A Dance With The Fatui (Il Dottore x reader)

33: Questions

Warnings: Mentions of stuff from the last chapter (stabbing, surgery, etc...)

Y/N made a quick recovery. Zandik seemingly got even more protective over her, rarely leaving her side. He moved a desk into their shared room, doing all of his work there. Even taking meals there with her.

The few times Zandik needed to be separated from her, there was a clone, or Inna, to be there for her. As she got better, the more annoyed she got with these antics. She was fully capable of walking to the bathroom, but Zandik insisted she be carried. She feared that he would never let her be on her own ever again.

Even though someone was always near, she had nothing else to do other than think and read. She thought a lot about the fateful night, replaying the events in her head, paying attention to tiny details, trying her best to remember conversations had above her barely conscious body. But none of them answered the question, "How did this happen?"

The question burned in her mind until the next morning. She finally found the courage to ask, it was the first words out of her mouth towards Zandik. He was ready for the question, how could she not question why she had gotten stabbed. "He was one of my patients. He was very mentally unwell, which is what I was trying to help him with." He told her his scripted answer.

Normally, she trusted his word with no question, but this time, his answer didn't satisfy her enough. "Where was he staying?", "Was he not guarded?", "Why didn't you tell me that a patient was staying with us?". These were some of the questions that followed.

Zandik was irritated with these questions, not liking that she was prying open the curtains that hid his work. He wanted her, and to keep her she needed to be kept in the dark. He told her that there is a wing for patients to stay, but no one aside from him and his segments. When beyond annoyed why he had never mentioned this in the time that she lived there. She tried to question him more. He would shut her down, saying that he couldn't tell her due to patient confidentiality and that he respected his job as a doctor.

As she had nothing she could do, she came up with many different possibilities as to why his answers were so vague. Even with all of the possibilities she could come up with, none of them had any good backing to them. She was upset that she felt like she was being lied to.

The opportunity to search for answers had appeared not too long after. Zandik had to go into the city for another meeting, which would force him away from her side. He was presenting some of his findings from the Sumeru trip. He mindlessly told her that to present, he needed some of his clones to join him. While there were going to be a few clones left behind, they all had their own jobs to take care of.

This was her chance to find some answers, to look around without getting caught. She felt bad about going behind his back, but something felt wrong and she itched for answers.

~

Zandik kissed her while she sat up in bed. "I do not know how long I will be out for." He informed her, going to the mirror to check himself, fixing his cravat. "You need to keep resting. If you need anything, call for Inna."

She rolled her eyes at his persistence of her staying in bed "It's been quite a few weeks." She told him, throwing her legs off the side of the bed. "I am almost fully healed." She walked over to him.

He turned to her, gently pushing her back towards the bed. "Almost is not the same as completely." He lightly pushed her down so she would sit on the bed.

"Zandik, I'm fine." She deadpanned, trying to get through to him that she didn't need to be on bedrest.

He ignored her comment, going back to the mirror to get one last look at himself. "If I do not return before dinner, do not wait for me."