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isolated with him. Lutrell closed his eyes and took a breath. They will get him out alive, yes?
Kestrel patted his hand. They will. They must. Come now, Lutrell. I ll help you get
ready, yes? Make sure everything s set for Dent to come home to us.
Yes. Yes, thank you. And you, Mal. I m glad you thought of me to take care of him. I &
He s & He wasn t sure what to say. We were just beginning our work together.
He ll be home soon and you ll be busy. Mal offered him a hand. If you need anything,
you know where we are.
He shook Mal s hand firmly. Yes. Yes, thank you. I will take care of him. I will be with
him until he is well again. I swear it.
No one else can do what you can. Go. Ready yourself.
Thank you. I hope to hear that he is on his way soon.
Lutrell left, clutching his towel to him, mind already consumed with how he would help
the man he loved.
Yes. Loved.
* * * * * *
It was another week before he got the call. Dent had been rescued and would arrive
within the hour.
Finally.
Lutrell had spent the first few days preparing, making sure his rooms were stocked with
anything they could possibly need. He d spent the last few fretting, worrying. What if Dent
couldn t be reached? What if Dent refused to stay with him? What if Dent recovered but never
wanted to see him again? What if he couldn t help Dent because of the kinds of torture Dent had
been subjected to?
The thoughts went round and round his head, chasing each other and driving him crazy.
At last he could put all that behind him and focus on what was actually needed. He turned
the temperature monitor up, knowing that Dent liked it a little warmer than he did. He made sure
there were soft, warm blankets everywhere, along with pillows and bottles of water. He placed
all the sharp kitchen implements in a locked drawer and his bladed medical instruments in a
locked panel in the playroom.
Then, he sat and closed his eyes, making himself breathe slowly and calmly as he waited.
Doctor Trip s little sub commed him, the soft voice unmistakable. Sir? Trip says your
patient is here. He has been heavily sedated and is on IV fluids and antibiotics. Are you equipped
for that?
Yes, I am. Just make sure the details are on his chart. I am a fully licensed surgeon. He
took another breath, his heart trip-hammering. Have any of his injuries been attended to?
Trip came on the comm. It looks as if triage bandaged his open wounds, Lutrell, and
that s about it.
All right. I should be able to handle everything else. I will comm you if I need help.
Send him up.
He knew Dent would be delivered on an adjustable stretcher, and so he would do his
work in the back room, not wanting to have Dent associate his playroom with actual surgery and
doctoring as opposed to the sexual variety.
He got out his bag and set up his instruments, making sure his suturing and burn kits were
complete and easily accessible. Of course, those were just the injuries he knew to expect. Then,
he went to the door, anxious for Dent to just be here already.
Dent was rolled in, mummy-wrapped on the stretcher, Mal and Trip pushing him, Ghost,
Trip s companion, carrying bags.
Lutrell felt a calm come over him. Dent was here. He was home. And now Lutrell could
get to work, could do something.
Bring him to the back room, he directed.
Do you have everything you need, Lutrell? They rolled Dent back down the hall,
careful not to knock the stretcher against the walls.
He followed them, eager to unwrap Dent, to begin. I believe so. I will comm you if I
need anything. Has he woken at all? Said anything?
Mal s pale eyes met his. He asked for you.
Oh. He nodded, head going up. Yes. Dent knew what he needed, was desperate enough
to ask for it. Excellent. That is a very good sign.
Mal agreed. He was dazed. He didn t recognize me. He just muttered and panicked and
called out.
Well, when he comes out of the sedative, he ll see me and know he s been rescued. His
lips actually twitched, it felt so good to have Dent back with him. Although he may believe he s
gone from one captor to another, I at least am the one he knows. The one he wants.
Ghost blinked up, stared at him. You aren t a captor. You re his home.
Oh. He did laugh softly then, the first he d laughed in weeks, so long. Thank you,
Ghost.
Ghost nodded, smiled at him, so dear. You re welcome, sir.
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