Moonlight Medicine: Inoculation Read Free

patting down David. He was echoed shortly afterwards by the man checking Kim.
    David was annoyed, but he tried to force down his ire. He had to admit that with everything that had happened in the past few days no one could be too careful. Roberto regarded the whole of the room as the bodyguards moved to secure the rest of the suite.
    “And where are Caroline and our dear doctor?”
     “They’re both sleeping. Caroline is in the master bedroom there, and Evie’s in the other.”
    The bodyguards began descending on the bedrooms, and David rushed over to intercept the one heading towards Evelyn’s room. “Before you go and wake them up, I should tell you that Evelyn is very frail right now.” He spoke to Roberto who halted the bodyguards with a flick of his wrist.
    “Frail? What do you mean frail?”
    “I mean, well she feels responsible for Sara’s death, and Caroline told her that she was responsible for getting a lot of people killed now that the Vulke know that we’re joining against them. She’s pretty torn up, so please be respectful of that.”
    “I see. Of course.” Roberto followed the bodyguard headed into Evelyn’s room and, once the room was cleared, he went over to the edge of the bed where Evelyn lay. David shadowed Roberto into the room and Kim lingered just outside. Roberto leaned down over Evelyn. “Dr. Eisenhart?”
    Evelyn didn’t stir.
    “Dr. Eisenhart, it is very important that we speak right now.”
    Evelyn still did not stir. David took a step towards the man.
    “Maybe this can wait until the morning, Roberto?”
    Roberto seemed to consider David’s words, then without warning, he ruthlessly slapped Evelyn’s face.

3
    Evelyn cried out and cringed away from Roberto as David launched himself at the older man, but was promptly seized by the bodyguards before he reached his target.
    “What the hell are you doing!”
    Roberto ignored David and stared at a wide-eyed Evelyn. “This is no time for selfish self-pity, Doctor. People are going to die. I don’t care what that woman told you. If it wasn’t for you, we would have no hope of winning this war, none. But we need you, and we need you confident and capable, not some whimpering child.”
    Evelyn stared, stunned, at Roberto as an angry, red mark surfaced on her cheek. Kim hovered in the doorway, her eyes blazing and weight shifting restlessly from one foot to the other.
    “Get your hands off me! Rivest, I’m gonna take your head off!”
    Evelyn brought her hand up to the side of her face, blinked and then looked to David. “No, David, he’s right. Regardless of what the…situation is, I’m not helping like this.”
    David stopped struggling, but his jaw remained tight and his fists clenched. “That doesn’t give him the right—“
    Evelyn turned her attention back to Rivest. “I’m going to need a new lab and access to the files I sent you.”
    “Since I now have free access to a number of secret offshore accounts, that should not be a problem.” Roberto turned to David. “Now if you are quite through being an overprotective ass, shall we go outside and discuss some of the finer points of this war we’re about to wage?”
    David took several deep breaths and set his jaw, but nodded, unclenching his fists. Shaking off the bodyguards’ loosened grips he motioned for Roberto to leave the room ahead of him. Kim hastily sidestepped out of Roberto’s way as he strode out into the living-room with the bodyguards trailing behind him. David then ran to the edge of the bed.
    “Evie are you really okay? Because I would be happy to punch Rivest right in his smug face.”
    Evelyn managed a small smile. “No, but I’m better. I think that was actually just what I needed right now…Is my salad still out there?”
    David nodded and Evelyn scooted off the bed. Her suit was beyond rumpled and David noticed little flecks of blood on her white blouse. Wincing, she stretched out her neck and arms.
    “Listen, I’m sorry for flaking