Nathan's POV

Still reeling from what had just happened, I looked down at my hand—but that only made things worse as I caught sight of the stain on my trousers.

Elliot went to the door and opened it slightly, speaking quietly to someone on the other side. Thank God they weren't coming in. I think I'd die of embarrassment if anyone else saw us like this—with obvious stains on our clothes.

He came back in with a bag, walking over to the table. He pulled out a few items and handed some to Gabriel, placing the rest on the table—it looked like a change of clothes. Then, with the remaining items, he came over and passed them to me.

Elliot gave me a gentle smile and gestured towards one of the side doors in the conference room."We got you some clean clothes—same uniform as work, so no one'll know. There's a bathroom through there if you want to use it."

I nodded quickly, grateful, and rushed towards the door. Once inside, I shut it behind me and immediately caught sight of myself in the mirror.

I looked like a complete mess. I couldn't believe that dishevelled reflection was me—hair sticking up oddly, several hickeys blooming across my neck, and my pants marked with an unmistakable stain.

Turning away from the mirror, I stripped off my pants and underwear. Whoever had organised the change of clothes had been thorough—even a new pair of briefs had been included. After cleaning up, I tried to tame my hair, but there was no hope without a brush. My neck was still a disaster. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to cool down and gather myself.

I didn't want to step foot out of that room until the hickeys were gone. I looked like I'd been attacked by an octopus! There was no way to hide them either—unless my hair magically grew three inches longer. After putting the soiled clothes back into the bag, I held it behind my back and stepped out.

They'd both changed too, and whoever had been outside must've taken their old clothes away.

"Come sit here, Nathan. I'll try and sort out your neck since that was my fault," Gabriel said, gesturing to the chair in front of him.

I tried not to blush as his eyes lingered on my neck, heat flaring in them again. He applied some sort of cream, his fingers warm where they touched my skin. I focused hard on keeping my thoughts clean—I really didn't want to need another change of pants. He wrapped a gauze bandage around my neck. It felt a bit over the top, but I supposed it would be easier to explain than a mess of love bites.

"Thanks for that," I said, offering a small smile. "I think I need to head back to work now. Let me know when the doctor's appointment is, and I'll make sure I'm available."

Gabriel and Elliot exchanged a look before Elliot spoke. "The doctor's ready now. We were actually planning to head over straight away. We've already let your supervisor know you'll be busy today. Sorry about that—we should've asked first."

Gabriel added quickly, "Since we're both high-ranking and have been targeted before, we've got a dedicated medical team. That way, if something happens—like Elliot getting spiked—we can get checked straight away."

I was stunned. I hadn't realised people could have that kind of access to hospital facilities unless it was a life-threatening emergency. I just nodded silently.

"Thanks so much, Nathan," Elliot said. "Part of the ward is reserved for us, so if we head over now, they can do the checks today. It's only a ten-minute walk—are you okay to come with us?"

I hesitated. I did want to help, especially after everything that had happened—but walking over together would be very public. If any workers or other ability users saw me with them, it could cause a lot of issues. I didn't need that sort of attention. But it felt so crap to say it out loud after they'd been nothing but kind.

"I'm happy to go, but would it be alright if I head there first?" I asked, trying to phrase it carefully. "I'm sure you understand, with everything that's… happened."

The sentence trailed off awkwardly, but Gabriel's eyes lit up in understanding before I could fumble any more.

"That's completely fine. I understand," he said. "I'll let Adam know you're heading over first. Just go to the right side of the hospital—there's a door around the corner that leads to our private ward. Someone will be there to let you in."

Relieved, I nodded quickly and slipped out.

There was someone waiting on the other side of the door, older than me and dressed in a professional-looking suit. He held a bag with clothes peeking out of it—and I blushed furiously, realising it was probably Elliot and Gabriel's soiled clothing. He gave me a nod before heading into the conference room.

Lifting the bag higher on my shoulder to make sure nothing was showing, I exited the building and made my way towards the hospital. The halls were fairly quiet—it was just before lunch. As I passed the cafeteria, I spotted three workers sorting the rubbish bins.

They were well-known rank climbers, always trying to get close to espers or guides in the hopes of marrying up and gaining status.

One of them—the same one who'd mocked me at the dorms—pointed at me and started laughing with his mates. I picked up my pace, not looking back. They were always trying to worm their way into someone's favour, but as far as I knew, none of them had succeeded yet.

I made it past without further incident.

Approaching the hospital, I turned the corner as instructed and spotted a nurse waiting. She looked up, spotted me, and smiled before gesturing me over.

I returned the smile and followed her inside.

The private ward was the nicest hospital wing I'd ever seen—clean, modern, quiet. A wistful pang struck me as I thought how much I wished Melly could be somewhere like this. Somewhere that might actually help her get better.

The nurse led me into a consultation room. "The doctor will be in soon," she said kindly, then stepped out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.