Death of a King

Chapter 14

We both looked towards the door. An older gentleman stood there, dressed in a pair of black dress slacks and a white button down shirt. He looked wonderfully normal compared to the rest of these barbarians. His graying hair was brushed to the side and the glasses resting low on his nose made his eyes appear three times larger than actuality.

Dustin gave me one last sharp look before he pushed away from me, "No, Doc, you're not interrupting. Come in."

The older man stepped into the room, cautiously, just like Eli. So even he was governed by Dustin's rule, just like everyone else. With the door securely shut behind him, the doctor nodded towards me, "Is she the patient?"

"Indeed she is, even if she wishes to deny it." Dustin grumbled, waving a careless hand in my direction, "The sandwich is for her as well."

Doc approached me slowly, a plate in one hand and a small hospital bag in the other. His smile was warm, soft, and his voice was that of a grandfather caring for kin, "Lunch in bed, how thoughtful of our Vice. Here dear, this is for you. I wasn't sure of your sandwich preference so I made a peanut butter and jelly. Is that alright?"

I nodded, pushing myself up without looking in Dustin's direction. I accepted the plate from Doc, not expecting such hunger to rumble through my stomach. But it did. In seconds I managed to devoured the sandwich without leaving a single crumb on the plate. If I had Dustin's manners, I would have licked the plate clean.

But once I finished the sandwich, I desperately wanted another. It's been almost four days since my last full meal considering I vomited my stomach's contents the first night I arrived here. I hadn't realized how hungry I was, "May I have another?"

Doc opened his mouth to answer but it was Dustin who replied as he watched me inhale my food, "No. You'll get sick."

Confusion wracked through me, "I don't think that's how it works. See, when you're hungry, you eat food. That magically gets rid of the hunger."

The look of utter irritation splitting across Dustin's face made me smile, "Have you ever been starved before? No, I didn't think so. If you go long enough without food and then try stuffing yourself, you'll get sick. The sandwich will hold you over until dinner."

That couldn't be right, did this mean he knew what it was like to starve? I glanced towards his stomach as if they would provide answers. Wait ... what's that on Dustin's shirt? It looks kind of like ... "Hey -"

Dustin cut me off with a clear grumble of contempt, "Besides, I thought you said you weren't hungry."

Half my mind told me to ignore him, the other half was more persuasive, "I never said that I wasn't hungry. I just said that hunger wasn't the reason you found me on the floor."

"Tell me the reason then."

As an answer I smacked my lips, licking the remaining peanut butter from the inside of my mouth, purposefully loud, just to annoy him. Doc watched the exchange between us, then stepped closer to derail the tension, "I'm here to help in any way that I can. What seems to be the problem ma'am?"

"His attitude-"

"Her stomach, Doc. She's bleeding." Dustin intervened, leaning against his dresser. I glared at him but he returned my stare with mocking eyes, clearly enjoying this battle for power. He knew he was winning.

Doc neared, his hands held up as if he were approaching a rabid dog, "I ask respectfully that you allow me to do my job, ma'am. I just want to make sure that you are alright. Is that okay with you?"

His gaze was kind, and his smile was sincere. I gave another soft nod, placing the now empty plate beside me on the bed. Upside down, solely to piss off Dustin. Doc lifted the bottom of my shirt, just enough to see the three scratches grazed across my skin. He clicked his tongue lightly, "Oh it doesn't look too bad, a little deep but nothing serious. Perhaps just some antibacterial cream to keep it sterile, and a bandage to keep out infection."