Bad Nerd Rising (16 page)

Aleksi nodded. “I’ll be
there.”

“Why don’t you come for me in forty
minutes?” Tia suggested.

“She tends to get caught up
in her work. You’ll have to come for her or she’ll forget,” Maria
said dryly.

“I’m not even going to
argue with you. I know how I am,” Tia said, but wrinkled her nose.
She did have to admit she enjoyed working with these three. Between
them, her wonderful hedonist’s shower, and this gorgeous prince,
she couldn’t complain.

“So do we,” Maria burbled,
and stretched lazily, like a cat. Like Tia’s niece, Starla. Neither
tried to be graceful or gorgeous, they just were.

Maybe she could ask Maria
to teach her how to be sexy. Starla was a little young to
understand her incredible power. Tia knew her parents would
appreciate Starla waiting until she was twenty-one before she hit
puberty. Tia hoped she waited until she was at least thirteen like
her older sister.

“I’ll come for you in forty
minutes,” Aleksi said, and she liked the promise in his eyes. She’d
like to explore the rich depths further, but Helena knocked into
the table and muttered something dire, which reminded Tia they
weren’t alone.

And from the look of
things, Maria and Aleksi knew each other well. She couldn’t reveal
how she felt to her lab mate. Not that Maria would harass her or
anything, but she didn’t want to let on until she had more time to
evaluate things.

“Remember, your aunt and uncle leave this
afternoon.”

Helena frowned at Tia. “I
thought they were supposed to leave this morning?”

“They were, but they
decided to wait until this afternoon. Apparently they could hop a
better flight if they waited.”

“Ah, comfort is important,”
Maria acknowledged, as she taped up some of the plates Tia would
take with her to the hospital.

“Yes,” Tia murmured and her eyes met
Aleksi’s.

She was heartened to see he
appeared as uncomfortable as she. Maybe he wanted to sample her
lips again. That would definitely make her more
comfortable.

Tia fanned herself with the sheaf of papers
she’d been making notes on.

Chapter
12

As Aleksi paced up the
hall, he kept an eye on the clock at the end of the space. He was a
little late in fetching Tia, but he had done that on purpose. Too
much time spent with her would only land him in trouble he didn’t
need right now.

He shoved open the door to
the lab, and as usual, unfamiliar and not so savory smells
assaulted his olfactory senses. Hoping the lab folk did actually
grow used to the odors, he glanced around the room for his
quarry.

“Where is Tia?” he asked
when he didn’t spot her.

“She actually kept an eye
on the clock,” Helena said with pride. “She slipped out to use the
water closet.”

“Ah,” Aleksi said, and
watched the door.

Tia burst through, and he
drank in the sight of her. She appeared as fresh and untouched as a
newly plucked rose. He wanted to lean forward and sniff her, to
touch the perfection of her petal soft skin.

He seriously doubted she
had developed thorns like the flower. Tia seemed much too sweet for
that. But then he remembered her initial reluctance to join him.
She had been hardnosed about coming home with him. Maybe she did
have the capacity to grow some thorns.

Aleksi made a mental note to be careful.

“Sorry I’m late,” she said, a little
breathless.

He desperately wanted to
contribute to her breathlessness. Kissing her would cause that very
reaction in both of them.

“You’re not late,” he
murmured. He glanced at the clock, “but if we don’t hurry, we will
be.”

“Okay.” She scooped up a pile of agar plates
that sported brightly colored tape to hold the top and bottom
together.

He watched with interest as
she stacked them in a small plastic carrier that resembled a tool
box. “I’m ready,” she stated, but he noticed her glancing around
the room. She bit her lip. “I think.” Tia turned to Maria. “Am I
forgetting something?”

Maria shook her head. “No,
I think you’re ready, love.”

“Okay, I am ready,” Tia repeated.

“We should be off, then.
The hour grows late,” Aleksi announced and placed his hand at the
small of her back. He liked walking with his hand there.

Any other men around
understood that subtle display of manliness.
Back off, bozos, this woman is mine
.
Not that Tia likely caught on, but other men would. Aleksi decided
that was good enough. He opened the door for her.

“Do you think this will
take long?” Tia asked, breaking into his thoughts. Aleksi had to
frantically think back to what she could be talking
about.

He wanted her permanently,
so yes, that would be long, but he didn’t think she knew his crazy
thoughts. Hoped she didn’t know what he was thinking.

She had asked about the
meeting, that’s right. “No, I don’t believe so.”

“That’s a relief. We’ve a
lot of work to do.”

“Don’t forget your aunt and
uncle plan to leave shortly.” They paused at the intersection that
separated the palace and hospital. There was little traffic but
they still waited until the sign indicated it was safe to cross
before they strolled across the street. He still wasn’t used to how
empty the streets were.

She winced. “I keep
forgetting that. Thank you for reminding me,
again
. This day is already busy
enough.”

“Do you need additional help?”

Tia stared through him for
a moment, her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t believe so.
We’d have to take the time to train them, and I don’t believe any
of us wants to do that.”

“You’ll have to work longer
hours if we don’t hire more people?”

“For a few days,” she said
with a nod. “I probably won’t make supper tonight.”

His stomach dropped. He’d
been looking forward to eating a meal alone with her. But she said
her absence would only be for a few days. Surely he could handle
that.

“I hope we’re not overworking you.”

She slanted him a droll
look. “You’re not. This is the life of a scientist.”

“Oh?” That came as a
surprise. But then he didn’t know many scientists.

