Chapter 6. Headaches

Chapter 6. Headaches

Min laughed harder than he probably should have when the topic of Mircea’s gift and its effect was discussed later, and Soraya’s insistence that it wasn’t funny only served to increase his amusement.

“Shall I run the ad again, Uncle?” Matty asked, trying not to laugh along with Min and failing miserably.

“I rather doubt he’ll return,” Radu pointed out, completely straight faced. “One rarely seeks out employment with those who would consider the severed head of your predecessor a suitable welcoming gift.”

Michael, for his part, really was trying hard to stop laughing but somehow Radu’s ability to say that in all seriousness undid all efforts. Tommen shook his head as Min, Matty and Michael all lost it again.

“Boys, stop!” Soraya demanded, giving them all the same stern look, elbowing her husband who’d started to snicker as well. It wasn’t that she was without humor, but they really weren’t going to get anywhere at all in this discussion if they couldn’t really get started.

Radu looked up at Naitachel and sighed. Obviously a family meeting about this was not going to work. Rising, he informed the others that they could go on about their day.

“Thank you for your attendance, but I believe I shall see to the matter.”  That decided, he strode back into his study and closed the door, as the chime rang. Moments later, and much to everyone’s surprise, Dr. Kelly joined them in the sitting room.

“You came back,” Soraya sounded astonished.

“I work here,” Kelly answered. Looking around the room, he laughed. “Ah. I see. You all thought that my friend downstairs chased me off.”

“It had crossed our minds,” Naitachel admitted.

Kelly shook his head. “I thought about quitting for all of maybe an hour. Typed out my resignation two or three times. Decided I just wasn’t going to do it.”

“Hey, why not?” Min giggled. “If you stick around long enough, maybe he’ll cough up the rest of the guy,”

“I’ll look forward to it,” Kelly deadpanned, clapping Min on the back. “Now, why don’t you point me toward your uncle?”

“Well you know where your biggest fan is. Feel like heading down and visiting?” Min dared him.

The chorus of “No,” and “Don’t do it” made Kelly laugh.

“Actually,” he answered them all, “I meant your other uncle. You know, tall, thin, perpetually perturbed. Apparently with good reason. You guys are terrible!”

The laughter followed him into Radu’s office.

“How is the headache today?” the doctor asked, approaching the stoic elder.

“Still downstairs in his room so far as I am aware.” Radu replied back without looking up.

Kelly groaned. “Not you too?” he exclaimed, smiling and shaking his head.

Radu fixed him with an amused stare, his brow quirking as he stated, “It would seem so.”

Naitachel joined them with a tall glass of cold water, setting it within Radu’s reach. “I fear our ice dispenser may need attendance,” he said, avoiding his spouse’s gaze.

“Indeed?” Radu smiled, patting Naitachel’s hand. “I shall alert Matt immediately.”

“He is still in good hands, I see,” Kelly nodded to Naitachel. “What happened to your ice dispenser?”

Nait and Radu exchanged a look before the seraph replied. “I touched it.”

Kelly’s brows shot up in surprise. “You touched it,” he repeated, to make certain he understood.

“I really should not touch electronics.” Nait nodded sadly. “I fear it rarely ends well.”

Radu, bowed his head, hiding his amusement at his mate’s understatement.

“Now this I have to hear,” Kelly took a seat, giving Naitachel his full attention.

Naitachel blushed brightly. “I fear they react poorly to my kind. If we are lucky, they simply reprogram themselves.”

“I see.” Kelly smirked. “So in other words, don’t let you touch my stuff. Got it.  So, if you’re not lucky?”

Radu laughed, “They tend to die horrible deaths,” he answered, “Occasionally even exclaiming, ‘goodbye cruel world’, before bursting into flames.”

Kelly couldn’t help but laugh though he wasn’t quite sure if Radu was pulling his leg or not. Sensing that, Nait bowed his head, more than slightly embarrassed as he admitted, “It is true. They really do not like me at all.”

“Good to know,” Kelly shook his head. “So now, about that headache?”

Radu rose and gestured toward the door behind him.

“Yeah, funny. And see, I thought you were the serious one.” Kelly rolled his eyes.

“I am,” Radu replied. “The sooner my brother is seen to and settled, the sooner I can return to the duties for which I am better suited.”

“Sit,” Kelly ordered, deciding that he wasn’t going to get a straight answer and it was time to stop accepting vagaries. Radu paused at the door and sighed, but Kelly was insistent. “I can see you are going to be my problem child. Sit. Now.” Taking out his pen light as Radu reluctantly complied, “Look straight ahead.”  He wasn’t terribly satisfied with the progress, but at least there had been some. He looked at Nait, who nodded. He had no intention of leaving his husband’s side yet. “Continue resting as much as possible,” Kelly prescribed, unsurprised when the man simply nodded and went back to the door again. “Yes, yes, I’m coming, but has it occurred to you that he might relax if you did?”

