The Vigilante & The Dragon - Book 1 of the Guardians Saga [COMPLETED]

Saving Cale Ch. 12.2

"I don't understand. I gave him enough juice that he should be out for hours. Rile, look in the stack of books on the blue shelves for a drug or vet manual or something. I have enough books to choose from."

"Cale, what's wrong?" Gabe turned his brother's head to face him.

"Gabe?" Cale's voice was a dry rattle. "It hurts. Everything. All over."

"I can't find anything like that." Rile pulled all the books from the first shelves. "Why didn't you buy the package that bundled internet with cable like I said?"

Alex ran over to another set of shelves and searched the books, letting the rejects fall about her feet. She selected two, and tossed one to Rile.

"Look up withdrawal, dependence, narcotics, or heroin and read it to me." Alex flipped through the pages of her book. Her gaze flew over the pages and she flinched when Cale moaned again.

"We should call Doctor Dewey." Gabe held Cale's hand, his fingers crushed with each of Cale's spasms.

"Are we reading all night?" Rile demanded, but at Alex's sharp look, kept flipping through the pages.

"No." Alex dropped her book and stepped over to the couch to take Cale's hands.

She and Gabe exchanged long looks before Gabe surrendered his grip. Rile inwardly cheered again at Alex's second challenge to Gabe.

"Cale, tell me if this helps." She powered up, the sparks flying and hissing.

"No! No!" Cale cried, twisting in pain.

Rile dropped his book and rushed to the couch.

"Alex, stop. You're making it worse." Gabe pulled her away. "He looks in agony now."

"It should have helped."

"It didn't, genius," Rile snapped as he held Cale down. "Do you want to kill him now or torture him more?" His grip slipped and Cale's arm flailed about, hitting him twice before he could pin it down again.

"Can we ice him down? Slow down his metabolism?" Alex asked.

"Ice would not 'slow his metabolism'. It will kill him," Rile snapped.

"But reptiles get sluggish in the cold," Alex tried again.

"We are not reptiles from your world," Rile snarled. "Cold kills us."

"But Gabe—"

"Gabe was not sedated because he was cold. He was cold because he had been sedated, by your kind," Rile exploded.

"I have nothing to do with human men, so don't link me to them. I have suffered more at their hands than any of you. I hate them more than you ever could," Alex shot back. "Now back off, Rile, literally."

She tugged him off balance until he was out of her way and fired a full blast at Cale. He stopped thrashing and lapsed into unconsciousness. Alex was pulled in opposite directions by Gabe and Rile.

"What are you doing?" Gabe demanded.

"I was being sarcastic about killing him," Rile hissed.

"Robert said the longer we could keep him unconscious, the better off he would be." She pulled her arms away from them.

"Now we trust the word of some human who captured Cale?" Rile asked.

"Robert helped me rescue Cale. Besides, he's a lab tech. Dr. Hermann's in charge."

She regretted telling them the name as soon as she said it. She didn't want them risking capture in search of revenge.

"We'll deal with him later," Gabe said. His tone was sufficiently grim to convince them that he meant it. "First Dr. Dewey should see Cale. Rile, please ask him to come."