“We made sure we were safe and had access to food and water.”
Ben nodded. “You took care of your basic needs. Okay, hop up. Let’s test those quads and see how they’re doing today.”
Koios put a hand on Ben’s shoulder and used it to support himself as he got off the table, which put Koios’s wing directly in Ben’s face. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed not to shudder.
Do not react. Be professional. Do not react. He is your patient.
“So, uh, why were you asking about packs?” Ben managed to look up only to find Koios staring down at him with a puzzled frown.
Ben scrambled to his feet, and then bent to grab his tablet.
“Because I asked Gideon to help me with the hip flexor stretches. It was a little hard for me to get up and down. Next thing I know, the entire pack was in here, learning how to do the stretches with me. Gideon practically taught a class on how the hips work.”
Ben laughed and added a few notes to his tablet. “Sounds about right. They don’t want you to feel alone. They’re in this with you.”
“That makes no sense,” Koios said. “I’m not a member of their pack. I have my family. I get that they think of me as one of them because I’ve been in their ear the whole time, but?—”
“Stop for a second,” Ben said. “I’m not going to argue whether you are or are not part of the pack. I am going to say that you’re a hell of a lot more to them than a voice in their ear. Now, let’s get to work before you try and argue with me.”
Ben earned another scowl from his patient, but he convinced Koios to continue their workout. They did a series of wall planks that had Koios cursing his name, then Ben pulled out a rolling desk chair similar to the one Koios had at his desk.
“I’m going to show you some different positions to sit in while you’re working. Set an alarm or whatever, but I don’t want you sitting in the same position for hours at a time. Sit and stretch, okay?”
“Whatever you say, Doc.”
Ben shook his head and demonstrated the first position. “This is a half butterfly. Ankle on opposite knee. If you can, put a little pressure on the knee to enhance the stretch and be sure to do both sides.”
“Easy enough.”
“You can also put your keyboard on the chair and kneel. Put one leg up and out a bit, then lean forward a little like you’re doing one of the hip flexor stretches. Make sure you have a pad under your knee, though.”
“Gideon gave me a thing last night to use. A thick yoga mat.”
“That works. You can also work on a half lotus position, although I think you’re still a little tight for that one.” Ben sat on the chair and crossed his legs.
“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Koios said. “I’m hurting just looking at you.”
Ben chuckled and untangled his legs. “The other thing we could do is get you a standing desk, maybe even a treadmill. There are a lot of options, but the key is to keep you moving and not in the same position all day, every day.”
“Understood. I’ll set some alarms.”
“Good. Now, I’ve brought some anti-inflammatories for you. I’m expecting some soreness while we get started, so don’t be afraid to take them as needed. You have to eat with them, though, so keep that in mind. The last thing you want is an ulcer on top of everything else. You’re under enough stress at it is.”
“You’re not wrong. Besides, Bailey’s tracking my calorie intake so he can report back to your dad. He says it’s a pack thing. Yet another weird shifter thing I don’t understand.”
“You’ll get used to it,” Ben said. “And it’s not all bad. Remember that you’ve been looking after them for a long time. They’re just returning the favor.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better.”
Ben chuckled. “Okay, I’ll see you in the morning. Work on the wall planks again this afternoon. Every little bit will help.”
Koios nodded while Ben picked up his tablet to add a few notes about their session.
“Hey Ben?” Koios’s tone changed, and Ben looked up from taking notes to find him staring, holding his arms crossed over his chest in a classic defensive posture.
“Yes?”
“I watched the security tapes from our session yesterday.”
