He Hates Me, He Loves Me Not

When Adam and Damon finish packing, they find that the nurse has been waiting for them in the hallway.

Adam is a bit ashamed at the time it took for them to tidy everything but Damon feels no remorse whatsoever. Damon has no capacity to think about anything aside from the problems that were presented to him only moments ago.

The Alpha's head is still rewinding the conversation he had earlier, eager to resume where it was cut off, so he doesn't notice when the nurse comes into the room and turns on the exhaust fan. He also doesn't see the nurse activate the scent-neutralizing device installed on the corner, but he does hear Adam cough next to him.

He turns to look at his secretary, annoyed at the rude gesture, but he quickly realizes why the Beta did that when he sees the box of scent patches handed to him by the nurse.

The nurse is smiling, but there's no kindness in her tone when she says, "Please wear scent patches whenever you're outside."

Damon stares at the nurse for a few seconds, but he takes the box without arguing about it.

While he peels a patch and attaches it to his scent gland, the nurse continues saying, "Some of the patients may have different reactions to pheromones, especially the omegas in this facility.. Please be mindful of that in public spaces."

Damon can't help but click his tongue at the mention of omegas, and the sound makes Adam burn in shame. He almost can't believe Damon just did that. Almost, if only Adam isn't slowly getting used to such arrogant behavior. Why can't his boss act like a decent person for once?

The poor Beta can only hope that the nurse didn't hear Damon's sound of disapproval, but when he sees her narrow her eyes at the Alpha, he knows the transgression isn't so easily forgiven.

However, being the professional that she is, she doesn't point it out, still smiling when she says, "Follow me. I'll lead you to your room."

Before they move, Adam says a quiet, "Please, thank you."

To his chagrin, his boss doesn't say a word, merely cocking his chin forward as if to say, 'go ahead,' a gesture that Damon uses to any of his subordinates.

The nurse's smile drops then. Adam silently prays he won't be lumped in with his mannerless boss. He doesn't know how the dynamics of the hospital work, but he's certain it can never be a bad thing to treat the staff—or anyone, really—with respect.

Just from these past few minutes, Adam is sure that Damon has made his stay much, /much/ more unpleasurable, and the Alpha has no one to blame but himself.

The nurse leads the way with Damon on her heels. They move slowly since the Alpha refuses to be pushed on a wheelchair. No one complains when it takes them twice the time to walk the length of the hallway.

Thankfully, they don't use the stairs despite needing to go only one floor up. They ride the elevator in silence.

Adam wordlessly follows behind Damon as he carries the Alpha's belongings. Every now and then, the nurse points out which floor leads to where and which section belongs to which department.

"The only place where access is strictly prohibited is the ward at the right-wing of the hospital. It's still under renovation but you will be apprehended if you enter," the nurse says as they go through a bridge that connects the smaller building, where they came from, to the larger main building.

Damon presses his lips to a straight line. He keeps his thoughts to himself, but he's getting annoyed at how they keep repeating the rules over and over again. How many times are they going to mention that ward at the right-wing? He has no plans to enter that place, /ever/. They don't have to keep reminding him like he's some fiend with a nefarious scheme.

Oblivious to Damon's mute annoyance, the nurse continues explaining, "The rooms are divided between alphas and omegas, but if you wish to change your room to a different location, do inform us."

"Can we request a change for any reason?" Adam asks, unable to suppress his curiosity. It's his first time in a long-term care hospital that mostly treats alphas and omegas, after all.

"Yes," the nurse says without looking back. "Sometimes, a patient's inner alpha or omega disapproves of the location."

"Why is that?"

"We don't know as well, but we encourage patients not to suppress their instincts while they recuperate."

"Does it help them recover faster?" Adam asks, taking a peek at Damon's stoic face.

Damon may be staying silent, but from the way his shoulders are tense, there's no doubt that he's hearing everything the nurse is saying—including the part about listening to his inner alpha.

"It does," the nurse patiently explains to Adam as they keep walking, "because the body is designed to heal itself. To ensure that nothing goes wrong in the process is part of the hospital's holistic treatment."

Adam has more questions: What does holistic treatment mean? How long does a patient usually stay? Are all cases of pseudo-drop sent here? What's the ratio of alpha to omega patients?

The itch to know is somewhat painful for Adam, but he keeps his mouth shut in fear of being seen as someone nosy.

"On that note," the nurse says to Damon, stopping in the middle of an intersecting hallway, "I would advise you to refrain from working during your stay. We don't ban work-related items in the hospital but stress will only prolong your treatment."

Then, she turns to Adam and says, "Visiting hours are from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. No overnight stay is allowed."

Adam nods to show that he understands. It's why he's renting an apartment.

They resume standing as the nurse changes the topic.

"Alpha rooms can double as a rut room, but if you prefer a separate one, we'll prepare it for you. Please inform us when you feel like your rut is incoming, Mr. Lin."

Adam isn't sure whether Damon, as a patient, has enough strength to go through a rut, but seeing as how the nurse mentioned it, then that means there are instances where it does happen. He doesn't say anything, waiting for Damon to reply.

When the Alpha doesn't respond, Adam looks to where Damon is staring to the left. However, there's nothing but the fading laughter of a young woman.

If asked, Damon will say that he heard a familiar voice from across the corridor, but the thought quickly leaves him when Adam nudges him with an elbow.

Damon nods to whatever it is that the nurse said, oblivious to why his inner alpha has suddenly become excited.