Blue Dragon

‘Biohazard’ sign, and next to it a card with ‘HIV+’ scrawled on it in marker. Meredith had told them.
    Meredith sat next to Leo and took his hand. She appeared to be holding his hand like a stricken wife, but she was actively healing him through the contact.
    Michael leaned against the wall in the far corner of the room, his arms crossed, his school shirt bloodied on one shoulder. He didn’t attempt to salute John, he just nodded. ‘My Lord.’ He winced. ‘Leo tried to take my head off, and missed. He hit my shoulder. I healed the wound, but I’m afraid I’ll be unable to salute you correctly for a while.’
    ‘Are you sure you’re okay?’ I said quickly.
    ‘I’m fine,’ he said, but he didn’t shrug. ‘Wait until Katherine sees the scar. You’ll have to help me think of a story to tell her.’
    ‘I thought it was Betty,’ I said.
    ‘Katherine right now,’ Michael said, his eyes sparkling.
    ‘Go outside and wait,’ John said. ‘Rest the shoulder.’
    ‘My Lord,’ Michael said, then hesitated. He dropped his voice. ‘My Lord. I know I disobeyed a direct order, but I couldn’t kill him. Not Leo. Permission to remain here with him.’
    ‘Granted,’ John said, and Michael leaned back against the wall.
    John sat down on the other side of Leo from Meredith and Simone wriggled into his lap. Simone’s eyes had become very wide when she saw the tubes and machines, but now she seemed only concerned. She reached over and took Leo’s hand, holding it tight.
    I moved behind Meredith and put my hand on her shoulder, examining Leo through her. I gasped when I saw the extent of the injuries.
    ‘How bad is it?’ John said softly.
    ‘It’s like someone hit him with a sledgehammer,’ I said. ‘Everything inside is bruised and bleeding. Most of his ribs are cracked. His breastbone is fractured. Even his heart is damaged.’ I glanced over at Michael. ‘You did this?’
    ‘I had to hit him hard to stop him, but I didn’t do that,’ Michael said. ‘When he went down, one of thedemons hit him with some sort of black energy, right in the middle of his chest. I think if it weren’t for Master Liu’s healing skills, he’d be dead.’
    Meredith nodded without saying anything.
    ‘Was it like black chi?’ I said, desperate.
    ‘No,’ Michael said. ‘Nothing like anything I’ve ever seen before. It wasn’t chi, I’m sure. It was more like…’ He paused and thought. ‘It was more like pure demon essence, thrown straight at Leo.’
    ‘Not possible,’ John said. ‘They can’t throw demon essence.’
    ‘And they can’t kill stone Shen,’ I said.
    ‘A stone Shen was killed? Not Gold ?’ Michael cried, horrified.
    ‘Gold’s okay,’ I said. ‘Somebody slipped a stone into Leo’s pocket that put him under their control. It was a stone Shen that had been changed somehow into an object. No longer intelligent or sentient, just a rock. Gold is reporting to the Grandmother.’
    ‘He’s coming around,’ Meredith said softly. ‘Lord Xuan, take his hand.’
    John didn’t question her, he just took Leo’s hand out of Simone’s and held it himself. I sat carefully on the bed next to Leo’s massive thighs. I checked with Meredith and she nodded: I was okay to sit there.
    Leo’s dark face screwed into a grimace of pain and then his eyes fluttered open.
    Michael quickly moved to stand behind Meredith.
    Meredith lowered her head and concentrated. ‘I’m just relieving some of the pain that he’s feeling when he breathes. You can talk to him for a few minutes, then I’ll put him under again. It’s hurting him too much to breathe.’
    ‘My Lord,’ Leo said, staring at the ceiling. ‘Lord Xuan. Simone.’ His eyes closed again. ‘Emma? Michael?’
    ‘We’re all here, Leo,’ John said, leaning forward over Simone and holding Leo’s hand tightly. ‘We’re all safe.’
    Leo breathed a huge sigh of relief, then coughed, a strangled sound. He gasped with the pain. ‘What happened to me?’
    ‘Your mind was controlled by a demon. You probably don’t remember anything,’ I said. ‘Everybody’s safe. If it hurts too much, say so, and Meredith will put you under again.’
    ‘Meredith’s here?’ Leo said. ‘Master Liu?’
    ‘I’m here, Leo,’ Meredith said. ‘We’re all here. Michael too.’
    ‘Hey, Leo,’ Michael said, his voice full of affection. ‘That demon certainly hit you hard.’
    ‘Hey, Michael,’ Leo said. He turned his head, not seeing. ‘Simone?