by Grady, D. R.
He coughed and she was alarmed at the blood on his hand. She sped into Lila’s bathroom and grabbed a towel. She handed the cloth to the man, who nodded in thanks. Julia thought he probably had expended all of his energy acknowledging his family.
But he proved her wrong. He took in his family and with a weary, happy sigh, said one more word. “Home.”
Giselle raced to the phone. Her tearful voice held as she called the family physician, but tears consumed her as she made her next call. Julia padded to Mallen’s side. He stood by his father and stared, unchecked tears ran down his cheeks to drip on the hardened, honed muscles of his chest.
When he noticed her beside him, Mallen reached out an arm and crushed her to his side. His other arm joined his first and he buried his face in her hair. She wrapped both arms around his lean waist, grateful that this amazing, wonderful man had chosen her of all the people he might have wanted with him during this happy, heart wrenching time. Lila and Giselle clutched one another even as Lila held tightly to her husband’s hand.
Stefen barreled through the door with his mother and upon seeing him, Giselle launched across the room to wrap around him. He picked her up and, moving to a nearby chair, sat holding her tight. Sophia grasped Lila, tears streaming. Julia pulled Mallen closer and marveled at the gift of his father’s return.
The doctor arrived and the family awaited his examination results. Mallen held her on his lap, as if he couldn’t bear to be separated. He stroked her hair with a strong, steady hand.
When Dr. Huberto came to tell the family about Hugo, Mallen listened patiently. Unfortunately, the professional had very little to say.
“He’s malnourished, dehydrated, and delusional. He doesn’t know where he’s been. He does know he’s home.” The doctor settled several tubes of blood into a protective carrier.
“What should we do for him?” Mallen asked.
“We need to run tests on him at the hospital,” the doctor began but a harsh “No!” split the quietness of the night.
They all turned to see Hugo Saltaire thrashing and fighting off demons only he could see. “No!” he screamed again. “I’m home.” He struggled and grappled with the sheet, lunging for an unseen assailant.
Mallen rushed to his side and constrained the man’s flailing arms. “Dad, it’s okay. You can stay here.” He glanced at the doctor before returning his attention to Hugo Saltaire. “We can guard the palace better than the hospital anyway.”
“He needs sleep and plenty of liquids. We can’t do much until the blood test results come back. Are you certain you want to keep him here?” The doctor sounded dubious.
“Yes.” Mallen’s clipped answer was validated by his sister’s and mother’s unyielding affirmatives.
“We’ll do our best for him, then.”
“What caused this?” He rapped out.
The doctor shook his head. “I don’t know. He muttered something about... no injections.”
Julia stiffened.
“What?” Mallen’s voice sounded harsh.
“Does your dad have a drug problem?” She hated to ask, but had to.
“No.”
An answer she expected. She berated herself for not noticing the obvious. “I should have seen this.” Crossing the room, she plowed to the bed and quickly but gently tugged up Hugo’s sleeves. Needle holes dotted the emaciated arms, but no drug tracks. Tears streaking her face, Julia continued her search.
Dr. Huberto grabbed her arm. “What are you doing?”
She shook loose from his hold even as Mallen growled at him. The doctor released her. She asked, “Have you ever heard of experimental drug testing?” she directed the question to all of them.
“Of course.” Mallen’s answer sounded stiff.
“How about when the person receiving the drug isn’t a willing subject?”
“That’s illegal,” Dr. Huberto said.
“Yes, but it happens. Especially when the drugs aren’t going to be available for the general public,” she retorted.
“What do you mean, Julia?” Mallen placed his body between her and the doctor.
She took a deep breath, heart pounding. “I’m wondering if your dad was used for illegal drug experimentation.”
Lila gasped and paled considerably. Mallen and Giselle both looked sick.
“How do we tell?” Mallen’s audible swallow sounded extra loud in the stunned quiet.
“My cousin Jenna is a medical doctor and she specializes in drug interactions. She could make a full diagnosis and treatment plan.” Julia looked at Dr. Huberto. “With your permission, of course.”
He looked as sick as Hugo’s family. “If what you’re saying is true, then Hugo isn’t delusional, he’s been through a really miserable experience.”
She accepted his horrified response as an affirmative. “Jenna can use the lab here and run all of the necessary tests, like a tox screen, but she can also run a few others.”
“Call your cousin, please,” Mallen requested quietly.
She nodded. Glancing at the bedside table clock she figured she might find Jenna at work. She left the room to locate Jenna’s work number.
“Hello?” A sweetly known voice answered.
“Jenna?”
“Yes. Julia?”
“It’s me.” Julia swallowed, not certain how to proceed.
“What’s wrong?”
Haltingly, she managed to enlighten her cousin, explaining from pictures she had seen of Hugo during his healthy stage, his shape now, and also about the supposed plane crash.
“He could be so sickly because he’s had to survive so long out of civilization,” Jenna suggested.
“True. But he’s got needle marks up and down his arms, thighs, and I didn’t tell his family, but Jen, there are holes in his neck and head, too.”
She caught Jenna’s gasp. “The doctor currently attending him also said he muttered, ‘No more injections, no more injections’.”
