The Chemist Part 57

"I wanted to stay until you got there. I wanted to tell you some things. It felt horrible when I knew I couldn't."

She stroked the side of his face. "It's okay. You did it. You stayed."

The comfort thing was coming to her more easily these days. She'd changed a lot since meeting Daniel.

"I just wanted you to know that I don't regret any of it. I'm grateful for every second I've had with you-even the bad ones. I wouldn't have missed it, Alex, not for anything."

She leaned her forehead against his. "Neither would I."

They didn't move for a long moment. She listened to the sound of his breathing, the sound of his evenly beeping monitors, and Kevin's robust snores in the background.

"I love you," he murmured.

She laughed once-a quick, jittery sound that matched the tremors in her hands. "Yeah, I've sort of figured that one out, I think. Took me long enough, didn't it? Anyway, though, I love you, too."

"Finally speaking the same language."

She laughed again.

"You're shaking," he said.

"I've had so much caffeine, I need a detox."

It was still middle-of-the-night quiet outside, so the sound of a car pulling up to the back of the building was hard to miss. Alex was surprised by how little her nerves reacted-there wasn't much left in her, she could tell. She just felt weary as she straightened up and freed her hands. She pulled her PPK from the small of her back.

"I really hope that's Val," she muttered.

"Alex-" Daniel whispered.

"Don't move even a fraction of an inch, Daniel Beach," she whispered back. "I spent too long patching you up for you to go and tear something now. I'm just being cautious. I'll be back in a sec."

She hurried to the rear door and peeked past the side of the little curtain. It was the car she was expecting-the ugly green Jag-Val in the driver's seat. She could see Einstein standing up on the pa.s.senger side.

Alex knew she should feel more, knowing that all of it was over, that almost every loose end was wrapped up. She should be elated, relieved, grateful, possibly shedding tears of joy. But her body was completely done. Once the coffee wore off, she'd be comatose.

"It's Val, like I thought," she told Daniel quietly as she set the gun on the end of his improvised bed.

"You look like you're going to pa.s.s out."

"Soon," she agreed. "Not quite yet."

"Alex?" Val called quietly as she came through the door.

"Yes."

Einstein bounded into the room, head whipping back and forth as he searched for Kevin. He paused and made a little whimper when he found him on the floor. Einstein's head c.o.c.ked to the side, and then he licked Kevin's face twice. Kevin's snore stuttered.

Alex expected Einstein would curl up with his best friend, but, his tail wagging vigorously, he turned and ran to her. He jumped both paws onto her hips so he could lick her face. She had to hold on to Daniel's bed to keep from being knocked over.

"Careful, Einstein."

He coughed a quiet bark, almost like an answer. Then he dropped back to all fours and trotted over to Kevin, nestled into his side, and licked his neck again and again.

Alex was shocked when Kevin spoke. The drugs she'd given him should have kept him out for... well, she wasn't actually sure how long it had been. Her brain was too exhausted even for simple addition.

"Hey, buddy, hey there," he said, sounding just like he usually did-too loud. His voice seemed impossibly vigorous for the way his body must be feeling. "Did you miss me? Good boy. You told them what happened. I knew you would do it."

"Kev?" Daniel asked. Alex put her hand firmly on his forehead when he twitched like he wanted to sit up.

"Danny?" Kevin nearly shouted. Volkstaff snorted and rolled onto his side.

Kevin pulled himself up, wincing.

"You probably shouldn't move..." Alex began, and then, when he completely ignored her, "Hey, at least keep off your feet!"

"I'm fine." Kevin grunted.

"You're an idiot," Val said harshly. "Just stay put for two seconds."

Val was out of the strange, avant-garde-runway sari-thing and in sweats and a T-s.h.i.+rt now. She strode out through a door marked LOBBY. Kevin waited, puzzled, kneeling on the linoleum with one hand braced against the wall. She was back almost immediately, pus.h.i.+ng a wheeled office chair, her expression set in angry lines. If Alex had any energy left, she would have sighed with envy. Val looked absolutely ridiculous for someone in a ponytail and no makeup who'd gotten no more sleep than the rest of them.

