Page 50 of Dark Shaman: The Lost Treasure
She rose to her feet in one fluid motion and walked over to the sink in the corner. Her blue scrubs were as shapeless as those of most medical professionals, but on her, they somehow managed to look both professional and flattering. How was that even possible?
"You were so busy ogling me that you forgot to ask for water," she said over her shoulder. "So typically male."
"I wasn't ogling," he protested. "I was appreciating. And it's not my fault that you're a ten."
She returned with a plastic cup filled with water and a bendy straw, looking amused. "A ten, eh?"
"Eleven," he corrected, then closed his lips around the straw she gently pushed between them. The water was the best thing he'd ever tasted, cool and clean and washing away some of the sock-cottony feeling in his mouth. When he'd drained the cup, he corrected again, "Fifteen."
Hildegard looked amused but also pleased. "You were ogling, and you still are." She glanced at his mast. "We might have to do something about that wood. It looks painful."
The casual way she referred to his erection as 'wood' sent another surge of heat through him. Who was this woman? Nurses were supposed to be professional, distant, maybe a little condescending to difficult patients like him. They weren't supposed to be gorgeous beyond belief with smart mouths and the ability to make him forget his own name.
"I'm willing to suffer much worse than a painful wood to have the pleasure of looking upon you," he said, and for once in his life, there wasn't a trace of sarcasm in his voice.
She studied him for a moment, those incredible eyes seeming to see right through him. "I've heard about you, Tim. Your reputation precedes you."
"All bad, I'm sure."
"Mostly," she agreed. "I think they said you have elevated being unpleasant into an art form."
"You say that like it's a bad thing."
She laughed. "I didn't say that. They did. I think you are charming. Is this a side effect of the transition or are you always this smooth with medical professionals?"
"I'm never smooth," he admitted. "Usually, I'm too busy being an asshole to everyone in my vicinity, but I've never met anyone like you. I'm making an effort."
"Flattery will get you nowhere," she said, but her smile suggested otherwise. "Besides, you should be focusing on your transition, not on your nurse."
"I'm an excellent multitasker. I can transition and appreciate my beautiful nurse at the same time."
She shook her head, but she was definitely fighting back a smile. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Discomfort beyond the obvious?"
Tim tried to take inventory of his body, which was challenging when most of his blood flow was concentrated in one specific area. Everything felt strange, like his skin was too tight and too loose at the same time. His muscles ached with a deep, bone-level soreness that suggested they were being rebuilt from the ground up. His head felt stuffed, but underneath that was a strange clarity, as if his senses were slowly sharpening.
"I feel like I got hit by a truck," he said honestly. "Then the truck backed up and hit me again. Then maybe a steamroller came by for good measure."
"That's normal," Hildegard assured him. "Your body is rewriting itself at the cellular level. Every system is being upgraded, which requires energy and causes discomfort. Some Dormants describe it as the worst flu they've ever had multiplied by ten."
"Fantastic. And how long does this joy last?"
"Varies by person. It could be days or weeks. You're already ahead of the curve by waking up this soon into it." She made another note on her tablet. "Your vitals are surprisingly strong for this stage as well, and you don't have a fever, which worries me a little because you should."
"Must be the motivating factor of having you as my nurse."
"There you go with the flattery again."
"It's not flattery if it's true."
She set the tablet aside and fixed him with a look that was part amusement, part exasperation. "You know what? I think I like you better when you're being an honest asshole instead of trying to be smooth."
"Who says I'm trying? This is all natural charm, baby."
"And there's the Tim I was warned about." But she was smiling as she said it. "Tell me, what do you remember about your induction?"
Tim thought back, trying to piece together the fragments. "Magnus was very patient with my complete lack of athletic ability. I might have actually landed one decent punch, but that could be my ego rewriting history. Then he pinned me to the floor and then came the bite." He frowned. "Hurt like a son of a bitch, but the trip that followed was worth it. The best I ever had."
"The venom triggers euphoria." She grinned. "It's the best stuff ever. Easy to get addicted to, but since all the side effects are positive, there is no need to abstain."
