Betrayal: Book 3 of the Guardians Saga

Chap. 1.1 Gabe vs. Alex

"You'll see when I get home."

"Will you obey my orders or not?"

Alex bit her lip, closed her eyes, and then nodded.

I will, because my only hope of returning to the Anolis home world is staying on the team.

"Cale, Rile, return home."

"I'm coming," Rile said.

"No, you're not. Home. Now."

Cale placed his hand on Rile's arm. "Let's go before Alex changes her mind about the doctor."

Rile hissed softly, but walked with Cale. Rile looked over his shoulder at Alex.

"There's one nearby." Alex turned and walked away.

Gabe caught up with her and they walked in silence.

*****

"This is it." Alex shoved open the glass door of the squat, one story brown brick building. She made a beeline for the receptionist. "Where do I sign in? Here's my money. No insurance." Alex pulled out her ever-present wad of cash.

"Seventy for initial exam. You look like you'll need stitches. That's an extra hundred, at least. Fill this out and return it to me when you're done," the receptionist said.

"That's reasonable. Thank you." Alex counted out the cash, took the clipboard, a seat by the wall, and started writing. She ignored Gabe and the blood tracking down her cheek.

The receptionist looked up at Alex when she handed in the clipboard. "Come back with me."

The door to the exam area opened and Gabe followed Alex to the doorway.

"Must you come?" Alex asked.

"Patients only," the receptionist said.

Alex smiled at her and waltzed through the doorway. Gabe sat down heavily in a leatherette waiting room chair, posture stiff. He watched the plastic clock until Alex came out an hour later, face cleaned of blood and wound neatly stitched.

"Pharmacy." Alex walked past him.

Gabe scrambled to his feet and caught up with her. "What kind of medication?"

"Antibiotics for infection." Alex walked faster and turned the corner.

Gabe turned the corner as well and caught up with her. "You're holding two pieces of paper."

"Yes I am. Here, the clinic said this was the closest twenty four hour pharmacy." Alex hauled open the glass door covered with steel mesh.

They walked through the crowded aisles of bent boxes of bandages, antibiotic cream, and ubiquitous cheap New Orleans novelties. She thrust the papers at the tired, grey-haired woman behind the pharmacy counter yellowed with age. "Here's my money." Alex riffled her cash. "How much?"

The woman peered at the scripts through her bright red, dollar readers. "I'll turn them into the pharmacist and ring you up."

Alex tapped her cash wad on the counter while the woman trundled to the higher counter and handed the scripts to a man in a white coat. She turned back to the cash register.

"Ten dollars for the generic antibiotics and twenty for the generic sleeping pills." The woman tapped on the beeping register.

Alex peeled off the bills.

"Sleeping pills?" Gabe asked. "I don't like the sound of that. Are they safe?"

"There's a risk of addiction," the woman answered as if she had said it a thousand times.