Jenna sighed. “Oh, honey, that doesn’t sound good.”
“No.” Her mouth firmed as she thought of Hugo Saltaire. Having him home was going to be bittersweet for his family.
“What do you need from me?”
“Is there any way you can come here? Just for a few days?” Jenna Fields was the best physician she knew, and her interest in substances in the body would prove invaluable. Plus they could trust her.
“I’ve been playing with the idea of coming to see you.”
Julia grinned. “Jen, you’re the best.”
“Think nothing of it,” Jenna assured her. Something moved right beside Julia and she started. With a hand to her heart, she recognized Mallen immediately. He motioned for the phone.
“Jenna? Mallen wants to speak to you.” Julia worked to calm her heart as she handed him the phone.
“Okay.” She heard Jenna’s answer as he took the device.
“Dr. Fields?”
She smiled when she saw Mallen nod and say, “Okay, Jenna, thank you for agreeing to come to Sandovia. When can you come?”
Julia handed the communication device to Mallen. She watched him input some data, swipe through a few screens, and then he said, “We’ll call and confirm those dates with you.”
He listened before saying, “We plan to have a plane waiting. Julia and I will most likely meet you.” Mallen raised a brow at her to confirm those plans and she nodded vehemently.
“No, it will be safe for her. I’ll be with her, as will my pet. Thank you, Jenna. We’ll make all of your arrangements.” Her heart lurched at his sincerity.
He smiled as he listened to what Jenna said. “And you’re equally as welcome.” He disconnected the call. “She was being paged, so she asked me to tell you goodbye.” He ran a weary hand over his face.
She tugged him close. “You have your dad back.”
“Will he be the same, Julia? Will he be the same father I remember?” Pain laced his question.
“Perhaps not at first, but in time, I believe so.”
“It’s hard seeing him like this,” Mallen admitted. “Knowing someone did this deliberately horrifies, infuriates, and saddens me.”
“His deplorable condition should do that.”
“I still don’t understand what type of drugs were used on him.” Mallen’s admission sounded like it was wrenched from his very soul.
She stiffened, hating this answer. “Designer drugs most likely.”
“For recreational use and money,” Mallen concluded harshly.
“I know it’s hard, but right now you need to concentrate on your dad and his health. Focus on the fact he’s home.” She didn’t use the words safe or sound because there were still no guarantees he was either or would be. Julia soothed a hand up his amazing back, enjoying the play of muscle.
“We need to do what we can to make him well again,” Mallen decided. His body remained tense.
“Exactly. Think of him as being sick and you need to nurse him back to health.”
“He had some white in his hair, but not completely. The lines of his face weren’t drawn in pain, like they are now, either.”
“This isn’t cancer, where you’re helpless. Instead you’re dealing with an evil organization you can fight. You have a voice because of who you are. Sure, you dislike being the King of Sandovia, but because of that position you’ll be heard. You have your own government, wealth, and skills the average person doesn’t. You can defeat this organization. At least you have something to fight. If he had cancer or the Parkinson’s-like disease, those are harder to battle because they’re caused by Mother Nature. This is greedy men.”
Mallen leaned back to stare at her with a thoughtful expression. She hoped her impassioned speech hadn’t been out of place. The signs of his grief at what his father had endured and the joy at having his parent back were apparent. There was also evidence of resolve and determination in his eyes. Good.
He nodded slowly. “You’ve given me much to think about. I’ll call an advisory meeting tomorrow. I need to anyway; they need to know Dad is back although very unwell. I think we ought to declare a new holiday, too, in celebration of his return.”
Julia hugged him before coaxing his head down for a kiss. Not a passionate, desirous kiss, but one of love and support and dignity. “We have a celebration we call Homecoming – we commemorate our soldiers returning from war.”
“That’s perfect. We’ll declare November sixteenth Homecoming for Dad’s safe return.” He leaned down to taste her smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She didn’t move her lips from his. “Do you want me to stay with you tonight?”
“Do you mind?”
“No. I could hold you. I did steal your pet,” she reminded him as she glanced at the sleeping cat on her bed.
“That’s true, you did,” he tried to smile at her. “Why don’t we just stay here?”
“I’ll be right back.”
His brow pleated. “Where are you going?”
“I want to check on your parents before we sleep.”
Mallen rolled off the bed. “I’ll come along.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. I guess I need to see him again, to make certain he’s truly home.”
“I understand.” Julia took his hand and they left her room together.
They found Lila Saltaire holding her husband as close as she dared. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at his face.
“Mom,” Mallen said quietly and she left Hugo to hold her son. She wet his chest with her tears. Mallen unashamedly cried with her.
While mother and son shared their moment, Julia headed for the kitchens. She found a large bottle of sport drink before padding into the lab. The syringe she picked up had been made for laboratory use, but it would work for her purposes.
She returned to Lila’s bedchamber and opened the bottle before removing the syringe from its protective packaging. Mallen understood what she planned to do immediately. After she filled the syringe, he gently grasped his father’s chin and pinched. The man’s mouth opened enough for her to squirt some of the liquid inside.
