RhyDin Memorial Hospital, about three weeks ago"

Nurses had been back and forth during the night checking on Rhys and making sure Kellie was comfortable, telling her he was just being kept overnight for observation. She'd been told he'd suffered a concussion, broken ribs, and a nasty gouge in his leg, which would probably leave an equally nasty scar. They'd done what they could, doping him up on painkillers and antibiotics, and he'd quieted for the night, appearing peaceful as a sleeping angel.

Kellie leaned back, watching him sleep, and covering her legs with the blanket the nurse had left. Hospital chairs sucked. They asked if she was comfortable, she wasn't, but lied anyway. Right now her job was keeping an eye on the disappearing man, that was now sedated and restrained.

Morning came and with it the doctor to check on his patient and talk with loved ones, if there were any. He was a tall, middle-aged man with dark hair and glasses, carrying a clipboard with a list of patients he needed to check on and their stats.

Only one there was a blond sleeping with her head hanging over the arm of the chair, and a blanket that was crazily draped. Like someone who'd fought with sleep only to find it in the last hour.

The doctor looked over at the sleeping woman and then quietly went about checking the patient's vitals. It was noticed that he'd have to come back later and speak to the patient as he was still sedated.

She stirred hearing someone in the room, and sat up to look at him, half scared and trying not to show it. "Hey, you the doc?" She was watching him.

It was a bit obvious due to the white coat and stethoscope that hung around his neck, but he looked over at her, realizing he must have startled her awake and smiled warmly. "Doctor Galasso. Are you next of kin?" He peered at her over the top of his bifocals.

"I'm," she stopped to think. What the hell was she" "I'm his girlfriend." It never was suggested or even offered as a title, but she lacked anything else.

That did not surprise him, but he did arch a single brow. "Does he have any next of kin?" He was marking this down on his little chart.

"Not that I know of." She frowned at him. "Is he going to be okay, or what?"

"None at all?" he asked, scribbling notes on Rhys' chart.

"Dude, I just said no one that I know of."

He arched a brow at her behind the glasses and put the pen down, pulling the glasses from his face to take a better look at her. "May I speak with you a moment, then?"

"Yeah, sure," she wiped at her eyes. Not tears, but watery from lack of sleep, at least that's what she was telling herself. She didn't know what was the outcome, or what the doctor would want to say.

He pulled a chair closer, facing her, and took a seat, setting both the chart and the glasses on his lap. "In answer to your question, he should be fine. As far as we can tell, his injuries are not life threatening. He did suffer some head trauma, but as far as we can tell, there's no swelling or serious injury. He has two broken ribs, which will take time to heal, and the wounds in his leg have been stitched up."

"The hell, Doc, Luke had a busted rib or two as well. So basically he's going to be okay?"

"It says in his chart they were attacked by wild animals" Do you know what kind of animals" Were they rabid" Were they Lycans?"

"No, I got the call and went to pick them up. I didn't see anything out there. He said it was something big, cause it knocked him out. But he came to, called me, and Rhys was still out." She practiced what Luke told her to say, and they knew the truth.

"We're giving him antibiotics to prevent infection, and we've drawn some blood." This was where things got a bit weird. "I was initially concerned it might have been a Lycan attack. There is no cure for Lycanthropy."

"I don't think it was any kind of Lycan." she added with a small smile. It was weird enough for her to be talking about shit that she hunted in the open with a doctor no less. "What'd the blood work say' Was he bitten or something?"

He took hold of his glasses, just out of habit and to have something to fidget with while he talked. "Frankly, I've never seen anything like it."

Now she was wondering if she was going to have to shoot Rhys, and wind up stuck in some place she had no idea how to leave.

"I'm sorry, what is your name, Miss?"

"Kellie."

He looked over at Rhys and gestured to him with his glasses. "Kellie, there's no easy way to say this so I'm going to be blunt. Your boyfriend is not completely human. It's difficult to explain, but there's an extra strand to his DNA that I've never seen before. I'd like to do some more tests."

"What do you mean he's not human?" She was stunned to say the least.

"I didn't say he's not human. I said he's not completely human. At least....there's seems to be something....different about his DNA that I've never seen in a human before. Other than that, he seems as human as you or I. I'd like to do some more tests to see what exactly is going on. I've never seen anything quite like it and for RhyDin, that's something."

"I don't know if that's a good idea, Doc. Don't you need my permission, or his?"

"Well, yes....That's why I'm asking you."

"How about I talk to him, when he wakes up?"

He nodded. He needed the patient's permission to do further testing that didn't involve the initial injuries. "He should be coming around soon. His chart states that he had to be sedated. He was....uncooperative?"

"Come on, Doc. How would you be after a night of camping turned nightmare?"

He nodded again and moved to his feet, tugging the chair back to its proper place. "Well, you talk to him, and I'll be back later to check on him and talk to you both."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Don't worry, Kellie." He patted her arm and smiled reassuringly. "He's going to be just fine."

"Good to know." Whatever that means.

And off he went to finish his rounds, leaving her alone once again.

He thought about that a moment, remembering it. "Yeah, the sword." Had it not been for that sword, he and Luke would have been demon fodder.

"It's a damn crowbar, Rhys."

"It's not the crowbar, Kel." He sighed. "Get me outta here and I'll explain everything."

"You dropped that sword and it was the damn crowbar that's out there in his Firebird. So, now I'm breaking you out of here?"

"Am I under arrest for something?"