"I'm fairly sure they don't keep wheelchairs here, but this ought to work for now," Val said. "Sit."

Though her voice sounded deeply annoyed, she offered both hands to pull him up. He hissed and staggered when the soles of his feet touched the ground, but as soon as he was seated, he was trying to use them to roll himself closer to Daniel.

"Ugh, stop it," Val complained. She guided the chair across the room while Kevin held his feet gingerly a few inches off the floor. Val stopped when Kevin was right beside Alex. Alex shuffled over a step to make room.

Kevin stared at Daniel's open eyes and good color with shock. Carefully, he patted Daniel's hair, obviously afraid to touch any other part of him.

"Looks like your poison woman got it done," Kevin said in a gruff voice. "I'm not sure about the balding Swede thing you've got going on, though."

"Val's idea."

Kevin nodded absently for a moment. "You shouldn't have come in after me. I didn't want you to do that."

"You would have done it for me."

"That's different." He shook his head when Daniel started to protest. "But you're going to be okay?" Kevin looked up at Alex for the answer.

She exhaled through her nose and nodded. "He looks like he's going to be totally fine. I don't know what it is with you two. Are you sure your mom didn't have a one-night stand with a genetically engineered superhuman?"

When Kevin's hand darted toward her, Alex's first instinct was that she'd crossed the line with the mother comment. But before she could brace for a blow, he'd grabbed her roughly and yanked her into an awkward bear hug. She found herself half on his lap, her arms pinned under his, and there was nothing she could do when he decided to kiss her full on the lips with a wet, resounding smack.

"Hey!" Daniel protested. "Get your face off my poison woman!"

Alex wrenched her head to the side, finally feeling something again-nausea. "Ugh, get off me, you psychopath." She heard Val laughing.

Kevin managed to spin the chair in a complete revolution. "You're a genius, Ollie. I can't believe you did it."

"Go make out with Volkstaff, he did half the work."

He wouldn't free her. It was like he didn't even notice that she was trying-violently-to wriggle away. "What a performance! I can't believe you just walked in there and busted me out! Never tell me you aren't black ops-honey, you're what black ops dreams about being!"

Einstein whined and Alex felt his jaws close lightly around her wrist. He yanked, trying to help her escape. Kevin didn't seem to notice.

She knew where Kevin's worst injuries were. She'd use that knowledge soon if she had to. "Let me go!"

"Kevin," Daniel said, his voice measured but icy. "If you don't set Alex down right now I'm going to shoot you with her gun."

Finally Kevin dropped his arms. She ducked free and they both spun anxiously to Daniel.

"Don't move," they said in unison.

Alex breathed again when she could see that Daniel hadn't actually tried to reach for the gun.

"Volkstaff?" Daniel asked. "I know that name... where are we?"

"You remember Dr. Volkstaff," Kevin said. "He saved my best friend's life in fifth grade-after he got caught in the bear trap. You can't have forgotten that."

Daniel blinked. "Tommy Velasquez got caught in a bear trap?" he asked, bewildered.

Kevin smiled. "Tommy wasn't my best friend." He stroked Einstein's head, and the dog rubbed his face against Kevin's leg, still delirious with joy.

"Wait... Volkstaff?" Daniel repeated, finally putting it together. "You took me to the vet?"

Alex laid a hand on his forehead. "Shh. It was the right place to go. Volkstaff is a rock star. He saved your life."

"Now, now," Volkstaff's gravelly voice broke in. "I was merely the a.s.sistant, Dr. Alex. Don't be trying to give me the credit for saving Danny."

Volkstaff was sitting up on the couch, patting the unruly tufts of white hair that were arrayed in a jagged halo around his head. It made her think of Barnaby, and she realized why she'd felt so comfortable working with the friendly old man who was apparently still quite devoted to the Beach family.

