The First Legendary Beast Healer

_4_

Daniel stared at Elias, waiting for him to smile or say something that would make the promise sound less impossible.

When he did neither, Daniel’s eyes began to fill.

“I told you that you shouldn’t be thinking so much,” he said. “You’ve been worrying about everything, and now look at you.”

Elias moved his chair closer, but Daniel caught his arm before he could sit.

“If we have to go home, we’ll go home. I can rest there.”

“You need treatment, Daniel.”

“And you need to rest too.” His voice broke as he looked towards the chair beside the bed. “You’ve been sleeping there and still going to work. Please don’t make yourself sick because of me.”

Elias looked down at the hand holding his arm. Daniel was trying to pull him back into the chair, his fingers trembling with the effort.

“I’m not sick.”

“Then why are you saying things like that?”

The tears finally slipped down Daniel’s face. He wiped at them quickly, looking away as though he didn’t want Elias to notice.

Elias sat on the edge of the bed and gently turned his brother towards him.

“Do you trust me, Daniel? Do you have faith in me?”

Daniel looked at him, his eyes still wet.

“Ever since we lost Father and Mother, I haven’t had faith in anyone else.”

Elias’s hand paused against his shoulder before he gently brushed the tears from Daniel’s cheek.

“Then trust me on this one,” he replied. “Let me speak to them.”

Daniel glanced towards the door, then back at him.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right?”

“I’ll be just outside.”

Daniel slowly nodded, but Elias’s hand remained on his shoulder.

“And I never want you to mention Kenneth’s name again.”

The gentleness had disappeared from his voice, and Daniel stiffened beneath his hand. His lips parted, but whatever he had been about to say never came out.

Elias was staring at him with an expression he couldn’t recognize. There had been anger before, especially when Daniel tried to hide how ill he was, but this made him draw back against the pillow.

For a moment, Elias remained where he was. Then he took his hand away and pulled the blanket over Daniel’s knees.

“If you need anything, call me.”

Daniel watched him leave without answering.

At the counter, the receptionist looked up before Elias could speak. Her gaze moved over his work clothes, then settled on his face.

She reached for a file, and Elias recognized Daniel’s name on the cover.

After so many visits, even the staff who had never treated Daniel knew his name. More than once, Elias had approached that counter only to hear his brother’s unpaid bill being discussed.

The receptionist opened the file and ran a finger down the page.

A nurse beside her glanced at Elias, then at the papers. She leaned closer to the counter instead of returning to her work.

Usually, he would have started by asking whether they could give him more time. He would have explained when he expected his wages and how much he could bring.

This time, he waited for her to look up.

She pulled a form from beneath the file and pushed it towards him, leaving a pen on top.

“Have you finally come to complete the paperwork and get your brother tossed out?”

The nurse’s mouth curved as she looked away.

Elias glanced at the form. The space for his signature had already been marked.

He left the pen where it was and met the receptionist’s eyes.

“No, I want to see the person taking over my brother’s bed. I have a proposal for them.”