Babies are born with the instinct to swallow and she relied on that instinct to enable Hugo Saltaire to take the liquid into his stomach rather than his lungs. When the moisture reached his tongue he gasped, gagged a bit, but swallowed. Julia heard her sigh of relief echoed in Mallen and Lila. Hugo eventually caught on and obediently opened his mouth for the liquid, so Mallen didn’t need to coax his mouth open.
“I can give him this through the night,” Lila stated.
Julia nodded. “This should help with his dehydration and it will make him feel better.”
“You’re a pretty smart lady, Dr. McNeal.” Mallen tugged her close. She savored his warmth.
“You do realize that if he’s been administered illegal drugs, he’ll probably experience withdrawal symptoms?”
Mallen went pale again but his mouth firmed. “We’ll get him through this.”
She squeezed his hand. “We’re all in this together, and now that he knows he’s home, he’ll relax.”
“He’s safe,” Mallen said grimly. “If anyone tries to take him while I’m around they won’t live to see the next sunrise.”
She was heartened to see his fist clench fiercely. A determined Mallen would be a force to reckon with.
Those who had done this to his father would pay for their crimes. The monsters had not chosen very carefully when they selected Hugo Saltaire, because now they had an enemy in Mallen Saltaire – one they would not conquer.
She could see exactly why the Saltaire family had been chosen so long ago to rule the country of Sandovia. A shiver snaked down her spine. She wanted to pity the fools who had done this, but found she could not.
Lila paced to the side of the bed and stroked Hugo’s cheek with the tenderness of someone who has loved an individual for thirty years. “I’m so glad he’s returned to us,” she murmured to the room at large. Julia didn’t miss the heartfelt thankfulness that rang clearly in her voice.
“We are too, Mom.” Mallen settled his hands on her shoulders.
“You two go to bed. I’ll handle this tonight.” Julia thought Lila needed some alone time with her husband so she and Mallen nodded.
“Mom, we’ll be in Julia’s room if you need one of us.”
“Giselle and Stefen are in hers and Sophia is going to sleep on the sofa.” Lila indicated the door leading to her sitting room.
“Please call if you need anything,” Julia repeated Mallen’s offer and together they left the room.
Wearily, they climbed into her bed after pushing Sebastian out of the way. “You know, perhaps we should put the beast in with Mom,” Mallen mused and Sebastian leapt gracefully from the bed before he finished talking.
“Yes, beast, you can keep Mom company and protect her and Dad, too.” Mallen opened the door and walked his pet down the short distance to his parent’s room.
He returned immediately and climbed back into bed.
“You don’t need Sebastian since I’m here, but I feel better knowing he’s with them.”
“I agree, besides he hogs the bed, so trying to sleep between the two of you could be bad,” she teased and he laughed as he tugged her close to his side.
“Go to sleep, brat,” he commanded and surprisingly enough, she did.
At the last minute, Mallen and Julia decided that she better remain with his dad. Giselle flew to America in her place to pick up Jenna.
A newly formed committee approved the new holiday. Another formed to research illegal drug testing and what they might do as a country to combat this practice. Mallen had been very heartened at how his countrymen took to heart what happened to his father. Each felt the indignity personally.
He promised them a picture of his father, so they could better understand the ravages of his experience. If his people saw what had happened, perhaps it would impel the entire population to aid him in his newly discovered fight. Regardless of th
e help he received, Mallen had every intention of locating every person directly responsible for the horrors witnessed. No others would experience his father’s personal trauma.
No one else would ever have opportunity to harm his family.
Chapter 20
As soon as Jenna arrived, Julia grabbed her cousin for a big hug. There was something special about seeing one’s past and present merge, even for a short time.
Living arrangements needed to be discussed and while showing Jenna where she could freshen up, Julia explained the palace basics to her. Jenna nodded, her blue eyes narrowed as she processed the information. Running a hairbrush through her gorgeous black hair, she didn’t appear to notice the effect she made on the strands. Julia took the brush from her cousin and sat her in front of the mirror. She brushed as her cousin thought.
“I think the best scenario for me would be if we could set up a bed in the family wing for Hugo and another with easy access into the room for me,” Jenna suggested.
“Done,” Mallen said behind them and both women started before turning to glare at him.
“He does that all the time,” she complained to Jenna as she resumed her brushing.
“What, love?” Mallen sounded oh-so-innocent. Julia shook her head.
“Sneaking up on and scaring me.” He kissed her full on the lips and Julia forgot where she was. The brush in her hand stopped midway down Jenna’s back.
Jenna laughed, and the musical sound finally separated them. “I see things are going well between you.”
Her cheeks reddened, but she grinned. “He’s becoming a problem,” she admitted, as she sent a scolding glance Mallen’s way. He looked smug.
“We can have Dad moved in the next thirty minutes or so. Would you like a snack first, or go see Dad?”
“I’d like to see your father and assist in moving him, please.” Jenna’s answer came without hesitation.
“You’d do better to have a snack before you get sucked into your diagnosis,” Julia suggested, knowing her cousin.
“Okay, let me see him and then I’ll have something to eat,” Jenna agreed, but Julia could tell that if Jenna thought she needed to stay with Hugo, she would.