Radu fixed him with a steady gaze and replied, “The last time I relaxed, Doctor, he singlehandedly revived the harbinger of death mythology of two separate native cultures. I would prefer not revive a third. Now, shall we?”

Kelly looked to Naitachel and sighed. “You really married into this family? Intentionally?”

“And you, sir, remain in their employ,” Naitachel pointed out, smiling. “Also intentionally.”

“Touche,” Kelly nodded, following the towering vampire down the stairs.

There was no yelling, no raging or ranting guiding their way this time. Instead, the entire place was unnervingly quiet. Radu quickened his pace, groaning when he found his brother’s room empty. Holding up a hand to the others in a silent request that they remain behind him, Radu sighed, reaching out to his brother, then nodded. “This way,” he said, leading them through the replica of the great hall and through to the North wing, into the library, where his brother sat calmly reading. He looked up at the visitors and smiled.

“I did not scare you off, then?” he asked, an amused gleam in his eyes.

Kelly shook his head, smiling back. “Nope. Not yet. Now, let’s have a look at that arm.”

Setting his book aside, Mircea joined him, holding out his arm leaning forward, fangs visible, if only just so. “Shall I try harder, then?”

“Only if you’ve had your shots,” Kelly rolled his eyes, pushing up the vampires sleeve as Naitachel and Radu both flanked him. “I’d rather not get rabies.”

Mircea laughed heartily. “I am fairly certain you won’t mind by the time I am done.”

“In that case, kindly remember to give my head to a leggy blonde,” Kelly spouted absently as he bared and redressed the wound, noting it had healed significantly since the last time he’d tended to it. “If I’m going to stare at someone forever, they should at least be worth a second glance.”

Mircea smirked in his younger brother’s direction, nodding. “You’ve chosen well, brother. This one, we shall keep.”

“More than just the head?” Radu asked, rubbing his temple absently.

“For now,” Mircea’s smirk blossomed into an almost mischievous smile. “I’ll let you know when that changes.”

“Preferably before acting upon the change this time,” Radu smiled back tiredly, shaking his head.

Naitachel watched them, listening to the entire exchange with a bright smile, grateful to see that all had been resolved in as positive a manner as possible. Putting an arm around Radu’s waist, he looked up and asked silently, <I agree. You did a good thing. Now you can relax?>

<I wish that were true,> Radu answered, remaining close, just in case, even as he mentally cataloged the work he still needed to catch up on at the lab the moment he could be certain things here at home were squared away.

Mircea just smiled unnervingly as he reached into his pocket and withdrew a measuring tape.

“What’s that for?” Kelly asked, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to know the answer.

“I need to know what size to get,” Mircea answered casually.

Kelly looked at the wicked gleam in the vampire’s eye and knew he was going to regret asking, yet couldn’t seem to resist. “What size what?”

“What size box,” Mircea replied, as he held the tape up, marking off a length approximate to the length of Kelly’s head.

“Not nearly as big as it would need to be for yours, now put that away and behave already,” Kelly chastised him, earning him more laughter. “I’m starting to think you’re entirely too easily amused.”

“Yes, it’s true,” Mircea answered. “Even when I was a small child; I always enjoyed playing with my food.”

“And I always liked giving shots with extremely long and large bore needles. You keep up your pastimes and I’ll take up mine again,” Kelly warned him.  

Mircea seemed pleased by the reply. Glancing over at his little brother, Mircea then asked Kelly in all seriousness. “What are you doing for him?”

“Prescribing rest and a good deal less stress,”  Kelly replied, equally serious. “Laughter’s good medicine, but in his case, rest is better.”

“Then, leave him down here with me when you both return above. “ Mircea directed, earning him a startled look from Radu. “Find a book,” Mircea told him.

“I have far too much to do at the moment to…” Radu began.

“Find. A. Book,” Mircea repeated. He nodded to Naitachel. “If you could please inform our nephew he’ll be continuing to tend to our holdings until such a time as I determine Radu is once more fit for duty.”

“You seem to have our positions reversed,” Radu sighed, resisting the urge to rub his temple. At Kelly’s scowl and Mircea’s expression as well, he held up a hand. “However, I shall comply for the moment.”  He reached up to the nearest shelf and pulled a book, seemingly at random, before seating himself upon the overstuffed chair.

“Good,” Kelly, smiled. “I think this arrangement works just fine. You’ll watch each other and I we can all worry less about where the headaches are.” He smirked at Radu, “and finally deal with how they are instead.” He glanced over to Naitachel. “Walking me up or staying here?”

“I believe I shall join you. I have a message to deliver, at the very least,” Naitachel answered.

Kelly patted Nait on the shoulder as he called back. “See you boys tomorrow.”

“Boys?” Mircea snickered. Radu just shrugged and smiled. “I think I’m going to have fun with this one.”

“So long as you do so for a very long time.” Radu shook his head.

Mircea looked over at his younger brother, always drive so very hard to tend to everyone but himself and smiled as he embarked on a chance to enjoy some time with him and see him rested for the first time in a very long time and replied, “Somehow, I do not believe that will be a problem. “