” she told him sternly.
But in her heart, Maisie could feel doubt creeping in. She really didn’t know what was going on here, but that poison goo wasweird.This guy seemed pretty adamant about not going to a hospital, but that wasn’t unusual either, especially if he’d been shot while carrying out some kind of criminal activity. The hospital would have to call the cops to report it, of course.
“My work – it’s the only place that can help me,” the guy gritted out a moment later. He started trying to make his way to the door of the room, stumbling along and dragging Maisie along with him.
She went, if only because she had a feeling he’d definitely keel over without her supporting him.
“Your work? Where do you work?” she asked, as she steered him slightly off-course so she could grab her wallet and phone.
“Can’t explain. Just… I have to get there. If I can. If it’s not too late.”
Maisie felt exasperation bubbling up inside her, alongside the heat that still lingered in her belly.
“I can’t take that for an answer,” she said, though, she noticed, she wasn’t exactlystoppingthis guy from staggering toward the door. “You need to tell mewherewe’re going.”
Wait, when did this become ‘we’, and why am I agreeing to take him there?!
Maisie knew it was insane, but for some reason, she believed this guy when he said a hospital couldn’t help him.
But that could just be the delirium from… whatever that stuff is,she thought, glancing again at his shoulder wound, oozing with blood and green goo.
“I can’t just let you go,” Maisie told him. “You need medical attention. And I meanurgently. Can you get that at your… your work?”
“Yes.” The man’s voice was strong and definite – the most definite he’d sounded about anything. “It’s the only place that can help me.”
Maisie pursed her lips, helping him stagger along.
I must be crazy.
“Do you work at a medical facility?” she asked, as they emerged from her room into the hall. She grabbed her keys from where they sat on the shelf by the wall. “Are you well enough to give me directions?”
