Three Hearts Left Intact

Chapter 80: Protector

"There we go all done." Lauren smiled as she pushed the empty plate away from her. With a full stomach Kaila's headache had disappeared but the feeling of nausea still lingered.

Lauren rubbed her thumb against Kaila's cheek feeling that it was a lot cooler than before. Her temperature had clearly dropped a little as some of her color had returned to her skin.

The food Kaila had consumed stayed down for the most part but that didn't stop the aching feeling of a reversal anytime soon. Her stomach was gurgling as it fought against the urge. "How are you holding up Kay?" Lauren pitied.

Kaila just shook her head whining in the pain while curling further against Lauren wanting the comfort of another body against hers. Her eyes were shut imagining Lain's strong arms holding her close.

The loving memory she had of Lain taking care of her was playing on repeat as Lauren began to play with the ends of Kaila's hair. For a while the two of them sat like this. Lauren sitting quietly on the ground playing with Kaila's hair and rubbing up and down her arm as the little one kept her eyes shut.

That was until a loud bang echoed in the room disrupting their peace. Kaila jumped a few inches in the air startled by the noise. Lauren quickly caught her and looked at the intruder with deadly eyes.

Standing in the doorway was none other than Dr. Todd with his arms stretched out in front of him in shock with big eyes. "What's this?!" He shouted loudly. "I thought you were coming to check on her not...not...whatever this is!" He stuttered.

"Will you be quiet!" Lauren scolded back loud enough for him to hear her anger while still being quiet enough for Kaila's sensitive ears. "For a doctor you are quite the idiot! How could you not see that she was sick! Depriving her of food and water was not authorized! In fact it was a demand by her buyer to have her properly cared for! By doing what you did, you violated the policy we put in place ensuring our buyers get exactly what they paid for!"

"But...but...but I thought-"

Lauren put her hand up signally his stop. "I don't care what you thought. You signed a contract saying you listen to who now?!" Lauren carefully laid Kaila down on the floor much to the small girls dismay. She didn't want to be let go yet as small whining noises came out.

Lauren looked down at her cornered before looking with a straight face at Todd. "Outside.Now!" She demanded watching as he backtracked himself until he was standing outside the glass cage.

While he waited patiently outside Lauren sighed rubbing her temples. Getting on her knees she leaned down and brushed the small hairs out of Kaila's face whispering closely into her ear, "I'll be right back. Stay here and catch up on your sleep. I need you to have all the strength you can get." She brushed her hand against Kaila's head before getting up and leaving the room, shutting the glass door behind her.

As she met Todd's eyes he was stood tall with his arms crossed and a facial expression of both confusion and hatred. "Care to explain to me what that was?!" He asked throwing his arms in the air. "With all respect Ms. Fendly, the auction is in three days! Three!" He held his fingers to exaggerate his point. "How is this doing any good?! She isn't going through lectures like the other patients! At this rate we won't have her ready by the deadline!"

"I am very aware of the situation doctor." While still shorter in height, Lauren was strong enough to cripple the scrawny doctor if she chose to. Holding herself tall the doctors stance dropped as he looked down at her feet. "Know your place here. I know what I'm doing."

"But how ma'am?" He muttered feeling himself shivering.

"Let's just say I am very close to Kaila's buyer. I know exactly what her demands are and what she expects out of this. Kaila is a special case. She was requested to be taken well cared of both physically and mentally. Which while we might not have been paying the closest attention to before, I am taking a stride to ensure that it gets upheld from this point forwards."

"But how will we proceed with the lessons? Our methods of teaching aren't exactly passive."

"I am aware of that too doctor. What do you take me for—a fool?" She scowled his direction making him shake his head frantically in response.

"No ma'am! Never! It was just this isn't typically how we do things around here. Even with special requests for patients to be taken care of, our teaching has never changed. Why now? What's so special about the girl?"

"That's classified information." Lauren turned back towards the room seeing Kaila sound asleep on the floor. A small grin began to grow on Lauren's face. The innocence Kaila had never ceased to remind her of how gentle she had to be around her when they used to hang out. Crossing her arms behind her back Lauren grew curious of something.

"Let me ask you a question doctor." She cleared her throat causing his anticipation to grow. "Have you checked your emails lately?"

The simple question caught him off guard as he fumbled around stumbling on sounds before words came out. "Uh, um, uh see uh no." He shamefully admitted.

"And when was the last time exactly?"

"Um...I don't know maybe a week ago?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

Gulping he answered more confidently. "A week ago ma'am."

He wasn't able to see Lauren's face but from the small chuckle from her, he knew he was in for a treat.

Turning around Lauren had an unamused look and her laughter ceased. Looking at him shaking in place, she took a few dreadfully slow steps closer to him. With each step she took he felt his hands getting clammier.

"Well that explains a lot, Doctor." She looked him up and down disgusted to give him that title. "Let me tell you something that might come off as a shock." She sarcastically said with her arms crossed. "If you had managed to check your email daily like every other employee here, you would be well aware of all this information."

Nothing. Dr. Todd just stood inches away from Lauren not saying a single thing.

"I assigned you to this task because I thought you were someone I could count on to get the job done right. Apparently I'm proved wrong." She flipped her hair as she turned around heading back towards the door.

"No! Ms. Fendly! Please just give me another chance!" He begged.

Turning around with a harsh glare he froze. Standing inside the room leaning onto the doorframe she shook her head disappointed. "You had your chance. Report back to your office. I will have my brother email you a new, and quite frankly, easier task for you to tend to." She didn't wait for a response as she shut the door quietly in his face.

From outside the cage she watched him kick the wall behind him in anger. Yelling something she couldn't hear, she watched him march away and out of the dark room. Rolling her eyes at the doctor she was ready to turn her attention back to Kaila still fast asleep unaware of what happened.
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Let me know what you thinks going on with Lauren. Thanks Lexx signing off