The Six: Genesis | A Reverse Harem Novel

Twenty-Eight

Where do you go when the answers abandon you?

Ryker would say home, and he'd point toward the East with a solid nod of his head. But I don't want to think or talk about home—not when my home is where my family is, not where it used to be. I can't even think about having to go there... where he...

Squeezing my eyes shut, I pour over all the information I can find about organ donations and organ rejections. Sadly, they all say the same thing—organ rejection can be managed by taking immunosuppressants. With Chronic Organ Rejection, Gatlin may have to take these medications for the rest of his life.

"You look like shit, Hawthorne," Charlie says. Jerking away from him, I trip and fall off the side of the platform. "Oh! Fuck! Sorry!"

He rushes to my side and hoists me up by hooking his arms under my pits, but he can hardly help me with his laughter. In a heap, we both fall to the floor in a tangle of limbs. Our laughs mingle, getting louder and louder as we lay.

"Well... good morning to you, too." I knock away his arms and roll away to stand.

Charlie does the same, dusting himself off. "Uhhh... you've got a..."

Smoothing my hand across my hair, I knock away the stray curls sticking up all over my head. A smile comes across his face and he pauses, staring down at me, wearing a big smile. His mouth drops open to say something, but the fondness in his eyes melts away, leaving a mask in its wake.

"Thanks."

"So... any progress?"

"Oh!" I swing around to glare in Gatlin's direction. He lies unconscious on the table, neatly covered by a thick navy blanket. Steadily, his chest rises and falls. "Not much, but I won't stop looking."

"Maybe you should ask him if he's okay taking the suppressants until the issue is fixed."

Shaking my head, I step back. "I can't ask him to do that."

"He knew the risks, Blue. This isn't your fault."

"He didn't know this was a risk, and frankly, neither did I."

It hurts to see him this way. When I first met Gatlin, he was broad-shouldered with a slim waist and bulging with muscles. And I thought he was the most handsome man I'd ever seen.

It's still true. He's still the most handsome man I've ever seen, but Charlie is a close second. And the last two weeks he's been growing on me, while Gatlin slowly wastes away.

All of his muscle is nearly gone, and his skin hangs on his bone structure poorly. He's lost much of his weight, and I can barely stay ahead of his allergic reactions. If I don't find something soon, he'll die and all of this... all of this will be for nothing.

"At least we know what the problem is..."

"Yeah, Charlie, and it's doing fuck all! If I can't solve this or make it containable, he's going to die!" I shout, slamming my hand down on the nearest table. It bends horribly, slashing straight down the middle before turning into a balled piece of metal. "So, if you've got any bright ideas, now would be the time to share."

Eyes bouncing to the table and back at me, Charlie studies me silently. His bright eyes are narrow and focused, but there is no fear—only questions. "How strong are you?"

"Wait... what?" His question catches me off guard and I drop my gaze to the crumpled metal. Ashamed, I stumble back. "Why did I...?"

Rage pumps through my veins. It sets it boiling hot, traveling to every corner of my body. It brings with it confusion. The fog over my head recedes and I collapse to my knees, still in disbelief.