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"So, Bella looks good"

At the counter of the Brotherhood's kitchen, Zsadist picked up a knife, squeezed a head of roh at one-inch intervals "Yeah, she does"

He liked Doc Jane Hell, he owed her But he had to remind himself of his manners: It would be damn tacky to bite the head off a female as not only your brother's shellan, but who had saved the love of your life fro out on the birth table

"She's recovered beautifully in the last two months" Doc Jane watched hi beside her ghostly hand "And Nalla's thriving Man, vanitively, it's like she's nine months old"

"They're doing great" He kept slicing, h On the far side of the blade, the leaves sprang free in curly green ribbons like they were clapping at having been liberated

"And how are you doing with the whole dad thing--"

"Fuck!"

Dropping the knife, he cursed and brought up the hand that had been on the lettuce The cut was deep, down to the bone, and his blood was red as it welled up and dripped off his skin

Doc Jane caet you to the sink"

To her credit, she didn't touch him on the arm or try to lead him with a push on his shoulder blade; she just loomed and pointed the way to Kohlerland

He still didn't like anyone but Bella putting their hands on his body, although he had ress Now, if the contact was unexpected, his firstwhoever had let their pal

When they were in front of the sink, Doc Jane cranked the thing's throttle over and fired it back so that there was a war in the deep porcelain belly

"Under," she said

He extended his arm and put his thumb into the hot water The slice burned like a bitch, but he didn't wince "Let uess Bella asked you to come talk to me just now"

"Nope" When he shot her a look, the good doctor shook her head "I examined her and the baby That was it"

"Well, good Because I'm fine"

"Had a feeling you'd say that" Doc Jane crossed her ararded him with a stare that made him want to build a brick wall between the two of them Whether in a solid state or translucent as she was at the ot eyeballed by the female like this, it was as if you'd been sandblasted No wonder she and V got along

"She did mention you won't feed from her"

Z shrugged "Nalla needs what her body can provide more than I do"

"It's not an either-or situation, though Bella's young and healthy and she has great eating habits And you've let her feed"

"Of course Anything for her Her and her baby"

There was a long silence Then, "Maybe you want to talk to Mary?"

"About what" He shut the water off and shook his palm out over the sink "Just because I'm respectful of the demands on my shellan, you think I need a shrink? What the hell?"

He snapped a paper towel free from the roll mounted under the cabinets and dried his hand

"Who's the salad for, Z?" the doctor asked

"What?"

"The salad Who's it for?"

He pulled out the trash bin and pitched the towel inside "Bella It's for Bella Look, no offense, but--"

"And when's the last time you ate?"

He put his hands up, all "Stop! In the Nah I know youany of us needs is Vishous coet your point--"

"Look at your hand"

He glanced down Blood was running from the pad of his thumb onto his wrist and his forearm If he hadn't had a short-sleeved T-shirt on, the shit would have been pooling at his elbow Instead, it was trickling onto the terra-cotta tile

Doc Jane's voice was annoyingly level, her logic offensively sound "You are in a dangerous line of here you rely on your body to do things that keep you fro killed You don't want to talk to Mary? Fine But you need to make some concessions physically That cut should have closed by now It hasn't, and I' to bet it bleeds for the next hour or so" She shook her head "Here's my deal Wrath's appointed me as the Brotherhood's personal physician You screw around with eating and feeding and sleeping such that it impairs your performance, I will bench your ass"

Z stared at the glossy red droplets seeping up froht over the inch-wide black slave band that had been tattooed on his wrist nearly two hundred years ago He had one on his other arm and another around his neck

Reaching forward, he peeled off another section of paper towel The blood wiped off just fine, but there was no getting rid of what his sick bitch Mistress had marked him with The ink was imbedded in his tissue, put there to show that he was property to be used, not an inpidual to live

For no good reason, he thought of Nalla's infant skin, so incredibly smooth and completely unmarred Everyone remarked on how soft it was Bella All his brothers All the shellans of the house It was one of the first things they commented on when they held her That and how she was like a down pillow, she was so huggable

"Have you ever tried to get those removed?" Doc Jane said softly

"They can't be re his hand "The ink has salt in it It's permanent"

"But have you ever tried? There are lasers now that--"

"I'd better go take care of this cut so I can finish here" He grabbed another paper towel "I'll need soo over to the table "I have everything--"

"No, thanks, I'll take care of it myself"

Doc Jane stared up at him, her eyes clear "I don't care if you're independent But stupidity I won't stand for We clear? That bench has your name on it"

If she'd been one of his brothers, he would have bared his fangs and hissed at her But he couldn't do that to Doc Jane, and not just because she was a fe to push back at with her She was just objective medical opinion

"We clear?" she pro

"Yeah I hear you"

"Good"

"He has these nighthtmares"