Page 29 of Guiding Desire

“Where are you? Did you hear about those explosions? When are you getting here, Rey-rey?” a woman said on the other end before Senlas could get a word in edgewise.

“Pardon, but this isn’t Orrey. We were on our way to tell you. My name is Senlas Warrak, Guardian Senlas Warrak. I imprinted on your son yesterday. He’s a Conduit.”

In the silence on the other end, Senlas heard a news report, although he couldn’t make out the words.

“If this is a joke… Tell him I will not forgive him if this is a joke.”

“It’s not a joke. He wouldn’t make me, unless I have the wrong impression of your son, since pretending to be a Guardian is as illegal as is claiming a false imprinting.”

“Yes,” she said in that way people did when they were still thinking things through, then followed it with, “you are very right. And you are his Guardian, in truth?”

“Yes,” Senlas said.

“Let me speak to him; I need to congratulate him! And the two of you need to come here so we can celebrate and—”

“Pardon, artist Acton—”

“Oh, he already told you what I do! But he took his second mother’s name. Mine is Dangar. Otanna Dangar.”

“Artist Dangar, follow my words. I’m at the hospital with him. He got caught in that blast. He’s fine for now. He’s with the medical staff, and they’re running tests.”

The silence on the other end stretched. Then the woman who had appeared overly energetic before, so unlike Orrey, said in a cracked, deflated voice, “What?”

“G&C Clinic,” Senlas said. “I’m here. I’ll tell you if anything changes or if I hear anything. If you are thinking about coming, please don’t. You shouldn’t be outside after an attack. Orrey would tell you the same.” Or so Senlas hoped.

“Yes, I…yes. I’m sorry, I’m a little…what was your name again?”

“Senlas Warrak. You can call me Senlas.”

Senlas got the impression she was nodding, heard sniffling. “I have to call his other mother and his father,” artist Dangar said.

“Please do. I will update you,” he said and ended the awkward call.

He turned to the bot. “Waiting room closest to where my Conduit is,now,” he told it.

“Or course, Guardian. I can also provide you with—”

“And some peace and quiet.”

There were many downsides to triage bots, especially when they went into that stupid sheltering next of kin mode, but at least they took a fucking order.

“Senny,”Coldissaidthemoment he basically stormed into the fancy waiting room, the one reserved for only Guardians and Conduits and their families. Vin trailed behind Col like a mildly murderous shadow.

Col, despite everything, took a look around the room, the snacks set out on a table to the right of the door, the wide soft chair and couches designed to double as beds for longer wait times. The room was decked out in quiet, warm colors, beige, brown, and honey golden tones. One of the floor pillows had a raindrop pattern in a coppery brown, not precisely Orrey’s eyes, but close enough to have made Senlas antsy, something Col would hardly miss, even after frowning at the snack selection.

“You only brought Vin?” Senlas said.

Col tsked and dropped in the armchair next to Senlas’s. “I thought we needed to get all of Orrey’s stuff unpacked. And Vinnie is the best for hospitals. Good with the staff, lovely bedside manner, detached but thorough patient care.”

The subtext was, Vin scared even triage bots, always told you straight what was going on with you, but did whatever you needed him to do when you were laid up with a broken bone and couldn’t do it yourself.

Senlas had broken both legs in training the sameJumpingskill he’d used to get Orrey here, and with two broken legs, he’d experienced Vin in care mode. They had both agreed never to talk about all the times he’d helped Senlas to the toilet. Or Senlas had said so while Vin had just shrugged.

“What’s his status?” Vin asked.

“Haven’t heard anything yet,” Senlas said, looking at the ground. He had no idea how long he’d been sitting there. Travel time from his place to here wasn’t long. Less than half an hour then.

“You,” Vin said and pointed at the triage bot, then crooked his index finger. “With me.”