Page 20 of The Lost Art of Finding Where You Belong

“At lunchtime with Renny.” He considered. “I guess I maybe didn’t eat as much as I normally do. I wasn’t very hungry.”

And he hadn’t eaten breakfast.

The doctor clucked her tongue. “And do I take it from the circles under your eyes that you’re not sleeping very well, either?”

He groaned and admitted sheepishly, “I’m trying really hard not to pine, but I haven’t figured out how not to do it yet.”

The doctor’s expression softened briefly. “Well, first, we’re going to get you fed. You always feel better on a full stomach.”

Nisal immediately darted off to request food, and Perian thought it was probably easier not to protest. Plus, at that moment, his stomach grumbled. Maybe hewasa bit hungry.

The doctor leveled a stern look at him. “You can be sad. You can miss people terribly when they’re gone. But you should still take care of yourself. You don’t want to be withering away or sick when he gets back, do you?”

Perian made a face. He wanted to be the picture of health so he could jump on Brannal and have lots of sex!

The doctor’s lips twitched. “That’s what I thought.”

Apparently, Perian wasn’t very subtle. But she was a doctor, so she probably knew all about the sort of things that people got up to.

He finished cleaning up and apologized for causing a fuss, but the doctor just waved this aside.

Nisal returned with a tray of food, and the doctor insisted he sit and eat it while she went about apportioning the salve into containers.

“You’ve helped a great deal already,” she assured them. “Eat! What sort of a doctor would I be if you collapse in my rooms?”

Well, Perian had to admit that wouldn’t be ideal. Nisal joined him, though he was pretty sure they were doing it only so Perian wasn’t eating alone.

“How are you feeling?” Nisal asked.

“Horribly embarrassed?”

Their lips tipped up into a grin. “Apart from that.”

“Fine. I promise,” he assured them. “It’s a bit like time has lost all meaning. I mean, it wasn’t like Brannal was spoon-feeding me or watching every meal I ate. I did a whole bunch of things on my own when he was here; we weren’t tied together or anything, but… it’s like I forgot how to live on my own.”

“You’re still getting used to being a couple,” Nisal said calmly.

Perian nodded. “Definitely. And maybe I put so much focus in that, I forgot about being just me? I didn’t know that was something I needed to be worried about, but it kind of seems like it is.”

“So… maybe this separation is a good thing?” Nisal suggested.

He made a face. “I wouldn’t gothatfar.”

They laughed.

“But,” he admitted, “perhaps it’s brought some things to my attention, and I can work on them better—while Brannal is here, ideally, because I hope he’s here as often as possible.”

“That sounds good,” they agreed.

Somehow, Nisal kept him talking, and the doctor asked if he’d like to see her decant some of the finished health tonic, which could be consumed for worse injuries.

“It helps fight off infection and promote healing,” she explained.

“We all make sure to take some with us whenever we go on patrol,” Nisal said. “It’s always good to have some with you just in case.”

“That sounds like a really excellent idea,” Perian agreed.

He didn’t want anyone to get injured ever, but if theydidget injured, he wanted them to have all the salve and tonic they could possibly need.

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