“Ahh, Rez and Knots, come on back,” he beckons us down the hall and into an exam room.
The room smells of bleach and is furnished with a simple patient bed, a sterile tray, and a couple of chairs. Rez automatically hops up onto the patient bed without being told, while Dr. Steinbeck grabs a stool to sit down in front of her and pulls out his notebook.
Maybe she has been here too many times. They move like clockwork.
“Okay, Rez, just a few vitals and a blood test before fitting, and activating your bracelet for the Gauntlet,” Steinbeck says as he quickly begins checking and typing in her vitals. “Since not everyone will have cameras attached to their ass, we figured it was best to allow vitals to be displayed during the Gauntlet,” Steinbeck says as he cleans her arm. “This way, some of you mightactuallyhave privacy to deal with obstacles that you might find along your way.” He ties a band around her arm before sticking her with a small needle and drawing a vial of blood, then dabs at the area before it slowly heals in front of him.
“You mean sex, like our nymphomaniac here?” I call out, chuckling as Rez’s jaw drops and her eyes bug out as she turns bright red, staring at me.
Dr. Steinbeck clears his throat as he wraps a thin black band around her wrist, clicking it into place.
“Frankly, I meant killing your opponents,” he corrects me, giving me a blatant look. “You don’t want their family actually toseeyou do it, do you?” he points out as he activates her bracelet.Shit. He does have a point. It’s one thing to know your family member didn’t make it. It’s on another level to know their killer and see how it happens.“That would only put a bigger target and more arsenal on your back,” he states matter-of-factly as he checks her vitals on his system. “There, you’re all set.” His work practices are efficient and practical, nothing short of what I would expect from the doctor who wrote an article on balancing procedures and precision, and limiting bedside manners.
He turns to me and gives me a bewildered look.
“Do you plan on going along with them into the Gauntlet, Knots?”
I had feared this question would be asked at some point; I should be honored that I’ve gotten this far at all, to be honest.
“If I don’t get sucked back into my post, yes,” I answer honestly.
“Good,” the doctor answers with a slight nod. “I will feel better knowing you and Lynx are out there with them.” He turns back to Rez with a smile and gives her a hand down from the bed. “Well, Miss Taylor. You are free to go. I will see you tomorrow before the Gauntlet, unless you need anything else from me?”
“Not in this lifetime,” Rez salutes.
That’s my girl.
As we walk out of the Medical and Science building, my nerves reach an all-time high as I start to sweat about showing her my surprise next. I run my palms along my pants before I reach out for Rez’s hand as we approach the path by the Greenhouse.
“Rez?” I ask, grabbing her hand and halting her progress. “Can I take you somewhere?” I swallow around the sudden lump in my throat.
She gives me a look of surprise, but she doesn’t say no, only squeezing my hand and smiling up at me with a nod.
As I lead her into the woods, I figure I might as well come clean and tell her how I feel. I did my preparations last night, and I got lucky: this morning, everyone was busy getting their supplies ready for this afternoon, and Rez’s appointment was later. So I’ve been allowed this small window, and I would be stupid not to take it.
“Rez, first of all. I want to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the way I treated you in Hell and on the Trail,” I tell her, my voice barely a whisper.
I can barely bring myself to look at her as we walk over some foliage.
“I was so very wrong.” My voice cracks, but I continue. “I thought being a protector was the only thing I was good at. Or in my case, I was only allowed to be one thing, but once I reached the church, I was cleansed… up in the tower.”
Rez grabs my shirt and stops me in my tracks, forcing me to turn to look down at her.
“You had a change of heart all the way back after Level Two safehouse, and I’m just now finding out about it?” she shrieks. “Why the fuck didn’t you tell me?” She throws her arms up in the air. “What have I been yelling about? I swear, Knots, you’re just like the other guys. You don’t listen, ugh.” With a groan, she throws her head back and closes her eyes. “You’re supposed to be better, more worldly, but you’re just as bad.”
I smoothly cup her face and pull her into a kiss to shut her up, and she melts against me as she kisses me back. Her hands come up and rest against my chest, and I wrap my hand around her waist, pulling her closer. I miss this feeling of holding heragainst me, of feeling powerful, and as she deepens the kiss, I feel something else stir within me, but I groan as I gently push her away.
“Well, that’s a first,” she pouts as her gray eyes search mine. “Why?”
“Believe me, I wish nothing but to take you against a tree right now and show you how much I miss you, but we’ll be late,” I tell her as I take her hand and lead her towards a distant sound of water. “And if I deviate from this plan, it’s a possible castration for me,” I mumble.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Rez yanks on my arm, wanting answers, but I chuckle.
“Look, you’ll understand soon enough. If you want some comfort in that form later, all you’ll have to do is seek me out, okay?” I pull her close and kiss the top of her head before pulling her through the treeline.
We walk into a clearing, and I hear Rez catch her breath.
“Are you okay?” I ask, turning to see the look of shock on her face.