“We wouldn’t have chosen
this profession if we didn’t mind the long hours and terrible
pay.”

“I see.” Although he
didn’t. Why would she put herself through such hardships and for
what?

“I love what I do, that’s
why I keep at this every day.” She slid some hair off her
forehead.

“You must. I can’t imagine
most people being willing to spend so much time at something they
won’t be well compensated for.”

“I earn a decent living. I
love what I do. And maybe someday my work will aid
others.”

“How so?” He opened the
door of the hospital for her and enjoyed the view as she strode
through.

“If my research helps to
formulate a new antibiotic, or sparks something in another
scientist who uses my work to come up with the cure for cancer, or
some other terrible illness, then my time was well
spent.”

“You want to help others?”

“Oh, yes. I don’t like to
see pain and suffering.”

His heart ached. “Neither
do I.”

“You know the people
involved personally. I don’t,” she said softly.

He inclined his head.
“Knowing them does make the situation more difficult.”

“I imagine it would,” she
said but hesitated at the next intersection in the hospital. Aleksi
indicated the left wing with his hand. “Graham will conduct the
meeting in the largest conference room.”

Tia followed him down the
hall, her little toolbox clanging. “I hope we can find answers
quickly for your people.”

“So do I, Tia. So do
I.”

After they seated
themselves Graham called the meeting to order. None of the
personnel crowding the room seemed to distrust Tia. They all
listened as Graham outlined what Tia and her team had
discovered.

She tugged plates from her
toolbox, and took the floor then. “This plate,” and she waved the
overgrown one she had shown him earlier, “is from the main well
that supplies this hospital. It is less than twenty-four hours
old.”

A distressed murmur broke
out among the medical staff. Apparently they understood the
ramifications better than him.

Tia inclined her head in
acknowledgement. “You all obviously understand this plate should
look like all of these others. I’ll pass this plate and the others
around. Please be careful not to rub the markings off the plates.
We need that information.”

She handed the plate to the
man standing beside her. Then took the other plates from her box
and passed them around as well.

“What does this mean for us?” one of their
premier doctors asked, and waved the plate from well
twenty-six.

Tia and Graham exchanged a
speaking look. Graham answered the question. “It means we have a
problem.”

This elicited chuckles and
a few groans that rounded the room.

“It means you all have to
be even more stringent in boiling your water. Don’t use the tap
water
at all
.
Definitely don’t even wash your hands from the tap water. Graham
has provided water for you to wash your hands.”

Graham added more
information. “We also have bottled water to drink. Please, each of
you, watch out for everyone else. Be careful, and inform those who
are not here of the situation.”

“What happens if we
accidentally use the tap water?” A nurse asked.

All eyes turned to Tia.
“You’ll likely become ill if you have an open wound. If a patient
comes in contact with the water, they’ll worsen. You don't want to
use the tap water right now.” She turned to Graham. “Perhaps you
could have someone tape off the taps?”

He nodded. “We can arrange
for each floor to have someone go through and put up signs at all
of the sinks.”

“Make certain you turn off the drinking
fountains,” she warned.

“That’s already been done,” Dr. Mahon
said.

“Let’s keep it that way.
That goes for the soda fountain, too.”

The woman in charge of the
cafeteria nodded. “We’ve shut the fountain down. No one has used it
since we first knew there was a problem.”

“That’s excellent news. Has
anyone else fallen ill?” Tia asked and looked out over the
crowd.

“Yes, a few.” A doctor in
the back finally said.

“Have they been boiling their water?”

“They claim to be.”

“If it’s okay with you, may
I speak with them at some point this week?” Tia’s gaze was intense.
Aleksi liked how she cared. These weren’t her people, yet, but she
still wanted to help them. Wanted to ease their
suffering.

That was a mark of a good princess.

A quality he wanted to pass
on to his children. Especially his heir. If his heir didn’t care
for the people, then he or she wouldn’t prove a good ruler. Aleksi
didn’t want to see the principality governed by an unfeeling
leader.

There was too much at stake.

“We can arrange for you to see anyone you’d
like,” Dr. Mahon replied.

“Should I contact you?”

“That would be fine,” he
answered. Aleksi knew the man would move whatever obstacles were
placed in his way to see that Tia was granted everything she asked
for.

All of the doctors here in
the hospital were concerned for their patients. They wanted the
best for them. That meant everyone would cooperate with
Tia.

It was a good way to ease
her into his world. Many of these people were friends. If they
already liked and respected her, then his job would be that much
easier.

A princess should be well loved, and Aleksi,
surveying the room, could already see these people placing their
hope in her graceful, capable hands.

Much as he had done
earlier. Now he had to convince her to stay and have babies with
him. After that kiss they shared yesterday, he didn’t think that
would be too difficult.

He hoped convincing her wouldn’t be a huge
challenge.

***

“I hate that you have to leave already,” Tia
moaned as she hugged her aunt again.

“I know, love, you’ve told
us that several times already. But it’s time for us to go home,”
Emma replied. Tia liked that her aunt hugged her extra
tight.

“You have work to do here, you don’t need to
worry about us,” Rich added and squeezed her too.

“It’s been fun to have you
here,” Tia said. She gazed at these beloved faces and felt lonely,
even though they hadn’t left yet. Granted, the atmosphere around
the palace had lightened with the departure of Gloomy Gracia, but
still.

“Besides we hear you’re especially busy
right now,” Emma added.

Tia grimaced. “That’s true.
I doubt I’ll get supper tonight. I might even end up having to pull
an all night shift.”