Why Are You My Remedy? [Book 1]

44

"Now?" Red head is more confused than I am. "But I'm not done examining her."

Nino shrugs. "He wants to meet her."

"Who's Fu?" I ask.

Red head and Nino look at me. Nino looks away. Red head doesn't.

He cocks his head. "Nino didn't tell you anything about this place?"

"No." I falter, uncertain, glancing at Nino, who won't look at me. "He never explained anything. He said he knew someone who had a safe place and thought he could help us-"

Doctor gapes. Laughs so hard he snorts. Stands up.

Cleans his glasses with the hem of his shirt. "You're such an ass," he says to Nino. "Why didn't you just tell her the truth?"

"She never would've come if I told her the truth."

"How do you know?"

"She nearly killed me-"

My eyes are darting from one face to the other. Red hair to black hair and back again. "What is going on?" I demand. "I want to see Luka. I want to see Juleka. And I want a set of clothes-"

"You're naked?" Nino is suddenly studying my sheet and not bothering to be subtle about it.

I flush despite my best efforts, flustered, frustrated. "Red head said they destroyed my clothes."

"Red head?" Red-haired man is offended.

Nino begins to snicker.

A blush of embarrassment begins to spread across my face. "You never told me your name."

"Nathaniel. My name is Nathaniel. Just call me Nathan, please." He's not smiling anymore.

"Didn't you say you had a suit for me?"

He frowns. Checks his watch. "We won't have time to go through that right now." Sighs. "Get her something to wear temporarily, will you?" He's talking to Nino. Nino who is still staring at me.

"I want to see Luka."

"Luka isn't ready to see you yet." Nathaniel tucks his pen into a pocket. "We'll let you know when he's ready."

"How am I supposed to trust any of you if you won't even let me see him? If you won't let me see Juleka? I don't even have my basic things. I want to get out of this bed and I need something to wear."

"Go fetch, Lah." Nathaniel is readjusting his watch.

"I'm not your dog, red head," Nino snaps. "And I told you not to call me Lah."

Nathaniel pinches the bridge of his nose. "No problem. I'll also tell Fu it's your fault she's not meeting with him right now."

Nino mutters something obscene under his breath. Stalks off. Almost slams the door.

A few seconds pass in a strained sort of silence.

I take a deep breath. "So what's 'lah' mean?"

Nathaniel rolls his eyes. "Nothing. It's just a nickname. His last name is Lahiffe. He gets mad when we chop it in half. Gets all sensitive about it."

"Well why do you chop it in half?"

He snorts. "Because it's hard as hell to pronounce."

"How is that an excuse?"

He frowns. "What?"

"You got mad that I called you Red Head and not Nathaniel. Why doesn't he have the right to be mad that you're calling him Lah instead of Lahiffe?"

He mumbles something that sounds like, "It's not the same thing."

I slide down a little. Rest my head on the pillow. "Don't be a hypocrite."