"It was an honor to work beside you, Doctor," Volkstaff continued as he tottered over to them. He appeared frail with age now, but he'd shown no feebleness during the long night. He smiled down at Daniel. "Good to see you awake, son." He dropped his voice into a stage whisper. "You've found a winner, kid. Don't mess things up with this one."

"Oh, I know it, sir."

Alex frowned. She hadn't said anything about her feelings for Daniel, and Daniel had been unconscious. How were they always so obvious?

Volkstaff turned. "What a gorgeous shepherd. This can't be Einstein, can it? It's been years."

"His grandson, actually," Kevin told him.

"Isn't that something!" He reached down to caress Einstein's ear. "Such a beauty."

Einstein licked his hand. The dog was full of goodwill for all mankind tonight.

"Now, Kevin," Volkstaff said, straightening, "would you like to walk again? Because if so, you'll need to get those feet elevated, and all of you needs to rest. Don't you dare give me that look, young man. You can use my couch over there. Er, Miss..." Volkstaff's eyes bugged a little as he took in Val for the first time. Alex had warned Volkstaff that the fourth member of their party would show up later, but he clearly hadn't expected a Victoria's Secret model.

"You can call me Valentine," Val purred.

"Yes, thank you, well. Miss Valentine, could you push Kevin over to the sofa and help him onto it? Exactly-thank you."

Alex watched, feeling numb again, her head disconnected from every part of her body, while Val half shoved Kevin from the chair to the couch. Her expression was irritated, her hands rough, but Alex saw her duck in suddenly to kiss his forehead.

"And you, Doctor..."

Alex turned slowly to look at Volkstaff.

"There are more couches in the waiting room. Go use one of them. That's an order."

She hesitated, swaying in place, staring at Daniel.

"Yeesh, you two," Val said as she stalked back across the room. "Sleep before you collapse, Alex. I've had a few hours. I'll keep an eye on him."

"If anything at all changes on his monitors, the slightest variation-"

"I'll drag you back in here by your much-improved hair," Val promised.

Alex bent down and kissed Daniel softly. "Volkstaff and I went through a lot of trouble to put you back together again," she murmured against his lips. "Don't screw up our work."

His lips brushed hers as he spoke. "Wouldn't dream of it. Be a good girl and get some sleep like my old family vet ordered you to."

"I'll have you know I'm in the prime of my life," Volkstaff objected.

"C'mon," Val said, suddenly right in Alex's ear. "Let's go while you can still walk. I'm sure I could carry you, but I don't want to."

Alex let Val guide her through the door and down the unlit hallway. She concentrated on moving her feet and nothing else. Her surroundings were just a dark blur. Val had to lower her to the couch, but Alex was sure she would have been just as happy on the floor. Unconsciousness took her while she was still falling.

CHAPTER 32.

It was a strange morning.

For Alex, it was also a very late morning. It was peaceful in the empty veterinary hospital, and no one disturbed her. She learned later that Volkstaff had called his office team, canceled all the appointments, and put a sign in the window that read CLOSED FOR FAMILY EMERGENCY.

It was an odd place to feel so safe-an unfamiliar place, a place where she'd prepared no traps or defenses.

But things had changed. She'd only really thought of rescuing Kevin, but their actions last night had also s.h.i.+fted their position significantly.

Kevin was as energetic as ever, despite the fact that he was stuck in the rolling office chair again, his gauze-wrapped feet elevated on the wheeled stool. Val disappeared as soon as she saw Alex to take her turn on the couch. Daniel had had his eyes closed to ignore his brother but quickly "woke up" when he heard Alex's voice. Volkstaff was apparently out getting lunch. The others had left her a bagel and cream cheese.

As soon as Alex had finished her examination of Daniel-who was recovering more quickly than anyone who hadn't worked with Kevin Beach would believe-Alex grabbed her breakfast and the newspaper Volkstaff had brought in with the bagels. She read furiously while she chewed. They'd made the front page-though only the people in the room knew that.