Page 28 of Shattered Soulmates

“Yeah. Sounds good.” I croak, hoarse from the non-stop projectile vomiting.

As we begin the descent down the stairs, Veronica comes in, nearly carrying a comatose Hannah. “What’s wrong with Hannah?” Knight asks.

“I don’t know. She and I were having a girls’ movie night; she suddenly got sick and started vomiting everywhere.” Veronica looked panicked. “It was non-stop. Next thing I know, she’s out cold.”

Knight pointed to her shirt. “Where’s the blood coming from?”

Veronica looks down at Hannah’s shirt, and we notice a blossoming red stain. “What the h–! Knight, help!”

Knight, still holding me up with one arm, grabs Hannah with his other arm and orders, “Go get help, Veronica, now!” Veronica takes off running down the corridor to the med bay.

Knight struggles to pull both Hannah and me down the hall. He’s solid muscles, but I’m a big guy, so he struggles a bit, but manages.

Veronica races back to us with Rachel and an orderly, Billy, in tow. Each of them is pushing a wheelchair.

“Veronica, I thought you all were having a spa night with Marissa,” I state. “Where is Marissa?”

“Oh.” She startles, looking like she’d been caught out. “She went out to get us some drinks. She should be back any minute. What’s going on with you?"

“Same. Vomiting, nausea. It all started with a migraine, though.”

I guess I should catch up to Hannah, "She gestures toward the wheelchair carrying Hannah racing away from us."

Rachel comes around the corner as Knight wheels me closer. “Oh. Knight. How bad is Miles?”

“He’s finally stopped vomiting.”

“Are there lesions on his body?" she asks quickly.

I lift his shirt and am shocked by the welts covering his torso. “Y-yes!”

Okay, Hannah is in worse shape than him. Put him in #2 while I stabilize Hannah and prepare her for transport.

“Transport?” Knight asks.

Yes, she is in the final stages of Cheating Mate Syndrome. I hope we can get her to the main hospital in time.

She races to the emergency bay, and I hear her yelling instructions to her team, who are already working on Hannah. Enforcer North speeds past the open doorway and enters the emergency bay. About 15minutes later, North and several other medical team members are rushing a gurney containing Hannah back toward the helipad.

A ragged Rachel walks into the room a few minutes later and looks at me. “Miles, I pretty much know what’s wrong with you as well.”

I peer into her eyes. “I don’t want to hear any crap about Cheating Mate Syndrome, Rachel. Just because Hannah shows signs of it doesn’t mean that's what's wrong with me.”

“You need to open your eyes, Miles." Rachel huffs impatiently.

“No! Marissa has never cheated on me. She’s flighty sometimes and just takes off. But she promised not to do that this time, and she hasn’t,” I bellow. “This is just a migraine!”

“Lie back on the table, Miles. Let me examine you.” She exhales sharply.

“I’m fine. Just give me something for a migraine.” I growl.

Around that time, Alpha Stone walks into the exam room. “Lie back on the table, Miles. Doc needs to examine you.” His voice dripping with Alpha command, compelling me to obey.

Rachel approaches me and peels back my shirt, exposing my stomach for them all to see. My entire torso is covered in painful, raised, red welts. “Miles, are you taking the drug Amra?”

“That’s the medication that treats Cheating Mate Syndrome, right?” she nods. “No! I’m not. I told you Marissa is NOT cheating on me.”

“This is quite intriguing, Miles, because it seems you've received some Amra, but not enough to fully suppress the symptoms.” Rachel traces a distinctly angry-looking mark with her gloved finger. “See, this one is almost at the lesion stage. I've been investigating this condition tirelessly since Pais… since our first patient.”

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