Page 53 of Dark Princess Ascending
Was she? Was he hers?
As Bowen took Rob from her arms, Margo finally noticed the commotion and ran over, her face pale with concern. "What's wrong? Is Rob transitioning?"
"That's what it looks like," Gertrude said. "Go get Bridget."
Margo nodded and sprinted to look for the doctor.
Thankfully, the clinic was a short walking distance away, and since the door was never locked, Gertrude just pushed it open and held it for Bowen. "This way." She pointed him toward the first patient room.
"It's a good sign that he's transitioning so soon after the induction," Bowen said as he laid him on the bed. "Am I right?"
"I hope you are. Every transitioning Dormant is different." She sighed. "On the one hand, I'm glad that it's happening and he doesn't have to be induced again, but on the other hand, I'm terrified."
Bowen nodded. "I know how you feel. But as you and all the docs have kept telling everyone, we haven't lost a single Dormant yet, so we shouldn't worry, right?"
She chuckled. "It's much easier to say when it's not the one you love who is transitioning."
The Guardian's eyes widened. "Love, eh? You two moved fast."
She shrugged. "When it's right, it's right."
Bowen chuckled. "I won't argue with that."
Rob's breathing remained steady, but his temperature seemed to be climbing with every passing second, and his skin felt like it was on fire.
"Do you need my help to undress him?" Bowen offered.
"Thank you, but I can do that." She smiled at him. "I've been a nurse for a very long time."
He nodded. "Do you need me for anything else, or can I go back to the party?"
"Go. You were a great help. Thank you."
After Bowen left, Gertrude undressed Rob, put a hospital gown on him, and covered him with a sheet. She was about to duck into the back room and exchange her party dress for some scrubs when the clinic door opened, and Bridget walked in with Margo and Negal.
"How long has he been unconscious?" the doctor asked, already checking Rob's vital signs.
"About ten minutes," Gertrude said. "He only started manifesting symptoms less than half an hour before that—fatigue, tremors, fever."
"Pulse is rapid but strong," Bridget murmured, more to herself than her audience. "Breathing regularly. Classic onset pattern."
"It happened so fast," Margo said. "Is that normal?"
"For males, it usually happens faster than for females." Bridget pulled out a stethoscope from the drawer and started listening to Rob's chest. "Thespeed of onset doesn't necessarily indicate anything about how the transition itself will progress, but it is a good sign."
Bridget was being cautious, but Gertrude knew from experience that the faster the onset, the faster the change was going to happen. For males, it meant that their venom glands and fangs grew more rapidly, which was more painful.
"You should wait in the waiting room," Bridget told Margo and Negal. "Gertrude needs to connect Rob to the monitoring equipment." She shooed them out.
As Gertrude moved to comply, Rob's eyes fluttered open. "What happened?" he slurred.
The fact that he woke up was another good sign. Dormants who slipped in and out of consciousness had an easier time transitioning than those who were fully unconscious for the entire time.
"You're transitioning." She cupped his cheek and smiled. "Everything's going to be okay."
He managed a weak smile. "Told you I wasn't about to faint."
"Technically, you did faint." She couldn't help but smile back, relief making her a bit giddy.