Botanicaust

” Dr. Kaneka raised his black brows high over the rim of his glasses. She blinked, trying to maintain eye contact in spite of his horrid visage.
    “ I only intended to save him from euthanization. As if the term makes murder any better. ” Her voice trembled as she thought of all the other patients she ’ d neglected to stand up for. They were cannibals . Levi was different. “ Levi ’ s not a cannibal. He ’ s not a threat. The Haldanian mandate of conversion should not apply to him. But because he ’ s a carrier of the F508 mutation, they decided he had to — to — ” she stuttered, enlightenment washing over her. “ His son has cystic fibrosis! That ’ s why he ’ s here! ”
    Dr. Rice chimed in. “ If his son is the one needing treatment, then his son should be the one here. We cannot be expected to travel the globe to cure everyone. The cost for our services is quite steep as it is. ”
    “ But if his son is too sick to travel, surely you could fly over there and retrieve him? ”
    “ We do not ‘ fly over ’ and retrieve people. ” One side of the doctor ’ s lip curled upward in a sneer as she looked down her nose at Tula.
    Tula wondered what Levi intended to trade for these people ’ s help. What else had been in his bag when they ’ d captured him? The only thing she could remember was the notebook, now turned to ash. “ Is he with the translator? ”
    The doctors exchanged a glance Tula couldn ’ t read and then Levi appeared behind them, escorted by a man in a crimson tunic. His face lit up when he saw Tula and he pushed his way between the doctors to grasp both her arms. “ Tula, are you okay? ” He looked her up and down as if assessing the damage, for once not avoiding the nakedness of her breasts.
    “ I ’ m good. ” She leaned toward him and put her arms around his waist in a hug in spite of the crisscross of cattail twine and yuvee leaves over his back “ Have him take a seat, ” the black-skinned doctor pointed to the diagnostic chair.
    Tula wrapped her fingers around his and led him to the chair. “ Levi, good medicine. Sit. ”
    He settled back against the headrest and Dr. Rice placed his arm in the cuff. The screen immediately flashed warning lights.
    “ His blood pressure is abnormally high. I ’ ll need to sedate him. ”
    Nodding Tula, smiled encouragingly at Levi. Dr. Rice coded the chair for sedation and Tula watched Levi ’ s eyes blink once, twice, and remain closed.
    Dr. Kaneka cleared his throat and Tula jumped. “ We will offer you both lodging for the night. Your friend has already eaten. You require methionine and lysine, I believe? Would you like us to do a nitrogen balance panel to determine any other deficiencies? ”
    The thought of a protein canister sounded like manna right now. “ I would appreciate that. ”
    “ Dr. Rice will see to you, then. ” Dr. Kaneka left, and Tula turned back to an unconscious Levi.
    “ Let ’ s get these putrid leaves off and see what we ’ re dealing with, shall we? ” Dr. Rice pulled on protective gloves and picked up scissors before taking a seat on a round swivel stool next to the diagnostic chair. “ These cannibal remedies are so hit and miss. ”
    “ He ’ s not a cannibal. ” A flash of déja vu seized Tula as she spoke the familiar words.
    “ Where are his people? ”
    “ We were in the process of discovering that when the Board ordered his — execution. ” She made a conscious effort to change the word. No longer would she think of the murders in terms of euthanizing.
    The doctor twisted her chair so she could look Tula directly in the eye. “ You were a doctor? ”
    Tula straightened and lifted her chin a little. “ I still am a doctor. A Conversion Psychiatrist. ”
    “ I understand. Almost all converts are children. Why were you so intent on this particular adult? ” Dr. Rice tilted her head.
    Shifting her attention, Tula looked Levi up and down. Slack in sleep, his face appeared more youthful. But not a child. The golden stubble of his beard glimmered along his jaw and outlined the fullness of his lips. “ He was with a woman in labor when we picked them up. He was helping her. We thought they were a family, and I was going to study cannibal family dynamics. But it turned out he didn ’ t even know her. ” The memories were like another life. So much had happened, she ’ d forgotten the mystery of the Levi she ’ d first met.
    The doctor raised a condescending brow, and out of