Page 25 of Gluttony
But Parker was having none of it. “He went supernova in our basement. The elevator is lucky to be functional. Sloan is nursing second-degree burns. What about this is funny to you?”
Second-degree burns. Sloan?
“Sloan will heal fast. The elevator can be fixed…” Then Tony was sure she said underneath her breath, “Pity about your personality.”
Tony’s mouth felt dry, like he was eating dirt.
“Enough with you two. What are his vitals, doc?” Mary asked. “Any improvement?”
Doc? Must be Grace, Evan’s mate. Another light touch at his wrist. “BP is down, as is his temp. Whatever he did back there seemed to ease the toll the ability was taking on his body. I don’t have any stats to compare with prior to the release of energy. I’m just going on what I collected immediately after.” Grace moved around Tony, shuffling and shifting things he couldn’t see. Probably checking other medical instruments attached to him. He slid his focus down his body and noticed an uncomfortable pressure at his inner elbow. Could be an IV. Tightness across his chest and sides of his forehead—some sort of electrodes monitors. Grace continued, “I think you all need to give him some rest. The blue glow has abated. I don’t think he’s a danger to anyone.”
“Do you have any idea why his body reacted the way it did?”
“I’m not a geneticist, and I’m no genius like you.”
“But if you had to take a physician’s educated guess?”
Silence. Then, “His temperature elevated, and he exhibited the same signs as a patient rejecting a transplant. I don’t know, maybe I’m way off.”
“But maybe you’re right,” Parker assured. “He could be rejecting the new power, but why? Would his addictions be a factor?”
“That’s a stretch, but not impossible. It could also be psychosomatic. It could also be that your biological mother made a mistake when she created him. I’m not a geneticist, so I don’t know for sure, but if this is true, and his body continues to grow to fever and burn through his cells, then I’m afraid the outlook isn’t good.”
“Are you saying he could die?” Mary gasped.
“I don’t know. We need to run further tests.”
“I agree. Maybe I’ll get Pinkerton on the case. He owes us.”
“I’m late for my shift. Are you okay if I head off?”
A low mumble further away. Tony recognized Wyatt’s gruff tone. Liza had said he’d taken the brunt of Tony’s… what could he call it? An explosion of light? Of energy? Power like a blue sun. Wyatt was invulnerable. He must have jumped on Tony to block his explosion.
“Yes, you can go,” Parker responded to Wyatt, then he added, “You too, Grace. We appreciate you running down here.”
“Don’t mention it. You’ll let Evan know when he and Griff are back from the field?”
A grunt of assent. Tony rolled his eyes beneath his closed lids.
“Doc is right,” Liza added. “Everyone should get out of here to give Tony some rest. Someone should stay. I’m off duty, so I’ll do it.”
Chairs shifting and scraping against the tiles. Shuffling and murmurs. A final light press on Tony’s wrist. Then retreating footsteps.
“You can open your eyes now.”
Tony screwed them tighter. Damn it. Liza had known. One by one, he peeled each eyelid open and flinched at the bright lights. He blinked until his vision came into focus and saw that he was right. He lay on a gurney in the medical room in the basement headquarters of Lazarus House. To the right of him was the operating table and lights, cupboards and instruments. To the left, more cupboards and a mirrored two-way window. Still in the basement. They hadn’t had to drag him far, then. He licked his dry lips and rolled his head to the side.
Liza sat in a chair, leaning forward, elbows resting on her knees. Her brown leather jacket had scorch marks on the edges of her arms and he smelled barbecue. A hard expression was on her face. She lifted her brows. “You fucked up, bro.”
He rolled his head back the other way.
“You’re lucky my hair is still in one piece. And my eyebrows. Jeez. If you’d taken them, I’d be truly pissed.”
He shook his head and grit his teeth.
“I’m kidding.” She laughed. “Jesus, Tones, take a joke.”
“But you’re right,” he croaked. “I fucked up again.”
