Chapter 18
Cecilia could barely breathe. She made it to the lab where Dennis was again asleep on the couch. The man could sleep anytime, anywhere, and through anything. But since he often worked through the night, she couldn’t complain about his work ethic. Just be jealous of his peace of mind.
How did this happen? How was there magic in the world that nobody saw? And when solid, scientific research could bring it to light, bullshit happened. They shouldn’t have lost all the data. Not from simply unplugging the machine. At least they had video. Unless…
She crossed to the monitor at her station and pressed the keys to bring up Brittany’s room. Sure enough, there was the whole family packing up, hugging each other, and getting ready to set off on their new shifter-aware adventure.
She hit another key for the playback. She wanted to go back an hour and see everything in minute detail. Every…
She wasn’t even surprised when the recording showed snow. Lots and lots of white noise static with no image.
She dropped down onto her stool in defeat and started to rationally, logically consider the possibilities. Shifters existed. She was biologically and romantically drawn to one of them. The Detroit Flu was a shifter poison that activated magical DNA, if you had it. Most of them went crazy except for the lucky few like Brittany who joined the magical ranks. And, by the way, evidence of this truth was zapped somehow. Pfft. Gone.
She took a deep breath and spoke aloud to her monitor. There really was only one logical answer. “I need a CT scan. I’ve got a brain tumor.”
Dennis shifted on the couch. He answered without even opening his eyes. “You’re not crazy. You’re just brain fried.”
She frowned at her coworker. “No really. Dennis, I’m seeing people change into animals. I’m watching data disappear in front of my eyes. And I’m hot for a guy I’d never go for normally. It’s a tumor. It has to be.”
He opened his eyes and blinked them wearily at her. “I’m too tired for games.”
“I’m not playing.”
He sighed and shut his eyes. “You don’t have to create a brain tumor to be taken off this case. Just invent an emergency at home. Or call in your vacation days. You can be out of here in a few hours.”
“The city’s quarantined.”
“Fine. There are really important samples that need to be analyzed in Atlanta. Highly contagious. Must be hand delivered.”
She glared at him. “Are you trying to get me fired?”
“Yes. Then I can have your job and with all your special perks.”
She had no special perks and wasn’t even paid as well as he was, and they both knew it. “Dennis, I want to have this man’s babies. Like I want to ride him for the next hundred years in between raising his children.”
He shifted on the couch, stretching his legs into a more comfortable position. “So you’re horny. Who isn’t?”
“Me. Ever. Not when there’re lives to save. A flu to end.”
He snorted as he folded his arms across his chest. “Welcome to puberty. I knew you’d get here eventually.”
She threw up her arms. “I’ve been through puberty, thank you very much. And have no need to revisit—”
He shifted and glared at her, his expression annoyed but not unkind. “You’re fried, Dr. Lu. As in sizzled in a pan and done. So go. Get your freak on. Ride this guy until you both pass out from exhaustion because you’re not doing us any good here.”
She stared at him. “He can turn into a bear, Dennis. A big black bear.”
He snorted. “Never would have guessed you’d be into costume kink, but whatever. Yabba dabba do!”
She rolled her eyes. “That’sThe Flintstones.”
He lifted his head a moment as he obviously sorted through his childhood memories. “Oh right. Play ball!”
“That’s Yogi Berra.”
“Fine,” he huffed. “Only you can prevent forest fires.” Then he rolled onto his side on the couch, firmly putting his back to her. “Kill the lights when you leave, will you?”
“You have a hotel room, you know.”