She sighed, wondering if she should believe him, or leave him in restraints for the shrinks. "No, you aren't." She worked at the buckles on his restraints then. "He just wanted more blood work, Rhys."

"For what? I've been poked and prodded enough. I just want to go home. Right, for research. I've heard it all before."

"He wasn't some sort of crook, he was concerned." She freed one wrist, then turned to walk around the bed to free the other.

"Sure he was. They all are. Especially when they stumble across some freak that might look good in a medical journal."

"Rhys, stop it, please." She worked the buckle on the opposite side.

"Stop what? It's true." He was watching her, studying her face, feeling more than a little sore and cranky and just a little bit bitter. "Is there any reason to keep me here other than that they want to do more blood work" I've got what....a couple of cracked ribs and some stitches. Big deal. I've had worse."

"You are hurt' Beat to shit' Broken ribs and concussion," she frowned at him. "You know a broken rib can puncture your lung, tough guy?"

He frowned back at her, realizing she was actually worried about him and probably freaked out by being in RhyDin. "What do you want me to do?"

"Calm down" He said he needed my permission, since you were out. I am the one that asked him if I could wait and talk to you." She freed his other wrist. "You just need to chill, please." She was quiet then, stepping back.

He rubbed his wrists while he watched her, getting the circulation flowing back into his hands again. "I'm fine."

"You aren't. You need to rest, Rhys."

"I can rest somewhere else."

"Wait for him to come back, see what he says about you leaving."

"Kellie, please....I can't stay here." There was fear on his face for some reason, though it was just a hospital. "I'm fine, I swear. I just need some rest. I'm not okaying any more blood work."

"So you think he won't let you go?"

"I don't know." He frowned and laid back, laying a hand across his eyes. Now that his hands were free, it was taking supreme effort not to tear the needle from his arm. "I'm sorry you got sucked into this." He rubbed at his closed eyelids.

"Damn it, Rhys! I don't even know or understand what HERE is."

He pulled his hand away from his face and looked over at her. "Would it help if I said I..." The words died on his lips. What was he supposed to say' That he was happy to see her" She was obviously in a state of shock, just like he'd been when he'd first gotten there. She was more than likely not as happy to see him as he was to see her.

She reached out and took his hand to sit beside him on the bed. "I don't know if anything would help, but I am glad to see you, alive."

He smiled faintly up at her. "I'm glad to see you, too. I mean, I'd rather it were under different circumstances."

"When you feel better, I am going to kick your ass." She leaned closer and kissed him careful of tubes and his ribs.

He smiled into that kiss, returning it. The first time he'd kissed anyone other than Riley since he'd seen Kellie last. He drew a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. "I'd rather you did something else." For her, she'd only seen him earlier that day. For him, it had been months without seeing her.

"Yeah, well you screwed up that plan, for a little while, broken ribs mean you aren't getting a good ride." She smiled then, for the first time since seeing him, "Unless you are a masochist and I don't know that, yet."

He chuckled, wincing a little as it hurt his ribs to laugh. "Not into pain, believe me." "There are other ways." He waggled his brows at her, not making any suggestions except with his eyes. Hell, he hadn't been laid since he'd seen her last and it seemed like forever.

"See" You can't even laugh." She reached over into the gauze cabinet, gathering a few things and looking at him. "Oh, you think it's all about you now?"

He smiled, looking her over, watching her, admiring the view. "I'm sure we can figure something out."

"You are a perv." She walked to the arm with the IVs. "This is going to hurt, a little." She put the gauze over the needle, and pulled the tape slowly.

He tracked her with his eyes, since he couldn't do much more than that. "You don't think we should wait for the doc?" He was a little surprised at her change of heart.

"You said you wanted out," She pulled the IV needle then, pressing on the gauze. "So, we get you out."

He winced a little again when she pulled the needle out but took it like a man. "You better call Luke. We're gonna need a ride. His number's in my cell." But where the hell was his cell"

"I've got his car, remember?"

"He left it' He's gonna let you drive the Bird?"

"He left with his wife?"

He smirked. "He's not married. I'd set you up, but he's got a thing for this brunette."

"She wasn't happy with him, I assumed they were married." She chuckled at that, "You trying to get rid of me?"

"Why would I do that' You just got here." Another wince as he tried to sit up and swing his legs off the bed, favoring his left ribcage.

"You are trying to set me up with Luke. Don't get me wrong, he's a good lookin' guy."

"Not as good looking as me. You know what they did with my clothes?"

"Full of yourself much?" she grinned. "They are in the closet, I'll get them." And she bent his arm to hold the gauze, before she walked to get his clothes and return. "Don't like the backless gown?"

He pressed the gauze against his arm, smirking over at her, still feeling a little loopy, too loopy to drive. "I wouldn't wanna flash my ass in public. It might cause a scene."

"If I get you out of here, do you know where we are going?"

He had to think about that a minute. There were only two places they could go - his apartment or Luke's place. Neither was completely safe really. They'd have privacy at his place, but he needed to talk to Luke.

"Hello' Ground control to Major Tom?"

"Yeah....I'm thinking. Just get me outta here and we'll figure it out."

"Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I can walk."

"I mean without looking like a drunk?"

He smirked, still waiting for his clothes. "Maybe." He rubbed his fingers against his side.

She put his clothes on the bed beside him. "You need my help?"

He smiled and grabbed his t-shirt from the pile. "If you want." He held his shirt up to his nose and made a face. First thing he was doing was showering and getting into some fresh clothes. No, first thing he was doing was eating. Then showering and getting into fresh clothes. "Smells like demon."