12.2 Divulgence

"Lillian."

The man's sharp set of teeth are revealed when he speaks, though there's no hint of a smile on his face.

"Now's not a good time-" You begin to reply when you're suddenly cut off.

"You always make house calls... Doc?" The title sounds more like an insult than a sign of respect coming out of the hot-headed man's mouth.

"I do when my patient misses their appointment and fails to return my calls." The Doctor replies, seemingly unperturbed by Luke's obvious annoyance at his presence.

Your brow furrows in confusion at the Doctor's explanation for his arrival. It's true you haven't checked your messages in a few days - otherwise you may have known about Luke's planned visit - but you swear your next appointment isn't for a few more weeks. Reading your expression, the Doctor scoffs lightly before reaching into the inner pocket of his jacket.

"It appears you haven't been checking your mail either."

A light blush spreads across your cheeks at his slightly scolding tone as you watch him pull out a wad of mail. You could have sworn you checked the box just the other day, regardless, there appears to be the proof that isn't the case. You can even see several appointment reminder cards tucked into the small stack. Before you can reach out to take the letters, Luke's broad arm extends out over your shoulder and plucks them out of the Doctor's hand.

"Next time, call me." He states irately, placing his other hand on your shoulder. "I'm the emergency contact."

"I was told she didn't have one." The Doctor retorts with a light smile before tisking. "Must be a mistake in the system."

Tired of the two men acting as if you weren't present, you take a swift step forward. You feel Luke's hand slip off our shoulder during the motion but ignore it.

"What was the appointment for?" You inquire, feeling equally annoyed by the smug man before you. "And has it been rescheduled?"

"Yes and yes." He replies, the hint of a smile still lingering on his lips. "Tomorrow at 2pm. It's time for those casts to come off."

"Already?" You frown, unintentionally looking back to gauge Luke's reaction to the news.

His brow has also furrowed lightly, however, that may be in regards to the situation in general. When the Doctor nods in affirmation, and Luke continues to remain silent, you decide not to object. Thanking the Doctor, you take the new appointment card that he pulls from another pocket before he withdraws. A slight sense of relief comes over you after finally shutting the door behind the strange physician. This relief instantly vanishes when you see Luke's expression. You open your mouth to speak, however, before you can get a word out, he steps forward and takes the card from your hand.

"What are you doing?" You question in surprise, though Luke has been known to be headstrong, you've never seen him truly angry.

"You're not going." He replies firmly, obviously struggling to keep his temper even. "I don't trust him. You should see someone we know, like Dr. Miller."

"I'm sure if Dr. Miller was available he would have seen me already." You quickly explain, the fear of someone else discovering the oddities of your accident spurring your words. "Besides, he's probably still busy taking care of the people from the boating accident."

"How did you hear about that?" Luke questions sharply, his eyes flashing wildly.

"They- they put one of the patients in my room." You swallow nervously, not having expected this reaction from him.

Luke's expression quickly softens when he sees the concern in your eyes. Sighing lightly, he rakes a hand through his hair and relaxes his posture.

"One of the patients from the accident didn't make it." He explains, though he's managed to control most of his face, his eyes still burning with passion. "The coroner found the circumstances of their **** odd..."

"What does that have to do with me?" You barely manage to breathe out.

"Nothing." Luke replies, to your instant relief. "It's the Doctor I'm worried about. He was the last one to look at the patient before they died."

"Oh." You exhale softly, not daring to say another word lest your emotions betray you.

Luke nods, assuming your current reaction is due to the shock from his reveal. Wordlessly, he steps forward and places an arm around your shoulder protectively. The familiar touch temporarily decreases your guard. Almost reflexively, you melt into his embrace. He stiffens for a moment, likely not expecting this reaction from you, before quickly wrapping you in his arms. You can feel his warm breath brush against the top of your head as he buries his face into your hair. It's not like the stoic man to show such affection. The musk of his cologne mixed with the scent of nature and salt water is slightly intoxicating. Inhaling deeply, you find your own arm wrapping around his broad shoulder.

"I won't let anyone harm you." He mumbles into your hair. "Not even yourself."

"What?" You blink in surprise, confused by the man's murmurings. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing." He quickly replies, trying to pull you back into his embrace.

It's too late and you quickly slip out of his arms and take a few steps back.

"There's something you're not telling me." You state bluntly, keeping him at an arm's distance. "What is it?"

"Lill." He exhales wearily and runs his hand through his hair again. "I can't tell you right now."

"Just like you can't tell me what happened that night?" You scoff exasperatedly. "I saw you kill those people, Luke. Why? They had no weapons, you just shot them like animals. Why?"

"To protect you!" He growls back, curling his fist as if about to punch a wall. "Is that what you want to hear?"

"Protect me?" You reply incredulously, one of your brows arching skeptically. "That doesn't make any sense."

"It wouldn't have at the time, no." He admits, a strange look of regret and anger coming over his face. "But now... now I'm worried you'll understand all too well."

"Just tell me!" You implore, the anxiety of the situation tearing at you.

"I killed them." He confesses before casting his gaze away from you. "To stop them from turning into what you're becoming."